The liberals in Maine think they have their fingers on the pulse of what's right for pre-adolescents: Offer them birth control in middle school and all of their worries will go away. (see article)

We conservatives need to develop a better understanding of what kids need. Apparently loving parents, after school sports activities, lessons, chores and wholesome get-togethers are just not enough for the average Portland, Maine 11 year old. They have been missing out on sex!

As for a conservative assertion that parents have a responsibility to supervise their children the liberals counter: How can any parent be expected to know where an 11 year old is all the time? Sometimes, they turn their cell phones off!

There is no logical path to the end sought by those in Maine. The fact that some children have parents who don't pay attention, who don't protect their children or who frankly just don't care should not lead to the undermining of those parents who are making the effort to protect their kids.

If the liberals are correct, ,why don't we just have lock downs at the junior highs on the weekend and have the school nurse personally place the condom on the male students to ensure they are doing it right? While we are at it we could offer them a beer before and after. Kids are going to drink anyway so wouldn't it be safer to ensure they have access? Apply their thinking pattern to other high-risk behavior in which some kids engage.

The idea they are going to do it anyway should not be the reason for making such a dangerous policy reality.

Why can't parents retain the right to say no to their kids when they enter middle school? Allowing children to circumvent the only people who have a life-long interest in protecting the child is another example of "Schools Gone Wild" in America. We should spend as much of our energy going after liberals who push this ideology on our kids as we are spending going after the video king of the "Girls Gone Wild" tapes. Actually, as long as he pays his taxes we should leave the GGW guy alone: he films stupid girls over the age of 18 or possibly girls who lie about their age to get in his videos. His work is destructive and gross, to say the least, but that does not mean that he doesn't have the right to create his works of trash.

Personally, if forced to choose the least risky behavior, I would rather have my daughter bare her body to a camera than to a hormonal boy in a private room. While she would hopefully feel embarrassed when her picture turned up the internet, she would not have acquired HPV, HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes and the list could go on and on. And the boy could easily sneak a picture of her with his cell phone and put it on my space anyway...

Adults need to start acting like adults and begin demanding kids behave like kids. This race to grow up is destroying kids lives. Most adults aren't mature enough to enter into and maintain a committed relationship- how can anyone think a middle schooler can handle the responsibility.

This incessant need to develop social policy to meet the needs of the lowest common denominator creates a vacuum for kids in general.

Kids have no business having sexual relationships in middle school. How can people argue about this.

More and more youth in this country have unfettered access to clinics run by or in cooperation with the public schools. Kids increasingly hear they can get reproductive counseling and products without their parents knowledge. If you think kids are encourage by the clinics to tell their parents I have a bridge I'll sell you.

Young boys know the girls can go and get on the pill or better yet get a depo shot to avoid pregnancy. These boys assure the girls they are "clean" and pose no STD risk. These boys pressure the girls to get birth control. These boys pressure the girls to have sex. And this can go the other way as well. Girls can pressure the hesitant boy with the same information.

Those kids who are vulnerable, who used to get support from the adults at school to avoid the temptation of premature sexual relationships now have fewer resources and less support.

Rather than lowering the standards for everyone, lets begin holding irresponsible parents accountable. While we are at it, let us also begin to hold members of school boards accountable.

I hope the residents of Portland Maine show their school board that parents are not going to go away without a fight.