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A Visit With My Teen to an Amerikan Publik High Skhool From Hell; The Observations of a Mad Dad!

To Whom It May Concern:

My teenage daughter recently became interested in checking out a local public high technical school, McCann Technical School at 70 Hodges Cross Road, North Adams, Massachusetts 01247, USA (413)-664-9424.  Will I allow my teenager to attend this, or any other public school, in this area of the country?  As long as there is breath in my earthly body, I assure you, I will not.  Why do I say such a thing? Here's a little bit of why:

The first item I noticed of concern at the school guidance department was a small poster offering college tuition help, entitled Evolution may take millions of years, but...  I stopped there and knew exactly what was to come.  The theory of evolution is scientifically impossible and requires greater religious faith to believe in than the most off-the-wall religion ever asked for.  The very incredible order of every part of the physical world, from electron, to atom, to molecule, to virus, to amoeba, to any form of life past or present, to the human body itself, to physics, to chemistry, to ecology, to the earth itself, to the solar system, to galaxies and beyond, all testify to the clear presence of intelligent design.  Where are the "missing links?"  Nowhere – because they don't exist.  Species mutate and adapt, but the faithful of evolutionism can not offer any proof, because there is none!  Thus, a Creator.  Thus, Absolutes, including Absolute Rights & Wrongs.  Thus, a universal Moral Code.  Thus, such concepts as The Ten Commandments and The Golden Rule.  Thus, human brotherhood and Judgment, both in this life and in the Hereafter.  Sure, but not at public school!

Then, there was the simple 8x10 notice on the guidance department bulletin board, "Confidential health services for minors 13 and older" at a clinic at a local hospital, Berkshire Medical Centre of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  I recognized this "service" immediately for what it was.  After leaving, I called the guidance department for the number of the local "clinic."  At (413)-447-2654, I spoke to a lady who identified herself as a nurse, and the clinic as a "State of Massachusetts Department of Public Health" service.  She explained that State law requires that minors age 13 and up can obtain reproductive health counseling, testing and, if desired and needed, treatment for pregnancy, HIV, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's) and necessary referrals for "terminations" (abortions) – all completely without parental consent or even notification.  They are only allowed to contact parents if the minor, again, aged 13 or up, requests them to do so.  The nurse gave me the phone numbers for her clinic's supervisor, (617)-983-6950, and the Medical Director (617)-522-3700.  Asking where minors would be referred to for further treatment of STD's, AIDS and pregnancy "termination", I was referred to Tapestry Healthcare at (413)-443-2844.

I next networked with several parents via my local church whose children attended this public school.  The guidance counselor had, in answer to one of my questions, revealed that there were trained student "peer counselors" available for the school children to talk to about sensitive issues "because teens relate better to their peers."  Asking the local parents about this, I was told that school children seeking help for birth control, counseling and resources regarding anything from sexual promiscuity to sexual orientation, HIV, STD and pregnancy screening, or needed "treatments" – including abortion, would be referred to guidance department counselors and the school nurse, who would then refer the minors, again aged 13 and up, WITHOUT parental consent or even advisement, to the local "confidential" health clinic noted.  Surely, I thought, they can't do these things without parental consent or advisement – this must be against the law!  Guess again, I was dead wrong – almost!

Calling Tapestry Healthcare, I was advised by a nurse that minors, again aged 13 and up, could receive gynecological exams, birth controls, treatment for STD's, AIDS and referrals for pregnancy "termination" (abortion!) without parental consent or advisement.  This particular clinic was federally funded via Title X (Ten), which requires, by federal law, that minors receive "confidential" reproductive health services at providers so funded, and are forbidden from contacting parents for parental consent or advisement!  This is necessary, according to one of my Vermont State Senators, because "children can't always talk to their parents about these things."  For minor public school children, again aged 13 and up, I was told that Tapestry Healthcare even had a local office right in town, on Main Street.  How convenient, I thought.  But where would such a minor get an abortion?  Well, the nurse reported she had a long list of available providers who would conduct a pregnancy "termination" in my area, based on a sliding fee schedule (no income ... no fee).  One of these "providers," the lady told me, was – surprise! – Planned Parenthood.  In Massachussetts, at least, parental consent for an abortion for a minor is required (but who's bothering with such things, any way?).  In our State, Vermont, however, I have learned that parental consent, much less even notification, is NOT required for a minor, age 13 and up, to get an abortion!  Surprise!  Another local Vermont State Senator told me he's working on a bill in our State Senate to require parental consent, but he "can't even get it out of committee!"

OK, so how about the schools' website?  I figured that would be a good place to check things out.  I followed my curiosity to places that caught my eye, trying to appreciate the curiosity of having once been a teenager (Remember, when wheels were square?).  I went to Library, then Top 10 Internet Sites, to Teen Hoopla.  Hmmm, what could be here?  I clicked onto Say What?, then to Subculture.  Here's what I stumbled onto, and I didn't have to particularly look very hard:  Under Goth – an inside look for outsiders, here's a few key words:  "grotesque, desolate, vampires, interest in death, Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Dead Can Dance, Self Cutting, Appeal of Graveyards, Blood Drinking, Death Fixation and Depression."  WOW!  Next, I followed the link to World Wide Punk.  Some key words under Punk Music Reviews:  "Tragedy, Naked and Happy, Nunnery Nutty, Bend Break Spill, Scrotum Grinder – Sonic Abomination, Brick Bomb, Bouncing Souls, Chemical Generation, Death and Fame and Give Blood."  Could it get worse?  I checked under Hip Hop Style.  This was highly sanitized (thankfully), the true outrageous content of much of which I have been exposed to during my health care career.   Just a few titles:  "Urban Decay likes to shock and disgust, Make Up for Men? Candy Man, Testosterone and Dog, What's Next?  Three-and-a-half-inch bamboo fingernails."

