The events of recent days has me repeatedly asking, what is really the issue here?
Let's review, in recent days (weeks actually) we have been presented with the news of the teacher in Columbia, Tn. who kidnapped a 15-year-old girl from his school and is still at-large. There has been much speculation about the girl's complicity in her sex abuse/kidnapping. Is this truly being expressed as a justification for the 50-year-old teacher's action.
Secondly, there is the case of the pending rape trial of the 14-year-old child assaulted in her school's bathroom. Again, there is an idea being floated that perhaps she texted her consent for this reprehensible act.
Here's where I get real. Isn't the real issue here that inappropriate sexual contact/conduct is being permitted in our schools? I am no prude (though I'm sure some will portray me as such), but I definitely believe that we should adopt the same "no tolerance" standard as we presently have for other things and activities that we find harmful to our children and not conducive to the environment that should be our school's must promote. We should not be allowing any such activity on the grounds and premises of our schools.
If these "bad actors" are sufficiently punished and policed then perhaps we can get a grip on the rampant promiscuity that floods our culture. Let's make the protection and safety of our children a priority and never allow such behavior to exist in our schools.
Don Howard