We Can Work It Out - Politics & Philosophy | Page 58 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

The Hole Got Fixed said
I’ll just leave this here…

  

And something like seventy percent of them were people shot by people defending themselves.

Whew.

I have things to say . . . loooooadss of things to say…

[Begin rant]

@Dark Overlord and @50yearslate, you definitely weren’t alone in not caring a jot about sex as kids. I was a complete innocent until I was about thirteen (I knew what different body parts were, and about periods and whatnot, but from my perspective it was more about bodily functions, like elimination, and I had no idea sex was a thing. (I knew that animals copulated, but human sex is far more complicated, baggage-ridden, and cultural than simply producing offspring — hence Why Don’t We Do It In The Road*) Obviously I had zero interest in doing it either. I don’t remember how I began to figure it out — I definitely wasn’t given a talk or anything, I think I just picked it up somehow, as kids of a certain age do — though I was a bit behind on it all; I think I was a bit of a late-bloomer as well, something few, save my parents, realised, as I always spoke and appeared older than my age. When I picked up on the notion, I was quite repulsed by it and wanted absolutely nothing to do with it — a sentiment I still harbour to some extent; though I’m perfectly fine discussing sex and joking about it, I don’t want it in the slightest, and find the thought of getting it on with someone mildly disgusting.

It’s partly my own personal, rather uncomfortable relationship with sex (maybe I would have been better off if it had been introduced to me in a more structured manner — who knows?) and partly the fact that I’m homeschooled, but mostly my belief in freedom of religious worship and parental sovereignty that leads me to my answer to the original question:

Ron Nasty inquired
Should parents be able to take their children out of classes that they disagree with on faith grounds, or should children be exposed to the broad view of society and opinions that may differ from their parents, allowing them to make up their minds? 

Here’s the thing. I feel like it sounds nice to say ‘Kids should have a right to choose!’ but that’s not what you’re asking, is it? You’re asking if children should be required to be exposed to these views and whatever, or should parents have the right to make decisions about their children’s education. To which I must unequivocally answer the latter.

First of all, children are children. They’re immature, naive, stupid, and aren’t really capable of making wise decisions. (I should know, I was one quite recently.) That’s why we have parents**, who protect and guide their children until the kids have reached an age to think for themselves. A wise parent protects no more or less than necessary, guides with discretion, and encourages kids to think for themselves from an early age. An unwise parent might not. Most parents probably err in some sense or another. But parents should have the right to make these decisions about their child’s education and upbringing, rather than it be relegated to some great, clumsy bureaucracy in the sky which must make generalisations, cannot account for individuals, and may even have some agenda to push. (Brainwash ’em early, while you’re weeping, while still a baby in your pram! )

It’s this parental freedom of choice which has allowed me to receive the type of education/childhood I have, so of course I have a personal stake in it. But it’s not just that: based on my past personal experience as a nine-to-fourteen-year-old, and as someone who has a ten-year-old sibling, to read suggestions of non-optional sex education which delves into adult relationships at eleven/twelve, pornography at fourteen, is utterly appalling to me. Perhaps you, @AppleScruffJunior, would have benefitted from that. Perhaps most children would, although I doubt it. But I can tell you that I, for one, would have been SCARRED. FOR. LIFE! (I don’t know exactly where my sister’s head is at right now, but I’m pretty sure she’s quite far from any such notions, and I doubt that will change too quickly in the next couple of years.) My parents, had they been sending me to the ASJ School System, would have known that I wasn’t ready for that, and would have tried to withdraw me — as should be well within their rights.

Generally, I just don’t feel like this kind of thing is the domain of governments to be teaching our children about Facts Of Life. That’s supposed to be the parents’ job. Parents can, and should, educate their children on body parts, bodily functions, and different types of relationships when they become relevant. Obviously, I don’t have a problem with kids knowing about gay people — I don’t remember when I figured out that ‘gay’ doesn’t just mean ‘happy’, but I guess it was pretty early and I was like, ‘Oh, cool, whatever’ — as long as it’s not about sex. They just ain’t ready for that. And as for transgenderism, I don’t think that really needs to be a huge thing either. It’ll just confuse the wee’uns and you’d better believe it’s already confusing enough — gender dysphoria is really difficult to understand unless you experience it, and there’s a noted increase in young people thinking that they have gender dysphoria when it’s really just body dysmorphia or some other problem. Now, if it’s relevant to them, e.g. a family member is transitioning, then you can explain the bare bones of what’s going on, but once again, this is the domain of the family. If it eventually turns out that they’re trans themselves (which is, of course, statistically unlikely), then they’ll figure it out. With confusion, yes, and trouble, because (news flash) GENDER DYSPHORIA IS CONFUSING/TROUBLING AS FECK.

Now, if parents aren’t doing their jobs, that’s a whole other discussion…

…but this post is long enough and I need to stop. Anyway, there’s my two(??? more like twenty-five) cents. /rant

*which, by the way, I didn’t understand in the slightest as a child, nor particularly care about. I just pictured Paul and Ringo taking a board game up to the street in front of my house, and dodging cars, or something, and used to shake my head at their stupidity because the street in front of my house is busy as heck and One Does Not Simply Do Anything, really, In The Road.
**who are often also immature, naive, stupid, and mildly incapable of making wise decisions, but ya know

Yes, I think so.

When I was fourteen, I avoided thinking about sex as much as possible.