Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Can You Imagine the Outrage?

By Shannon S.
SD Community Organizer

I don’t have children in the Sioux Falls School District just yet. But, I most likely will within a year or two. But, what I discovered from the district this morning is appalling.

With the start of a new school year comes a new district directory given to every household in the district with a child in the public schools. The directory is full of various items… calendars, school addresses and principals, school board information and the like.

It also includes pages of ads. This year’s addition has a lovely full page ad from the anti-choice organization “the Alpha Center.” It has pictures of pensive women with quotes related to grieving and healing. A picture of the “tomb of the unborn,” and big bold letters smack dab in the middle of the page: Abortion Hurts Women!

This is absolutely outrageous. I assure you, we would never get an ad like that printed in a district publication. Even if our message was one of prevention of abortion through sex ed and birth control, it more than likely would’ve been shot down.

And… can you imagine the outrage from the other side if they saw that kind of ad? They would pitch a royal fit. Not to mention this is totally inappropriate material for a publication filled with pizza coupons – clearly aimed at kids.

This is especially ridiculous given the political nature of the ad in a year when we’re faced with another ban on abortion on the ballot. They can get away with it because it doesn’t directly mention Initiatied Measure 11.

I hope you’re as disappointed as I am in the district’s willingness to print such a political message on such a sensitive subject.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Did Planned Parenthood try to have an ad and was declined?