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Contact:
Karen Efferem & Tom
Pricahrd 763-458-7119
(Karen) & 612-600-3136
(Tom) |
Groups
call on legislators to reject unhealthy, anti-family, anti-parent
provisions in the House K-12 education spending bill
ST.
PAUL – Two
Minnesota groups jointly released a list of top reasons for
legislators to reject unhealthy, anti-family, anti-parent provisions
in the House K-12 education spending bill. The Minnesota Family
Council and EdWatch today called on House members to reject the
provisions which they call dangerous and an unwarranted government
intrusion into parenting when the bill is up for a floor vote
today.
Government
intrusion into parenting unhealthy for families and
children
Dr.
Karen Effrem of EdWatch identified five different early childhood
proposals that are highly objectionable. “These are nothing short of
a government assault on the minds of our children and a massive
takeover of parenting in the state of Minnesota,” she said. One
example she listed was government setting norms for all children
from birth to age five in areas like mental health, gender issues,
diversity training, and environmentalism. “These have nothing to do
with closing the achievement gap,” she stated.
Psychiatric
screening is another area the groups highlighted. The controversial
mental screening program, TeenScreen, has drawn intense public
opposition. “HF6 simply hides TeenScreen by giving it a generic name
to avoid the controversy,” stated Effrem, “but the author made it
clear that TeenScreen is the program that will be funded. The
language is intentionally misleading.”
Curricula
used for comprehensive sex education unhealthy for
children
Tom
Prichard of Minnesota Family Council said that HF6 would force
comprehensive sex education programs on all middle and high schools
in the state. “This is
an unhealthy proposal which will be foisted on Minnesota students in
every grade from 7 through 12.”
“After
reviewing several sex education curricula” added Chuck Darrell
director of communications for MFC, “we are certain the instruction
will lead to more teens engaging in unhealthy, dangerous forms of
sexual activity like oral, anal, and even anal-oral sex. The content is graphic and
offensive and even made legislators blush in legislative hearings on
the bill.”
“A
recent study showed an explosion in STD’s and STI’s including
Chlamydia. The reason
for the explosion is not abstinence. It is because children are
being taught to engage in unhealthy sexual activity,” said
Darrell.
“The
discussion of abstinence in comprehensive sex education is merely
window dressing, said Prichard. “The focus of the curriculum
is use of contraceptives.
In addition, marriage is not encouraged. We can’t ignore marriage
when sexual activity is discussed,” he said. “No legislator should
support such a program.”
“We
are asking legislators to drop these intrusive provisions. If they are not dropped,
legislators should reject the overall bill,” Prichard said.
“Minnesota parents don’t want the state promoting programs that
undermine our children’s health and
well-being.”
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Minnesota Family Council is Minnesota’s
largest nonprofit, non-partisan pro-family organization.
Minnesota Family Council, 2855 Anthony Lane S, Suite
150,Minneapolis, MN 55418
1-612-789-8811 www.mfc.org