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Off Base on Sex Ed

A McCain campaign ad claims Obama's "one accomplishment" was a bill to teach sex ed to kindergarten kids. Don't believe it.

By Emi Kolawole | factcheck.org
Sep 10, 2008 | Updated: 7:45  p.m. ET Sep 10, 2008

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  • Posted By: momof2teens @ 10/03/2008 9:42:32 AM

    This narrowly defined view of sex is what half the problem is. People hear the word sex and think, man and woman having intercourse. Would calling it sexuality education help? We all know that sexuality is much more than sex, right? How about "age appropriate". Do we all know what that means?
    We are all born as sexual beings, by the very fact that our sexual body parts are there from the time we are born. As parents, if we use every day opportunities as teachable moments then we are teaching "sex ed" when kids are two and three years old: "yes, touching your penis/vagina feels good but that is done in private and you need to tell me if anyone touches or tries to touch your penis/vagina even if he/she says not to."

    If parents aren't teaching this, or worse, they make children feel dirty about their private parts, or worse yet, one of them is molesting his/her own child (or family friend, uncle, etc), then it will damage the child, possibly irreparably (in the latter case) and both could ripple throughout society in detrimental ways.


    All one has to do is look at the thriving porn industry in the US or how many men are caught on Dateline's To Catch a Predator.

  • Posted By: lozo @ 09/26/2008 5:43:09 PM

    If its "comprehensive sex education" for kindergarten thats "age-appropriate" ITS STILL SEX ED FOR KINDERGARTEN!

  • Posted By: law1023 @ 09/18/2008 9:51:00 AM

    let see what fact ck say about Obama new add on McCain Immigration tring to tie him to Rush Here is another area that Mccain went agaist his party did obama every do that

  • Posted By: law1023 @ 09/18/2008 9:46:55 AM

    here is the bill Mccain was right read for yourself Fackcheck has it wrong
    C:\Documents and Settings\wwhitlock\My Documents\Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of SB0099.htm

  • Posted By: mev47 @ 09/11/2008 12:17:22 PM

    Yes, McCain made a decision that revealed many appalling things about him. In the end, his final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as vice-president someone who knows nothing about it as his replacement. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a total unknown because she polled well with the Christianist base. No person who truly believed that the surge was integral to this country's national security would pick as his veep candidate a woman who, so far as we can tell anything, opposed it at the time.

    McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the character to be president of the United States. And that is why it is more important than ever to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president. The alternative is now unthinkable. And McCain - no one else - has proved it.

    • Posted By: MXYZPTLK @ 09/11/2008 12:46:18 PM

      Yes, the Democratic Party made a decision that revealed many appalling things about them. In the end, their final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as the Democratic Presidential candidate someone who knows nothing about it. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a totally inexperienced freshman Senator because he can give a good speech.

      • Posted By: summer4077 @ 09/11/2008 1:29:04 PM

        According to all news outlets I've watched, Americans' biggest concern is not national security--it's the economy, stupid!

        • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/18/2008 12:02:53 AM

          And Obama couldn't get a job in the mailroom at any of the companies he wants to regulate.

  • Posted By: forte88 @ 09/11/2008 12:53:40 PM

    I used to respect John McCain. HIs Straight Talk Express is anything but that now. For someone that is supposed to be appealing to the independents, he sure picked a VP that is way too far on the right. I think McCain has yielded to the religious right. His own party wasn't that crazy about him because of his old "maverick" ways. These false ads are a distraction from the issues, because they cannot run on the failed policies of the past 8 years. What I see happening now is that the religious right is hijacking yet another election, and are attempting to place in power an individual that was not directly elected by the american people. She was far too much to the right to have been raised up to this position in the white house on her own. The religious right made a shortcut through McCain. He just wants the presidency and is not thinking about what may happen to him, which in turn could turn this country closer to a theocracy. I'm hoping that the independents in this country see through this charade. It's obviously no longer about McCain. This is about getting Palin in to continue the religious right agenda of the past 8 years.

    • Posted By: MXYZPTLK @ 09/11/2008 1:01:30 PM

      What is false about the ad?

      • Posted By: forte88 @ 09/11/2008 1:14:22 PM

        You can't be serious! Did you read the article? Did you read the bill? I'm sure that if he was against the bill, the McCain camp would say, Obama voted against protection of children from child predators.

        • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/18/2008 12:00:04 AM

          Another idiot.

          THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE BILL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OR AVOIDING PREDATORS. The closest the bill comes to it is teaching girls how to avoid acquaintance rape.

  • Posted By: James Madison @ 09/11/2008 2:29:12 PM

    Perhaps the ad should have run thirty miniutes to provide all the nuance Obama and his media bretheran need to help explain and justify what any citizen from a "small town" understands is clearly inappropriate. No amount of lipstick on this explanation substantiates providing comprehensive sex ed to 5 and 6 year old children - PERIOD.

    • Posted By: summer4077 @ 09/11/2008 2:35:04 PM

      Yeah, god forbid we educate our children on what to do around sexual predators!

      • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:57:54 PM

        THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE BILL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OR AVOIDING PREDATORS. The closest the bill comes to it is teaching girls how to avoid acquaintance rape.

        GAWD!!! Can't these people do read for themselves?

