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Press Release - March 12, 2005
NATIONAL, LOCAL FIGURES TO COME OUT FOR SEX ED MEETING,
BUT STAR IS A CUCUMBER
For immediate release
March 12, 2005
Contact: Steve Fisher (301-661-5511)
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. -- Montgomery County parents will soon be able to see what they have heard and read so much about on March 19th, with the unofficial showing of the “cucumber” video at a Town Hall Meeting sponsored by Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum. The 7-minute video looms large as the controversy swirling around a new sex ed curriculum continues to gain momentum in both the national and local media. CRC reports that since they obtained a copy of the video from Montgomery County Public Schools, they are getting thousands of hits to their website where a clip is being streamed.
While the Montgomery County Board of Education claims that the video “reinforces abstinence and demonstrates condom use…,” those previewing it see it as an ounce of abstinence and a whole lot of condoms. ’Abstinence’ is mentioned about 7 times, while ‘condom’ at least 44 times. “It really isn’t about ‘don’t do it’ so much as ‘when you do it’,” according to Michelle Turner, head of CRC.
Almost lost in the buzz about a cucumber, condoms, and beautiful blond are the impressive array of speakers who have offered to weigh in on the debate of the education vs. advocacy aspects of the new curriculum.
In alphabetical order they are:
- Don Dwyer, Member of the Maryland House of Delegates, Anne Arundel County
- Maren Fuller, Mother of the Year
- Tres Kerns, Chairman, Takebackmaryland.org
- Robert Knight, Director, Culture and Family Institute, Concerned Women of America
- Peter Sprigg, Senior Director, Policy Studies, Family Research Council and Director, FRC’s Center for Marriage and Family Studies
The sex ed curriculum has been heavily criticized by CRC for its advocacy of “safe” sex vs. “risky” sex. “We should not be advocating sexual activity for children, there are many emotional and physical side effects of promiscuous sex,” according to Turner, who cited a recent Zogby poll of over 1000 parents of school-age children that said 91% of parents want their children to at least graduate from high school before engaging in sexual activity.
Parents wishing to participate in the Q and A or listen to the debate should attend the Town Hall Meeting, Saturday, March 19, 10 – 1:00, Johns Hopkins University, Montgomery County Campus, 9601 Medical Center Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. Directions can be found at www.mcpscurriculum.com.
Agenda
10:00-10:15 Welcome and Introductions, Steve Fisher, CRC Spokesman
10:15-10:30 CRC Curriculum Presentation, Michelle Turner, CRC President
10:30-10:45 Peter Sprigg
10:45-11:00 Tres Kerns
11:00-11:10 Maren Fuller
11:10-11:20 “Protect Yourself” video
11:20-11:30 Q & A
11:30-11:45 Robert Knight
11:45-12:30 Speaker Panel Q & A
12:30-12:45 Don Dwyer
12:45-1:00 Michelle Turner
- More on media page -
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