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Show Banishment of pregn an t teens barbaric There is a band of fanatics raising a great deal of fervor over the increasing number of teen pregnancies throughout the country. Their battle cry is that of social chastising, ousting the culprits from any position of authority or peer influence and complete banishment from the general population to prevent the spread of their deviant behavior. It seems this group of Victorian-trunking rabble-rousers have overlooked the lessons of history, which have consistently consistent-ly shown that freedom of choice, coupled with strong and factual fac-tual education from both society and the home, has always produced the most constructive and lasting solutions to any problem. Administrative attempts to tighten the yolk of control and choke off personal freedom have always met with violent opposition, op-position, whereas allowing the free flow of information and . personal choice inevitably produces a strong social climate that encourages acceptable behavior. Punishing high school students who get pregnant by forcing them to give up pursuits that are considered highly commendable, commen-dable, such as positions in student government, associations with achievement-oriented clubs and participation is sports, is ludicrous. But, that's what has been presented to the Davis County School Board by Robert Rose, a member of the Bountiful Boun-tiful Parent Teacher Student Association and Interim Davis County Commissioner. Rose and his wife, Connie, claim that pregnant students shouldn't be allowed to hold positions that could persuade their peers into believing that sexual activities are acceptable, r and by removing them from such positions, other teens will get the message that "teen sex is not accepted or expected." Further, Connie Rose told the board that pregnant teens should be removed from the general school population and put into alternative high schools to keep teen pregnancy from "spreading. "We need to hold these people up as an example,' she said. 'Kids need to see punishment. ' ' So, what do we do with all the other students who are indulging in-dulging in sexual activities but haven't been caught? Perhaps we should lock females into medieval chastity belts when they reach puberty and hide the key until they marry. Or, maybe we should lock males in cages until their sexual urges subside. Come on, people. You can't be serious! Has it occurred to you that the teens getting pregnant are those who are naive to birth control, and the truly sexually active teens simply know how to avoid pregnancy? You can't stop teens, or anyone else, from doing anything with scare tactics and overzealous punishment. You have to educate them. Give them information, and let them make their own choices. If your teachings, both moral and ethical, are worthwhile, and you have demonstrated your faith in your children, they'll usually make you proud. Perhaps, and here's another scary concept, the problem of teen pregnancy should be addressed in the home rather than with punitive measures from the schools. Try teaching the morals you believe in at home. If they are sound teachings, they'll take hold. Teen pregnancy is a problem, and the subject should not be taken lightly. It causes untold damage to those involved, costs an immense amount of money to taxpayers and increases the burden on federal and local government systems. But, to heavy-handedly victimize young people who 'made a mistake during a time of adolescent confusion is barbaric. These kids are already scared enough, and they will be paying in many ways for the rest of their lives for their actions. Administrative and parental degradation will not help the situation any more than it will change it. The school system is already doing more than it should be required to do about this issue with classes and movies that teach the hows and whys of sex and procreation. The moral and ethical aspects must come from the home. And until it does, the problem of teen pregnancy will continue to grow. |