Teaching and Celebrating Sex

SEX EDUCATION was the topic on the national Public Radio talk show "A1", a topic sure to always brighten the day and arouse responses. Of course, if its on NPR, its high quality. The discussion concerned the proper place for sex education in today's public education. Due to lack of funding and political will, sex ed has seen better days in America's schools. For the most part, it isn't taught at all, or if it is, as a small part of Physical Education, very briefly in a very technical, biological, antiseptic manner which carefully avoids all relevant issues, such as alternative forms of birth control. Preach abstinence, and it all falls into place. If only that were true. Several participants in the discussion, alleged experts, pointed out that mainstream American culture still has rather regressive attitudes about sex, making it difficult to adequately address the topic. Its hard to get past the giggles, and the embarrassment. Many Americans would prefer to avoid sex ed entirely. Our consumer capitalistic commercialized culture promotes sex endlessly as it seeks to allure and entice consumers through psychological associations in advertising, while traditional Christian culture injects a strongly prudish attitude towards sex in general. I noticed that during the entire hour of this radio program, masturbation was ever mentioned, just as it is never mentioned in sex education classes, or in American society, other than in the dirtiest, filthiest, most pornographic recesses of our schizophrenic culture. That's too bad, but masturbation, to be blunt, is the solution to most of our societal sex problems, including sexual frustration, pregnancy, rape, you name it. Masturbation shouldn't be a taboo topic; it should be celebrated and proclaimed from every pulpit in America! But don't expect it to be any time soon.