Back to our meeting with the school guidance counselor.  After a very impressive tour of state-of-the-art technology, pleasant teachers, well maintain facilities and hard working teenagers, I was on the fast track to being very impressed.  However, returning to the guidance office, I picked up a copy of the student school newspaper, The McCann Buzz.  I later shared this with other parents at church whose children attend this school.  What I found I could not believe.  While the counselor talked and my teenage daughter listened, I had underlined key words in a few articles that caught my watchful father's eyes.  Where to start – this needs several new paragraphs.

Peer Leaders:  If a student has a problem and wishes not to go to an adult for help, they can go to a peer leader ... last year the peer leaders did a diversity project (wonder what that was bout?) ... and ... for this year is the Social Norms Marketing, which educates people about health related problems and how to deal with them (such as?).  It also shows people how to stay away from drugs (this part sounds good, but what is the other stuff all about?).  So, if you have any problems and you don't want to see an adult about it, come and see a peer leader.

After networking with some other parents about this, with no surprise, I was told where the paths return teens "in trouble" to, and where they are farmed out to from there.  Mom and Dad?  Forget it.  The teens have it all figured out, with the help of a few key adult educator "facilitators".

On the back page, a poem,

Why did they push him?

He wasn't in the way.

Just because he found his life – in being gay!

I thought to myself – Where did this teen learn of this, and is there a pro-homosexual agenda in this public school?  The poem ended,

I should try and stop this discrimination.

Not knowing what I should do.

Should I help him and be made fun of too?

Did the teen author of this poem actually see this other teen being abused?  How were these school children exposed to this latest social crusade, the exploring of one's "sexual orientation" at such young ages and the anti-"homophobia" cause?  The poem went on and on about supposed "homophobic," physical and verbal abuse of this student because of his new found so called "sexual orientation."  I had recently attended a seminar on the aggressive pro-homosexual agenda being pushed in Vermont and Massachusetts State public schools by government authorities and special interest "gay activists," so my father's radar was up and monitoring for any such nonsense at this school.  I handed the counselor a copy of the newspaper I obtained at the seminar.  "Is any of this going on here?" I asked.  I was assured it was not, and that "this is a very conservative community."  Fair enough.  But then, there was the student school newspaper in my very hands, to which I return.

Then I found "Features" with a full page in the middle of the paper.  The first, "Music Review:  Evolve by Endo,"

anarchy and chaos spewing from your stereo, will kick the living crap out of you!,start banging your head and throwing the horns in the air!, feels like a kick in the teeth with steel-toed boots, think it would be suicide to jump into a mosh pit during a live Endo show, Evolve will scare the crap out of any pop or rap fan, metal head's stereo, sound wave of destruction and mayhem.

So ended the informed review by "WOJO" (If that's code for some metal head band, it's beyond me!).  I read these key words from the paper, in front of my teen, to the guidance counselor.  "Not to worry, the student paper is edited," the gentleman assured me.

Next to this, with a picture of a man or woman (I don't know which) of the rock star, Ozz:  "Concert Review, OZZFEST 2001", by a teen girl of the class of 2004.  Some key words, "Marilyn Manson, Black Sabbath, Black Label Society, Disturbed, Drowning Pool, Sinner, Slipnot, New Abortion, The Heretic Anthem, Wait and Bleeds, and Bodies."  The young author boasted, "I got caught in a mosh pit (What menu is this from? Hell itself?) where a guy behind me got a bloody nose from 'play fighting.'"  No, there's more, "Toxic, Pure Rubbish, Marilyn Manson and Black Sabbath (again?), death and bomb threats, protests from religious organizations (that's good?), Smells Like Children."

I noted to the guidance counselor after reading these key words directly from the student paper, "I'd hate to see the unedited text!"  I think this is the point where the gentleman gently tried to convince me that I am "in the minority" regarding my world view because I hold certain outmoded religious views (like The Ten Commandments and The Golden Rule, perhaps?).  Outmoded?  Even in the heart of Yankee land, I'll wager I'm "not in the minority" over parental concern for such outrageous trash!  World view?  How about school children just not being exposed to damaging, dangerous and potentially lethal materials when at, and courtesy of, the local public high school?

I hadn't even gotten to the sex education curriculum at that point, at which time my protective fatherly instincts were secretly going ballistic, but I think I was advised I could exercise my parental right to opt out my child from "health," if I wanted to.  Opt out my kid from sex ed "health?"  I left having firmly been reminded why I have "opted out" my child from the public schools – period!   It's bad enough that I have to support such "education" with my taxes.  Send my teen to the local public school?  Over my expired body, and then I'm sure The Good LORD would allow some form of Divine Intervention to prevent such a thing!  Thinking about sending your teen to the local public high school?  If you love your kid, think again!

Signed,

(For reasons that the author of this piece was being harassed, the author requested that name and location be removed.  Harassment is what proponents of this garbage turn to when they cannot justify what they are doing; when they cannot legitimately debate the issues!)

If you think, because you live in a different state, that this isn't happening to your child, or that this is not going on in your child's school, think again.  The only way for you to know that it isn't, is to sit, in the classroom, beside your child on a daily basis.

What you have read here is a direct outreach of systems education.

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