Missourians Need to Support These Bills!

Stopping Censorship & Encouraging Abstinence in Missouri Schools

By State Representative Cynthia Davis

HB 35 – Stopping Censorship

Censorship is bad. One of the reasons we have such a great country is because people are free to express ideas and find solutions to common problems. Unfortunately, some people who have adopted the theory of evolution do not want our children exposed to any other ideas. They want to win this controversy by default.

House bill 35 is designed to frame the controversy. The bill is only three sentences long and reads like this: “All biology textbooks sold to the public schools of the State of Missouri shall have one or more chapters containing a critical analysis of origins. The chapters shall convey the distinction between data and testable theories of science and philosophical claims that are made in the name of science. Where topics are taught that may generate controversy, such as biological evolution, the curriculum should help students to understand the full range of scientific views that exist, why such topics may generate controversy, and how scientific discoveries can profoundly affect society.”

If you interviewed students at your local high school and asked them if they are aware of any other theory of origins, most would acknowledge that they are aware of other theories. So what do we think we are sheltering them from, and why don’t we frame the debate so that they can think for themselves?

Thinking scientifically means that we continue to explore and ask questions. It seems like the evolutionists are saying “That’s all there is, so even if it does not make sense to you, you must accept it or risk getting bad grades. There are no other ideas to think about or discuss!”

Aristotle was regarded in much the same way. When he said the planets revolved around Earth, it was taken as fact and people were not allowed to question his theory for centuries. History is filled with examples of where science was not only wrong, but also found to be ridiculous years later. You would think that most scientists are logical, unemotional, precise, and factual. Judging from the feedback I have received from the “scientific elite” you would be very surprised at how emotional, illogical and reactionary some of them can behave. It seems more obvious to me than ever that there is an active effort to suppress learning.

HB 35 says nothing about any specific theory, but rather is designed to help students to understand the difference between what happens in the laboratory and what is a scientific philosophy. Our orientation has everything to do with the interpretation of the results. The big question remaining is, “What is the scientific community – or more specifically, those who champion evolution -- afraid of?” The heart of a true scientist desires to continue to learn and explore all possibilities. We owe this to the future of science as well as our children.

The basis for HB 35 came from the bill that states that all physiology textbooks sold in the State of Missouri must include at least one chapter on dental hygiene. The State has already set direction for textbook publishers about what we need to have in Missouri. If the textbook publishers know that we need to have a book that will explain the issue, this will help not only the students, but also the teachers.

HB 34 – Encourage Abstinence
We teach our children that smoking is bad for you, that drugs can ruin your life, that alcoholism will destroy your liver, but when it comes to telling kids that sex before marriage is bad, we suddenly get bashful - why? Premarital sex can give you a life threatening disease or a life long disease and double the risk for teen suicide. We must do more. If the negative consequences were not bad enough, the taxpayer is paying to teach a class that makes kids all the more curious about sex and it is with the force of State government that this class must be taught.

House Bill 34 will remove the State mandate that will result in a fairly good abstinence education statute. Would the taxpayer feel it was an appropriate use of our funds to require a class on how to buy goods without paying for them? Would it be appropriate to require all drivers education classes to include a chapter on the proper use of the radar detector? In Missouri our State law requires all human sexuality classes to include a segment on all the forms of contraception. There is an assumption that our school aged children are not married. Because sex is for married people, the class causes confusion and perhaps even encourages unhealthy behavior by the very context.

Abstinence is the right way to frame sex education. In 1999 a Senator from St. Charles County, (Ted House) presented a bill that would require abstinence to be taught in the public schools as part of the sex education class. Unfortunately, Planned Parenthood was able to insert language into a floor substitute bill that was voted into law. The wording says, “Any course materials and instruction relating to human sexuality…shall…present students with the latest medically factual information regarding both the possible side effects and health benefits of all forms of contraception,…” Since then we have had Planned Parenthood wanting to use this provision of the law to get into our public schools to teach the class.

The class on contraception confuses the student and undermines family values. Our culture used to say that you should wait to have sex until marriage, but now many are saying “until you are in a stable relationship.” If a teenager “goes steady” for three weeks, that may feel like a stable relationship, but that’s not a marriage! The message the students get is this: “Now you really should not have sex, but we know that you are really going to do this anyway because most people don’t want to miss out, so here is what you need to know.” We are making the problem worse by exaggerating the peer pressure.

Furthermore, if a student is engaging in risky behavior, it is only a matter of time before he or she will get a sexually transmitted disease, therefore they should be under the care of a physician who can diagnose and treat the condition. Since teachers can not prescribe drugs, if anyone should be talking about all forms of contraception, it should be with the doctor, if not Mom and Dad.

The best part of this bill is that it establishes local control. The school boards and employees who are accountable to the parents should be making the decisions about the curriculum, not the State. This bill is nothing more than a common sense reform that will allow for input on the local level.

Please help me by supporting both HB 35 and HB 34.

Publisher’s Comment…

Folks, in no uncertain terms, we need to get behind both HB 34 and HB 35 and support Representative Davis in passing both of these bills. We need to contact our State Reps, Senators and Governor Blunt and tell them to put both of these bills on a fast track and get them passed into law.

It is almost beyond comprehension why any parent, educator, scientist or government official could object to HB 35. This is supposed to be America – not Red China, the former Soviet Union or Iran where the State tells you what to think! WHAT IS WRONG WITH GIVING ALL THE THEORIES RELATED TO ORGINS? Representative Davis quite accurately hit the nail on the head when she asked the question, “What is the scientific community afraid of?” She and I both know the answer. I could give you the long answer but for right now I’ll give it to you in a nut shell…THEY ARE AFRAID OF THE TRUTH!

As for as HB 34 is concerned, Missouri’s public schools need to encourage abstinence -- not encourage children to have sex outside of marriage! Don’t educators know that STDs are running rampant among young people and that lives are being destroyed? Sex education belongs in the home – not in the classroom! And, curriculum should be chosen and decided upon at the local level by people who answer to the parents – not by elitist educrats in Jefferson City or Washington D.C.

Like I said at the beginning of this note, we need to contact the Governor and our State Legislators. Governor Blunt’s office can be reached by calling (573) 751-3222 or via e-mail at mogov@mail.state.mo.us. To find out who your State Representative and State Senator are, contact Kerry Messer of Missouri Family Network at (573) 483-2007 and he’ll gladly assist you.

Cynthia Davis is a Missouri State Representative who represents House District 19 and lives in O’Fallon, MO. She is known for her ability to understand the proper role of government and standing up for principles -- not politics. For additional information regarding Mrs. Davis, visit her web site at www.cynthiadavis.net.