Birth Control Debate

So, have you guys read about this? The title of the article is "School Board Oks Birth Control Pill for Middle School." Did I read that correctly? Does it say Middle School? I'm not sure how you all feel about this subject, but I feel inclined to discuss it. I'm raising two girls. Granted, they are quite young now and not concerned with birth control, boys and the such. But, if we're okaying birth control here in the year 2007, what will we be okaying when they are of age and concerned about boys and all. It's such a scary thought.

I grew up in a loving Christian home. I was taught that my body belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. It it holy temple, used for his work. It is not mine, but only loaned to me to do work for the Lord. In all honesty, I don't recall ever having the "sex" talk with my parents. I just knew that the Bible said to wait . . . and so I waited. But, I grew up, as most of us did, without internet and limited exposure to television. Our kids, unfortunately, have so much more to contend with. Sex is constantly being thrown infront of their face. And now, not only are they seeing it everywhere, the middle school that they attend will be able to hand them birth control, if they so please. I mean, am I just old fashioned, or is this idea wrong? The idea that we need to control birth at the ages between 11 and 14 is scary. In my opinion, we shouldn't be teaching them how to control birth -- we SHOULD be teaching them how to control their body and how to control emotions and urges. Am I right? And where are the parents? I stand by what I've said before . . . I've never understood why you have to take a test to drive a car, or be employed, or have a degree, but anyone is allowed to birth children. I know! I know! It would be impossible to regulate that -- but what I'm saying is that we need to think about these things! Unfortunately, it is left to the schools sometimes to raise children. There are so many absentee parents who have handed off their responsibilities to the public school system. So, it's no wonder why the school system feels that they have the authority to give your child birth control. I mean, after all, they do teach our children how to have sex . . . they are arming them with condoms . . . so, now they feel the need to control what they are teaching. And I know that there are exceptions -- this isn't happening in all schools everywhere. But wake up people -- it only took one school to remove prayer and God and bibles and the others followed suite pretty quickly. I don't know about you, but I . . . let me say it again, I, I, I want to be the one making the decisions for my children. Until the age of 18, these girls are the responsibility of my husband and myself. And if my daughters feel at some point that they are in need of birth control, I need to be involved. I need to know why? Even if it's for pure medical reasons (which there are some), I need to know!

However, on the other side of the coin . . . what about those parents who are not involved? What about the kids that are having sex and getting pregnant and unable to take care of the child because she is a child herself? I can see that the school system feels the need to step in and help these girls.

So, what do you think? If the parents have handed off their responsibilities, is it up to the school system to take over? Should they be handing out birth control?