Yes, the original headline said “Indian” conservatives; but, is there really any difference between conservatives in India and the U.S., Pakistan and Poland – when the topic is sex?
Should a 15-year-old Indian student be permitted to look at anatomical drawings that illustrate how an adolescent’s body develops into an adult form?
This simple question stands at the heart of an uneasy debate over Indian values, contemporary morality and the best way to educate modern teenagers in the facts of life.
Outrage, mainly among rightist parties, which often promote themselves as defenders of an ill-defined notion of “Indian morality,” was prompted primarily by a flip-chart of illustrations for use by teachers as they summarized the physical changes experienced by teenagers during puberty.
Sujatha Rao said conservative groups across the country were being unrealistic about swiftly changing attitudes to sex among a new generation of Indian teenagers and were clinging stubbornly to an outmoded vision of the country’s youth.
“I have a feeling that the conservative elements in our society are unable to cope with these dynamic changes that are taking place. There is a fear that this area was once under their control and is now spiraling out of their control.”
As often as conservatives prate about liberty and individual freedom, limiting what people can learn, what knowledge is accessible, seems to be the prime plank in conservative social policy.
when it comes to sex, conservatives remind me of the silly joke my dad would always make when carving a roast and taking the first bite — he’d always “oh it’s terrible, you don’t want any”
i always picture conservatives in dark rooms scouring through tons of film and books looking for anything that could be construed as prurient.
the way that they can take any reference to the human body and make it sound perverse has always creeped me out.
they think about sex waaaaaaay toooo much for me to let my children around them
Do conservatives think that if they don’t tell the children were babies come from that they won’t get pregnant or have sex?
The logo for conservatives world wide should be an ostrich with its head stuck in the sand.
Pst…. don’t tell the Indian people how to make babies!
Is there anything that doesn’t anger “conservatives”?
#4 – Good point…
Personaly, along with serious and in-depth info about sex health, reproduction, etc., I think kids also need helpful coaching in how to treat each other and foster healthy relationships.
They also need to know that sex is nothing to be ashamed of, in fact, it’s good. I like having sex often. I don’t know about the rest of you but I think sex is a great thing.
Yes, and likewise is there really any difference between liberals in Canada and the rest of the world when the topic is legalized full-term abortion as contraceptive?
If only all the world’s old cultures would think correctly like us.
RBG
Let’s see.. following the logic behind this stuff, what would be taught in:
Driver’s Ed- never get behind the wheel of a car
(hmm.. the tree huggers could get together with them on that)
Home Economics – never cook or clean the house
Reading – only the Bible
Biology/Physics/Chemistry – Creation Science
(oops, already do that one)
J/P=?
#6 Please, do expand on this astounding assertion that “liberals, Canadians and the rest of the world” think abortion is properly used a contraceptive.
pB
I agree with all the comments thus far. I find the arguement that teaching teenagers about sex is immoral, or that it will lead to more teens having sex, to be ridiculous.
My point of arguement is that we seem to be throwing the word “conservative” around pretty freely here…and I think that’s off the mark. You don’t know any sexually repressed liberals? Come on.
There’s a quote in the article “Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said at a news conference: “Sex education may be necessary in Western countries, but not in India, which has rich culture. It will have adverse effect on young minds, if implemented.””
I don’t know whether Mr. Kumaraswamy is a conservative or a liberal, but I’m pretty confident in calling him an idiot, which is what we should really be focusing on. To continue to embrace sweeping generalizations – such as conservatives are all sexually represed jesus-huggers simply propogates the political polarization of our country. Which gives us such excellent choices a W. Bush or J. Kerry…seriously, you’re going to tell me either of those rock-stars gives you a political hard-on?
I think your all using the term conservative in the wrong way. All of the countries you mention Eideard are full of conservatives….but they need to be called by their correct name…..religious conservatives.
A true conservative isn’t going to regulate morality. Thats your business, not the goverments. I’m a conservative, from a conservative family, and I have a healthy outlook on sex, and was raised that way. So were my friends, also conservative from conservative familys.
The only obvious areas of goverment involvement in sexual mores should be with peadophilia, and forced prositution and rape.
Lumping things(people?) together indiscriminatly should only be done in making Goulash.
Joshua, are you sure your not a libertarian? I used to think I was a conservative republican until I saw the light. Praise Jebus [/sarcasm].
Why should this be taught in schools? Let the parents or society do the teaching, and let schools try to focus on the other subjects. Maybe a little more prioritization would help since they’re not doing well right now with their teaching. Besides, wouldn’t most of these sex-ed curricula qualify as sexual harassment?
“Yes, the original headline said “Indian” conservatives; but, is there really any difference between conservatives in India and the U.S., Pakistan and Poland – when the topic is sex?”
Yes, quiet a few atheist conservatives, but gross generalizations are always fun.
8. Since you asked:
“Abortion in Canada is not limited by law. While some non-legal obstacles exist, Canada is one of only a few nations with no legal restrictions on abortion, and access there is still among the most liberal in the world.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_in_Canada
It may be completely immoral and medically difficult to abort an unborn child minutes before birth, but – in Canada – it is perfectly legal thanks to Liberal-era laws. I believe if there is a buck to be made; a personal body-politic principle to be upheld; a destructive domestic battle to be settled and so-forth; law can always be depended upon to define some people’s moral parameters.
And this is somehow a superior code of conduct over those backward Indian people?
As for the rest of my blurb; it merely parodies Eideard’s ridiculously faulty and incendiary deduction that conservatives everywhere must support sex ed as outlined by some Indian culturally conservative groups.
