Quote of the Day 10-28-10
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R–OH) ventured into the age-inappropriate territory during a speech at a Cincinnati Catholic school, where she addressed a room of students ranging from 1st to 8th graders.
“Unexpectedly, towards the end of her address, Congresswoman Schmidt brought up the topic of abortion,” Principal Dan Teller wrote in a letter to parents….
“She defined abortion as the taking of a child’s life in the mother’s womb,” Teller wrote in the letter. “She indicated that abortion involves the killing of a child before it is born.”
… Abortion was not originally included in her speech, but Schmidt reportedly decided to address the issue in the question-and-answer period after her talk.
While speaking about the connection between moral issues and legislation, she used abortion as an example to illustrate her point.
“She received a follow-up question, which she answered consistent with Catholic teaching,” [according to] her spokesman Bruce Pfaff….
When students kept asking about abortion… Schmidt told them to talk to their parents.
Schmidt… was quickly slammed by her Democratic opponent, who accused her of crossing the line.
~Meena Hartenstein, NY Daily News, October 27
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
If 1st to 8th graders (ages 6 to 13) can hear about condoms, birth control, oral sex, two mommies, two daddies, and masturbation in public schools, then I don’t see how hearing about what abortion is in a CATHOLIC SCHOOL is “crossing the line.”
My own children have known what abortion is since they were around age 5 or 6 as well.
An open dialogue about abortion?
Sweet!
Again, if the Dems are so offended about killing pre-born babies, then don’t support legislation that kills pre-born babies. Maybe this is a good test if we should be doing something, if you can’t tell a grade schooler, then maybe you shouldn’t be doing it.
One commenter over at another website covering the story was not upset so much about the age of the children but by the fact that these aborted babies are not human yet and these children will think they are human.
The commenter would have gotten a good laugh from most of the children if she’d said that in the classroom. When will the pro-aborts acknowledge basic biology? Initially I wasn’t in favor of telling children as young as 1st grade about what abortion really is, but now I’m not so sure what the appropriate age is. If we wait too long to tell them, they might be taken in by lies and misinformation about “the right to choose”.
Janet — last time I checked, the union of a human sperm and egg creates a developing human. It doesn’t create an elephant, alligator, or cat.
And if abortion is just another medical procedure, why is it wrong to talk about it?
This is a beautifully crafted answer, which conveys the horror of abortion. It is easy to understand. This simple explanation will remain with the pupils throughout their adult lives and will undoubtedly influence them not to have abortions. Rep Schmidt is to be congratulated.
Oh, yeah, shock horror – the children were told the truth about what abortion is… With all the explicit sex education they get I don’t think this information had any chance of traumatising anyone, and if it did – good, there will be more educated and pro-life people.
I wonder what would have these abortion zealots said when visiting my high school on one beautiful spring morning, when our whole class was watching a video of a real second trimester abortion? And no, noone was traumatised, we simply realised the truth and discussed it afterwards. It was the point at which I made a connection: I DON’T want an abortion = I shouldn’t get pregnant = what if contraception fails = I best abstain from sex until I’m ready for a baby. One picture/video is worth a thousand words.
since girls as young as 11 or 12 are getting abortions, I don’t think its age inappropriate at all. I am sure a few of those children may have had younger siblings and may have even see a sonogram or ultrasound.
I don’t understand the outrage.
LizFromNebraska,
Yeah, the pro-aborts see children as prospective patients/mothers or fathers who may soon be terminating/having killed their pregnancies/children.
We keep in mind that maybe they ought to be told that it’s legal in this country for children not all that much younger than themselves – their cousins, nieces, or nephews, perhaps – to be killed in an abortion.
And that it’s wrong.
I’m not sure what I think about this one. My husband and I both work in pro-life fields, and our teens are very involved with us, but our two youngest kids (9 and 6) don’t know what abortion is, as far as we are aware.
We have been quite careful to preserve their innocence. They have an age-appropriate understanding of pregnancy and know that my job involves helping pregnant women, but I genuinely think that’s all. If a politician was to visit their Christian school and tell them about abortion, I think I would be a bit upset. I know my children better than anyone and should be the one who decides what they learn about adult topics at what age. I imagine that there are some parents from that school who are very upset.
I’m doing everything I can to make abortion unthinkable and unneccessary. I also want my children to have a childhood free of some of the darkness of this world, if it’s at all possible. They will be entering the adult world soon enough.
I am so sick and tired of “Catholic” schools failing to teach morals or basic Catholic doctrine. So many schools and colleges that claim to be “Catholic” do nothing but pander to the immoral left and cower in fear from the perverse in our society. Stand up and teach the teachings of Jesus or don’t pretend you’re at all Christian!
(*applause for Sydney’s comment!*) Amen, alleluia!
Yes Sydney!
I may have mentioned here before that I have been confronted by ‘Catholic’ students and adults that state I should not be discussing abortion in class because abortion is a personal decision.
I teach religious educaton to Catholic high school students. A good video to show HS age and older students is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql_7jnp–UE
Praxedes,
Ooh, I do so wish we could be on the same Catholic high school staff! Then the fur would fly… :)