You Have the Right – Part Two

In discussing this with a friend, he mentioned “in loco parentis” as messenger of this doom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_loco_parentis refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent. As parents, we have abdicated our responsibility to our children while on public property such as a school. This is truly a two-edged sword. On one hand, if my child has drugs or other illegal items in his or her backpack or school locker, the school has every right to search those items without parental consent. This also means that your child has access to help through the school to resources like birth control and abortions without your consent.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/88971742.html At the beginning of every school year I get a huge packet of paperwork to complete, sign and return. One of these forms is a medical release. The release form basically holds the school and district harmless in case your child is injured during a school activity and allows them the ability to act as a parent in making decisions about medical care. Most parents look at this (as I did) and assume it would be used during a field trip or sporting activity; possibly if there were a bomb or a shooting at school. I doubt this mother even considered an abortion as necessary medical care.

I currently have boys so the abortion aspect had never occurred to me; although I have contemplated being very specific about birth control such as condoms. I have signed my kids out of aids awareness and sex-ed discussions and videos in elementary and Jr. High. I recently asked for a list of “R” movies that my teenage son would be ‘required’ to watch in an English class to see if I approved or not (there is a big difference between The Tudors and Braveheart).

I am not a prude. I’m not naïve enough to believe that children won’t experiment with new things – although I can honestly say I must have been the most boring teenager ever as I never even thought of trying ‘that stuff’ or any of the other things my friends had fun with. I was the ‘designated driver’ and the ‘goody two shoes’. I know that not everyone discusses life issues with their children in detailed and honest conversation. I just can’t see the point in discussing condom usage or Aids awareness IN SCHOOL. I don’t think it’s the responsibility of the current school system to teach my children about morals, values and how to put a condom on a banana.

It’s easy to lose track of your kids in school. After elementary school you are no longer really wanted on school grounds except for band concerts, sporting events and to chaperone the occasional dance. Sometimes you might be asked to help in the reading program or a field trip; but you’re pretty much there for taxi service and financial support at this point. Unless you stay on top of the administration, you won’t know what class or teacher your student is signed up for until the first day of class. And, most of us don’t want to rock the boat, so when we’re told “you cannot change classes or teachers after the first day of school”, we acquiesce and let our little darling suffer through junior high hell. And you hope you don’t hear from the principal.

Most Junior High kids no longer have play dates; their friends are sports buddies, locker or section mates. And, they’re surrounded by a larger quantity of kids that have had little ‘quality’ adult guidance with even less teacher intervention. I think the reason there’s no recess in Jr. High is because it would be cheaper to put a boxing ring on the field and let them all duke it out for 15 minute increments. Bullying is more prevalent, peer pressure has really reared its ugly head and then there’s the self-esteem monster. Add in hormones and the angst of attempting to be an independent mini-adult in a child’s body and you’ve got the makings for a huge explosion.

High School is even a bigger pool of hormones, stress and competition. And then there’s that whole college thing.

Some kids make it just fine through these years. Some come out scraped and bruised, but not damaged. I solid foundation of values and morals goes a long way in helping kids navigate through life’s difficult journey. I can’t imagine how kids with more *liberal* parents understand the concept of good vs. evil when ‘nothing is wrong unless you think it’s wrong’. Some things are wrong, even if you don’t think they are. Examples are murder, drugs (non-prescribed) and abuse.

As a parent, I think we have given the schools far too much leeway in parenting our kids. Prayer and Bible are no longer used as curricula, creation is just a theory and, apparently it’s okay for the school to use taxpayer dollars to pay for murder. What a contradictory lesson for the students. We’ll bust you for selling or doing drugs while a student, but we’re more than happy to conceal your unwanted pregnancy from your parents and guide you to a clinic that will make the problem disappear.

I’m sure the parents of the kids involved in the drug bust are upset that their kids were taken from school in handcuffs. I’ll also bet they’re thankful they didn’t have to find out about a ‘paid field trip’ to an abortion doctor. It’s fine with me if you pat down, search the backpack or open and search my kid’s locker. I don’t have an issue with drug-sniffing dogs during random drug searches on school property. Frankly, I would like to know the names of the kids that are wasting my taxpayer dollars, endangering my kids and ruining my community with their illegal and selfish habits.

The constitution gives the right to schools to act as a parent should during school hours and for school activities. This right of the public schools overshadows the freedom of speech, press and association “if an act of a student can interfere with the educational process, that act may, in many cases, be suppressed.” http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_stud.html

I wonder if the district thought that paying for and encouraging an abortion during school hours in any way interfered with the educational process of that student. And, I wonder if the school district has any thought or concern for the obvious lack of education they provided that student by providing her with a pregnancy test AND an abortion (as well as the means of transportation to get to the clinic). Come to think of it, if they’d done their educational jobs correctly through sex-ed and health, this girl shouldn’t have gotten pregnant in the first place, right?

My 11 year old and I had a discussion after he found out about the drug bust. As a scouting and Christian family, we have frequent discussions about choices, consequences, behavior and results. He was stunned that anyone could be that stupid as to sell drugs (the innocence of this 11 year old). During our conversation, I told him that if he ever was caught selling or doing drugs and was arrested, that he shouldn’t expect to be bailed out of jail anytime soon. Of course, he told friends at school (because, of course it was community news to be dished out over recess on the playground). His friends told their parents, who challenged me with a resounding, “You wouldn’t REALLY let him spend the night in JAIL, would you? What if he got hurt?” I simply smiled and assured them that I would bail him out, but it might take a couple of days. And if he got hurt, then he might have a better teacher than I about consequences and choices.

After all, if the school won’t teach my child about morality, values and consequences through prayer, religious teachings and natural laws, then it returns to me, the parent to teach them in the ways that I see fit. It’s my job to begin with and not the school or the district’s responsibility. But, if as a parent, I negate my power by turning over all education to the school or the public forum and provide no balance or education of my own with my own beliefs, opinions and biases; I must then relinquish my rights as a parent to protect those children from the law of the public forum.

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you…”