AIDS, Youth, Education

Ventura school board Trustee John Walker’s observation that ninth-graders can’t identify with an alternative lifestyle when being taught by homosexual men infected with the AIDS virus about the dangers of unsafe sex practices has all the earmarks of the head-in-the-sand mentality that prevails all too often in our society.

To assume that children in middle school and high school aren’t aware of homosexuality today is ignorant, irresponsible and insensitive. Mr. Walker digs himself in further by saying that he would like to see a heterosexual man give the lectures on safe sex, using humor to encourage kids to abstain from sexual intercourse. Would parents prefer that their children walk away from a lecture on safe sexual practices saying, “Boy, that guy was really funny!” or, rather, “That person scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know how easy it was to get infected. I’m glad that I know about sexually transmitted diseases now.”

Our children need to know the facts about AIDS. Humor is invaluable, but not when it comes to making the life-threatening decision to have unprotected sex.

MARGEE COOPER

Ventura