RBG
Quite, but I guess you could say they are not very vocal about it. :O
#9 – You don’t know any sexually repressed liberals?
No.
#9
We’re talking about India, where teenagers get married not because they got the girl pregnant but because it was an arranged marriage.
If the married couple is going to have sex they might as well learn how to do it well.
I wonder why this has a place in our education system? We still don’t teach managing personal finances with the exception of how to balance a checkbook.
Unfortunately, private companies (Planned Parenthood) support some of this type of education and they also make a lot of money at both ends (preventing and ending pregnancy).
Let’s get back to reading, writing, and ‘rithmatic. I hated that I was forced to take home economics and foreign language (and not calculus and physics) in order to graduate from high school and even college. It’s a real scam!
Once upon a time there were actually complicated intellectual differences between the liberal world view and the conservative world view. Not anymore. The theories of government are virtually the same these days, they only differ on what issues they support.
Conservatives are anti-sex and pro-violence, Liberals are pro-sex and anti-violence.
Liberals want sex education, available contraception, abortion rights, gay rights, gay marriage, feminist causes, anti censorship of materials of a sexual nature.
Conservatives support War in Iraq, gun rights, military spending, capital punishment, environmental destruction for resources, torture of detainees, tougher punishment for criminals, anti censorship of materials of a racial or religious nature.
#18 – I wonder why this has a place in our education system? We still don’t teach managing personal finances with the exception of how to balance a checkbook.
You are absolutely right. There needs to be an extensive and required course or courses that explain everything about personal finance from checkbooks and credit cards to mortgages and mutual funds. It is tragic that our kids are tossed into the world unarmed, typically be parents who were tossed into the world unarmed to really deal with personal economics in any way other than reactive.
This, along with extensive sex education, a foriegn language and home ec (because a man who can’t cook or pick out a matching tie is a shame).
By the time you leave the sixth grade, you really ought to have mastered basic math and English grammer to the point that you never need remedial lessons again. Sadly, most kids are stupid, so let’s give them until the eighth grade.
But if you are a sophmore studying readin’ writin’ and ‘rithmatic, then you are an idiot and you are gonna pump my gas. These four years should be filled with science, history, literature, art, and sex and personal finance.
Sadly, we are lucky when we graduate more kids than we hold back.
Off topic? yes… sorry…
Does the population of the world’s 2nd most populous country REALLY need sex education? I’d say they’ve got that shit figured out.
You have to admit this is pretty basic stuff to get upset about. But what a bunch of sanctimonious boars, you liberals on this board. The reason we won’t ever have a progressive government again is because the “liberals” around here are all idiots.
Seems to me the solution is easy. If the kids *want* to take sex ed, let them, and show them all they want. Provided they first pass language, math, basic sciences, basic finance and civics (how to run a country or a state or a county) courses. Any kids want an early peek – well, that’s what Playboy is for.
This is a classic case of how education done right can teach people something of use but it often becomes agendaized and you lose the intent. Imagine if teenagers learned the down side to birth control and the fact of STD’s as well as how the plumbing works. Hunmm you might get less teen preganicies, nah we souldn’t want that.
Looks like the “defenders of the faith” – that is, conservatives – including those too chickenshit to admit to being conservatives – will stretch, bend, deny, obscure, redefine, every reasonable attempt to discuss fact on this page. As usual.
After a while, you have to conclude that those who fear knowledge and access to information really are the leading cowards of any epoch. Wee, timorous, sleekit beasties.
Conservatives are always mad about something. Then again, so are liberals.
Me? I’m mad that they’re getting mad over all the wrong things.
I think your all using the term conservative in the wrong way.
Yup, must be that ole English spelling for the contraction you are. Gee, great learning there in Oxford. Or is that the South Western home school version for you all as practiced on those isolated Arizona ranches.
A true conservative isn’t going to regulate morality.
Ya, right. And Arizona ranches don’t use Mexican ranch hands.
…I have a healthy outlook on sex, and was raised that way.
Yup. Now that is a true Conservative’s answer. Your’s is the true way. Anyone who disagrees with your outlook is just plain wrong. Not only that, but YOUR view is healthy which I would believe by extension makes those who disagree unhealthy. Guess who is the fucking asshole that gets to decide who was raised with the healthy attitudes? Being raised on a ranch in rural Arizona might make some wonder what is considered healthy. Or normal. Just asking, but does Arizona have any of those bestiality laws?
The only obvious areas of goverment involvement in sexual mores should be with peadophilia, and forced prositution and rape.
First, the GOVERNMENT has, and should have, a lot of involvement in sexual mores. Things like PEDOPHILIA, PROSTITUTION , rape, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual privacy, and public decency. Of course those that publicly masturbate in the town square might not want that last tidbit. Or those who like sheep for more then their soft coats. Then, if you are happy with prostitutes doing business in the hallways of your apartment building or on the trunk of your car might not care too much.
Don’t confuse morality with public order. Pedophilia is wrong because a child can not make an informed consent. Forced prostitution is rape. Public masturbation is viewed as socially repugnant, although it borders upon morality, and a possible sign of a mental issue. Control of sexually transmitted diseases is in the public interest.
Morality goes past the public interest point to decide at what age a person is considered old enough to consent to sex, or the availability of sex toys. Morality would be how many wives / husbands one might have.
#26….[edit: comment guide]
It’s pretty obvious your a far left ideologue, your bile is always showing.
On the Dateline NBC ‘To Catch a Predator,’ they caught a disproportionate number of Indian pervs. Can you say “sexually repressed?”
#27 – Why you are allow access to the Internet from your padded cell is beyond me.
So our world would be much healthier and safer if women would just make themselves completely available to men.
RBG