To the Editor:
This ‘new law’ that is so highly publicized and loudly discussed by our Governor and the Republican political hierarchy is just a huge case of smoke and mirrors, in my humble opinion.
I consider myself to be a native Floridian, even though most of my life has been spent outside of the state. My parents were both from dairy farms in rural up-state New York. My father was in the U.S. Navy and stationed in Key West, Florida when I was born. We moved up and down the east coast of the U.S. as he was transferred to different duty stations (usually about every two to four years), occasionally returning to Florida.
When I left home at 18 years of age, I also joined the U.S. Navy, but I chose to go into the Submarine Service. For the next 22-plus years, my family and I were stationed on both coasts of the U.S. as well as overseas. After my forced medical retirement in 1993, we stayed on the west coast until August of 2001. I’ve been on the east coast, most of that time in Florida, ever since then.
Now that you know my background, you can understand how I can confidently state: I personally have never seen or heard of any teacher or individual espouse any opinion or educational program concerning sexual education, in the public or private school systems, earlier than at the junior high school level. I say this and include every school system I have become involved in on both coasts of this great nation, overseas, and even the schools my grandchildren attend in the Midwestern portion of this country.
Anything coming even close to this topic is addressed far in advance of the discussion with direct communication with the parents. The methods currently in use, in most cases, include a note or permission slip sent home with the student far ahead of the event, along with a direct phone call or email between the teacher and a parent. The call/email is mandatory in each instance I have observed. It is normally a confirmation of parental permission and is conducted far enough in advance of the event that those students who may have lost the note/permission slip will have a chance to discuss this with their parents.
There has never been a need or requirement for legislation to stop this particular type of education at this level. If it had been mentioned or espoused by any member of the faculty or an assistant, that individual would be immediately removed from that educational facility. We all know this to be true because children from pre-K through third grade cannot help themselves from saying, “Mom/Dad, guess what the teacher told us today.” Or they might say, “Mom/Dad, look at what I got in school today.”
This law, which is a piece of worthless legislation, is just another case of making an issue of a non-issue to get attention. DeSantis is engaging in old-fashioned ‘sabre-rattling’ to make it seem like he is combating large issues, when he is just making issues as talking points to make him into a candidate for the office of President of the United States.
Review the campaign strategy of a few other failed candidates for this office from the south (the name George Wallace comes to mind). Note the similarities in actions between them and DeSantis. That might clear up some of the disillusionment concerning this unnecessary bit of legislation.
Charles Vroman
Ocala resident
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