After reading this chapter the most interesting topics that stood out to me were the Republicans continuous support of abstinence education and there lack of support for programs and clinics that supported the termination of unwanted pregnancies. Also the concepts of religious freedom and prayer in schools. Firstly the concept of the Republicans not supporting abortions and programs pertaining to this type of thing reminds me of the furlow that was supposed to happen last month. Up for discussion was the cutting of funding for programs like Planned Parenthood that helps to provide services for women who find themselves in these types of situations. The Republicans did not want to fund these programs and wanted them cut to privatize them in my understanding so that these types of programs would become just like insurance companies where every service would have to be paid for out of pocket, which would defeat the whole purpose of the program and others like them. In my opinion abstinence education in public schools has beecome a waste of time.From my experience these programs present the same information, in the same way and doesn’t leave students with “food for thought.” Alot of times these programs are not even taught by nurses or someone with a specialty in teens and std’s it’s usually a substitute teacher, teaching directly from a pamphlet or information they acquired online. The whole argument of abstinence education and the Republicans support for cut funding for abortions reminds me of a time in history when women used to give themselves abortions with wire hangers because of issues like this. In my opinion though we have come a long way especially in education and human rights certain things I guess are still considered taboo when one thinks of the “American way”, which I think shows our lack of advancement as a nation which is where it really counts.
With the concepts of voluntary prayer freedom in schools, I think about the evolution from the initially Protestant culture to one that embraces all. Even at Baruch for example Muslim students have their own prayer rooms and facilities where they can practice openly without fear of persecution. Also Christian groups on campus can organize events and pray openly without interference. I think that was one of the best statutes of the No Child Left Behind Act, and I think that with both the Republican and Democratic support of this act religion has become less exclusive.
In reference to gay/lesbian relationships, do you think that children raised in these types of households have a harder time assimilating into mainstream “American” society in reference to the obviously biased gender roles of society? (keep in mind elementary schools and playtime which involve children usually being coerced into playing with toys that stipulate later societal roles.) With the heavy focus on STEM and America’s competitive performance on a global scale, do you think that courses that educate about the environment are equally as important?
