It seems once again Republicans in the state legislature aren’t getting the message from concerned parents and Iowans. I’ve seen in multiple newsletters this week the following idea:
Sexually explicit materials shouldn’t be available to children in schools without parental knowledge and consent.
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.
Instead of aggressively attacking the issue — say, finding a creative way to withhold increased school funding for districts that stock sexually explicit materials in their school libraries — Republicans are offering some solution that doesn’t get to the heart of the problem.
Can schools provide cigarettes to minors as long as a parent consents? No.
Can schools serve alcohol to minors as long as parents consent? No.
Can schools bring in strippers to perform for minors as long as parents consent? Well, other than districts like Ankeny who host drag shows? No.
Yet for some reason it appears Republicans in the legislature believe schools should be able to provide sexually explicit material to minors as long as their parents consent.
Nevermind the fact that in 2019 the Iowa Senate passed a bill that would have prohibited the same parents from providing obscene materials to their own kids. That vote, if you’re scoring at home, was 48-0.
Now, that bill did die in the Iowa House, where Republicans today are maintaining that, essentially, it’s OK for schools to have and provide sexually explicit materials as long as parents know about it and consent to it.
Who asked for that solution?
Wait, who even thinks that is a viable solution?
There are some issues with room for compromise. This ain’t that.
Republicans need to wake up to a pretty simple reality — school is no place for sexually explicit materials, period.
Recently a North Liberty man was sentenced to 25 years for child porn. He was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of Iowa. He was convicted of ‘transfer of obscene material to minors’ and other stuff. This seems to be what is happening in our schools. Those that bring this porn in to the schools should go to prison. Besides that, I am offended, disgusted and appalled that as a taxpayer I am forced to fund the destruction of our children.