We told you yesterday that Gail Spurlock, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the District 12 State Board of Education seat in Texas, thinks the early Pilgrims were communists. Her views about sex education are similarly — how should we say — “out there.” In her interview with the right-wing North Texas Council, Spurlock said she thinks any mention of sex education in the public school health curriculum should be removed. And why is that?
“Society has been reproducing for thousands and thousands of years. I don’t think it’s something you need to teach children in schools. Even if we never say a word, they’re gonna figure it out. It’s not that tough.”
Here’s more of her answer:
(You can find the full North Texas Council videos here.)
Spurlock’s comment reminded us of what one rural school superintendent told us in 2007 when the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund surveyed the state’s public schools about what they were teaching on sex education:
“[We are] a small school with 301 students in grades PK to 12. Most of these kids live on a farm or have animals they feed and care for. They get a pretty good sex education from their animals.”
Good grief. Sex education isn’t about teaching someone how to have sex. Texas has one of the highest teen birthrates in the nation. Clearly, Texas teens already know how to have sex. But they are tragically ignorant about the risks they’re taking and how to lessen those risks.
Sex education is about encouraging young people to abstain from sex as well as giving them medically accurate information about condoms and other forms of contraception and disease prevention. That information will help them make important life decisions that protect their health and their future.
Texas parents know this is plain common sense. A statewide poll for the TFN Education Fund in 2010 found that 80 percent of likely voters in Texas agreed that high school classes on sex education should teach “about contraception, such as condoms and other birth control, along with abstinence.” Moreover, research has shown that students who receive formal, comprehensive sex education that includes information on both abstinence and contraception are more likely to delay having sex for the first time and to use protection when they do have sex.
When Ms. Spurlock is finished trashing the Pilgrims for supposedly being communists, maybe she could consider why keeping young people ignorant isn’t going to resolve the teen pregnancy crisis in Texas.
It reminds me of the true story my high school guidance counselor friend told me. The football player who had gotten his leg broken in a game reassured his girlfriend that it was biologically impossible for her to become pregnant because men with broken legs are rendered impotent until their leg heals back. She believed him. After the pregnancy test came back positive, my friend had to help pick up the pieces for the kids and families.
They knew how to have sex. The other stuff that they DID NOT KNOW slit their young throats. This is what they would have learned in a good sex education class at school.
Maybe she needs to attend a gala film opening at “Loewe’s Condom Theater.”
What I find most irritating about her remarks is how condescending she is. She must assume we’re all pretty stupid. I’ve know ranchers in Oregon w/ no more than a 6th grade education who would laugh at her anology about farm animals & they wouldn’t want her on their school board.
It is ironic to me that the very same people who are against evolution, and argue that “we did not evolve from animals,” in the same breath, when it comes to sex education, say “let them learn it from animals.”
Excellent observation, Wm Gonzalez … about the animals. Ms. Spurlock could benefit (perhaps) from a crash course in animal husbandry, as well as the very, very long timelines of human evolution. But I guess that would be asking a bit much….
The commenters above obviously did not view the video, since Ms. Spurlock said nothing about farm animals. The “quote” about farm animals in the article was from a superintendent of schools, not Ms. Spurlock Please try to read and listen before posting.
This site is pure opinion with none or poorly documented resources. Finding the source of the producers of the video you are using is unavaliable at your site. The only mention is your opinion of the source. A true critic of any value would not only clarify the source in ALL article but also have a clear link or bibliography to the source. So there are only 2 logical explanations why TFN does not do this: 1. It is TFN’s normal means of writing to not state and/or give links to their sources. or 2. They are full of bias and have some internal motive to not reveal their sources/resources/producers of videos they use in their articles.
Free Texan:
Perhaps you didn’t see the name of the source — IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH — and a link — RIGHT BELOW THE VIDEO CLIP — to the full video. And a simple Google search for North Texas Council takes you here.
Gail is right. Sex IS a biology class subject. The only time health class should spend on the topic is to discuss STDs, and consequently Abstinance until ONE partner in Adulthood.
Figuring it out on their own is exactly why Texas has so many teenage Mothers. Your talents do not align in any way for you to be on the SBOE. It is sad that George Clayton did not win; he is the most sane and educated and knowledgeable of all of you that ran. Your should gracefully withdraw so George can beat Miller, who could have spent her money on some children who need food and clothes.
Couldn’t agree more!