Sex, Third-Grade Style

 

One of my third-grade classmates, who I’ll call Elsie in case she learned a lesson and doesn’t deserve to be publicly embarrassed fifty years later, took it upon herself to whisper sex education lessons to some of her friends in the cafeteria and on the playground. Like typical children, proud to know what others didn’t, her friends spread the word, and those friends spread the word . . .

If anyone had polled this class before our parents got wind of the ridiculous things Elsie had managed to spread, at least 75% of us would have said women bleed once a month through their nipples and French kissing causes pregnancy. If our parents hadn’t intervened and told us the truth it’s hard (and comical) to imagine what might have taken place when kids started experimenting a few years later. (It was a Catholic school – they start early.)

Sex, third-grade style, reminds me of politics, right-wing style. A few Elsies pour millions of dollars into spreading false information, poll the people who have received that information, and then expect us to consider their uninformed poll results when making decisions. With the help of big money, they've done a bang-up job of misleading the public and we need more ‘parents’ to get involved and set the record straight.

Moveon.org has offered to serve as a parent in the battle against the Elsies who are spreading false information about health care reform and clean energy legislation.

Help us fight back against the right-wing extremists

All across the country, right-wing extremists are disrupting congressional town hall meetings with venomous attacks on President Obama's plans for health care and clean energy. If these are the only voices our senators and representatives hear over the recess, we'll have a hard time passing health care reform and clean energy legislation. We've got a plan to fight back, but we need to raise at least $250,000 immediately to put it into action. Can you donate to support our work?

Just so you’ll know the kinds of Elsies we are dealing with:

• Last night in Tampa, Florida, a town hall meeting erupted into violence, with the police being called to break up fist fights and shoving matches.
• A Texas Democrat was shouted down by right-wing hecklers, many of whom admitted they didn't even live in his district.
• One North Carolina representative announced he wouldn't be holding any town-hall meetings after his office began receiving death threats.
• And in Maryland, protesters hung a Democratic congressman in effigy to oppose health-care reform.

 

Thanks for helping and, whatever you do, please keep your tongues out of right-wing mouths.

 

* inset and italicized type copied from Moveon.org