Political linky dinks

[jere7my]

A 7-year old student was sent to the principal's office because he "sed bad wurds". The bad words were "gay is when a girl likes another girl," in response to another student asking about his two moms. And now the teacher who punished the student is suing the student's mom for defamation. Click the link to see the contract the child was forced to sign, stating he should have "cep my mouf shut." (If he had, he "wud be at riyses.")

Some federally funded abstinence programs are saying some things that aren't, technically speaking, true. Like the assertions "that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals 'can result in pregnancy.'" That "HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears." Additionally:

Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess."

Comments

[miraling.livejournal.com]

I read about the second one in q10, but the first one is similarly distressing.

I don't know how to express how upsetting this all is to me. I guess sex education is a particular issue of mine. I so strongly hate the negativity towards sex in our culture.

I'm going to go to try and cool down or I'll never get to sleep.

[god-of-belac.livejournal.com]

I have to keep reminding myself that people only know what they're taught, and that ignorance is due to willful seclusion of oneself from useful information (or said seclusion performed by one's guardians). Otherwise I'd be convinced that large swaths of America are just stupid. Given appropriate (and sickening) levels of lack of knowledge, all the assertions in the second link are plausible.

[foxfour.livejournal.com]

how is just stupid different from willful (or inherited-willful) seclusion from useful information?

these links, together with scalia's recent claim that seperation of church and state in europe led directly to the holocaust, are getting me very depressed.

[god-of-belac.livejournal.com]

Stupid is when if you're presented with correct information from a source you respect, you still can't grasp the concepts. Like, low IQ-type lack of intelligence.

Willful seclusion from useful information is unwillingness to let yourself be presented with correct information, or unwillingness to accept said information when presented. However intelligent or conceptually adept you are, if you say "I don't want to know!" or "That can't be right--my father disagrees!" you're effectively as stupid as someone who just doesn't get it.