In reference to the proposed plan for the Portland King Middle School to provide prescription birth control and morning after pills to 11- to 13-year-old children: It is an outrage to consider such an inappropriate program. We do not know the health consequences associated with these drugs on the brains and bodies of such young, developing children. Have we failed to learn from the serious health risks associated with birth control pills for adults?

What message are our public schools sending to our children when they say, “Here are your condoms, in case you decide to have sex”? What are our public schools telling our children when they offer prescription contraceptives?

Our public schools have been encouraging children to have sex for many years by insisting on providing sex education courses. Now our public schools are planning to dispense birth control and morning after pills. Abortion on demand for children rounds out the array of dangerous services now available to our children. These are life-altering and extremely dangerous drugs, and the risk of contracting lifelong or even fatal sexually transmitted diseases is the product of a liberal, immature and irresponsible group of “educators” who believe that they know better than children’s parents what is acceptable behavior for our children.

I urge you to insist that our legislators pass legislation to remove the confidentiality option for children to seek counseling and treatment from public school health educators without parental permission. Informed parents make informed decisions, not children.

Please join me in informing our state senators and representatives that we will not sit back any longer. We want laws that protect our children not place them at greater risk for harm physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Peter Alexander

Etna