And Speaking Of Bullying...

And in a textbook Republican move, they are now pushing to remove mention of anything that might possibly lead to sexual thoughts.  In high school.

This is crazy.  Just crazy.

Sticking your head in the sand hoping something will go away simply will not work.  I tried, and Sarah Palin is still around.  Pretending teenagers won't have sex or experiment with sexuality is not only insane, it's putting them at risk for disease and ruined lives through unwanted pregnancies.  Just so some smarmy, equally sinful folks can feel good about the hoops they made you jump through.

And now they have sent a bill to Gov. Bill Haslam that would bar sex-ed teachers in public schools from promoting “gateway” sexual activity. Teachers must “exclusively and emphatically” endorse abstinence or risk a $500 fine. They may mention contraceptives only in the context of pointing out their inferiority to simply not having sex.

This bill is a disaster in the making: It relies on the definition of sexual activity in state law, which includes any contact with even the clothed inner thigh of another person. Critics say it’s so vaguely written that if a teacher doesn’t stop a student from sitting in another person’s lap, he could face punishment.

But don’t get the wrong idea. Tennessee’s Republican legislators know the government can only do so much to enforce morality. Last year, they revised an anti-bullying law so as to exempt anyone who voices a religiously motivated belief.

Sure, said Rep. Jeremy Faison, a few teenagers committed suicide after getting bullied about their sexuality, but “they committed suicide because they were not instilled the proper principles of where their self-esteem came from at home.”

“We can’t continue to legislate everything,” he said.

Only when it suits them, and works against the people they view as enemies.  Never mind the fact that "those people" were citizens given the same rights and protection, right?