  • Posted By: independentthinker2 @ 09/11/2008 4:04:54 PM

    The bias of the media amazes me. This bill clearly is about comprehensive sex education for K through 12th. Yet, on "fact" check there is no objectivite report & I just heard Contessa on MSNBC tell a Republican strategist as a matter of "fact" that this bill was about teaching kindergarteners about sexual predators. I challenge her or anyone else to show us the actual language in the bill that limits what is taught to Kindergarteners to just sexual predator defense tactics. It's not there. Are the "unwanted" or "nonconsensual" sexual advances sections applicable to them? I had no idea that 5 year olds could consent or want sexual advances at all! This bill promotes exactly what it claims to promote - comprehensive sexual education to BABIES... STDs included. What has happened to personal responsibility in this country? My husband & I will teach our children about sex when & how WE see fit. We continue to hand over our responsibilities to the goverment & undercut the character that made this country great. Why can't we see that? This just reminds me why we have chosen to homeschool. We've got to wake up, look at the facts for ourselves & stop allowing media sound bytes to override our own honest judgment.

    • Posted By: forte88 @ 09/11/2008 4:53:33 PM

      The person that ran against Obama for the senate tried this very same tactic on this bill. He lost by a landslide. The majority of americans know better. The only people eating this up are the hard core right wingers.

      • Posted By: independentthinker2 @ 09/12/2008 3:33:51 PM

        Liberal leaning thinkers tend to think that everyone shares their view on things. Don't assume the majority of Americans want sex ed taught to their 5 year olds by the school system. I think you'll be sadly mistaken. It's not only hard core right wingers who "drink the kool aid", hard core left wingers have quite a few shots of the stuff themselves. My point is that we need to stop relying on talking points of either side & take an objective & honest look at the facts for ourselves.

        • Posted By: stormhit @ 09/12/2008 10:33:45 PM

          You're misrepresenting what the bill says, and what age-appropriate means. And you also completely miss the point of this bill, it isn't mandating anything; it's setting guidelines. Local school districts would still have control over the specifics of the curriculum.

          • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:55:44 PM

            B.S. The language says that "EVERY" class "SHALL" include instruction on... (a laundry list that a 5yr old could not possibly understand and should not be exposed to).

  • Posted By: mcallan @ 09/11/2008 4:25:53 PM

    McCain and the his Republican handlers lie? I'm floored

    • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:54:05 PM

      THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE BILL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OR AVOIDING PREDATORS. The closest the bill comes to it is teaching girls how to avoid acquaintance rape.

    • Posted By: independentthinker2 @ 09/11/2008 4:43:06 PM

      FMI: What exactly was the lie?

    • Posted By: independentthinker2 @ 09/11/2008 4:39:51 PM

      FMI: What exactly was the lie?

  • Posted By: gypsydoctor @ 09/11/2008 5:56:56 PM

    Another example of outright lies by the McCain campaign.

    • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:53:28 PM

      THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE BILL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OR AVOIDING PREDATORS. The closest the bill comes to it is teaching girls how to avoid acquaintance rape.

  • Posted By: specialneedsmom @ 09/12/2008 4:00:49 PM

    I'm sick of Republican lying! I was leaning toward McCain, but not when he outright lies. This ad is such a betrayal of all the people who once supported him. Since Illinois has mandated sex ed, every American should be glad that Sen. Obama wanted to make it age appropriate. He is the leader here, and he gets my vote.

    • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:36:05 PM

      How can a bill be "age appropriate" when it also mandates what topics must be covered in class? Can you explain how to "appropriately" tell a 5yr old about intercourse, rape, STD's, and legal responsibility for a parents. If anything the insertion of that clause shows that this committed doesn't know how to write a coherent bill.

  • Posted By: k@chicago @ 09/12/2008 5:19:10 PM

    I agree we have to protect our children from predators. That's ... be close to your children and talk to them daily. About republicans lying... how is it a lie? Have you read how inappropriate the verbage is that obama has agreed to? His children are older now... I wonder if he used those types of verbage on his girls when they were 5. I appreciate teachers and their dedication, but I think issues as sexual education should be reserved to parents and their VERY young children. Further, why should children learn about same sex couples? People are people, it's no one's business. And why does anyone have to talk about men and women being in love? As children, shouldn't they have that innocence while parents can protect them quietly by keeping their eyes open? you can talk about certain things... but not in the verbage as approved by Obama. That's robbing them of their innocence... and they have the rest of their lives to grow up and deal w/life already. Knowledge is power, I agree... but to what extent?

    • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:31:22 PM

      THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE BILL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OR AVOIDING PREDATORS. The closest the bill comes to it is teaching girls how to avoid acquaintance rape.

  • Posted By: vlaanderson @ 09/12/2008 4:31:57 PM

    We should quit victimizing our young children and start protecting them from predators. That priority should cross party lines. Teaching young children to recognize danger and report it is a good thing. Knowledge is power.

    • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:31:09 PM

      THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE BILL ABOUT RECOGNIZING OR AVOIDING PREDATORS. The closest the bill comes to it is teaching girls how to avoid acquaintance rape.

  • Posted By: gemini14 @ 09/12/2008 9:16:43 PM

    I'm from upstate NY . Yesterday at work several Obama supporters happened to be talking about McCain's ad about Obama supporting sex education for kindergarteners. They said it was a lie, that he is for age appropriate sex education. So I decided to do some checking. The proposed bill has no mention of "age appropriate".

    Link here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=3&GA=93&DocTypeId=SB&DocNum=99&GAID=3&LegID=734&SpecSess=&Session=

    There is an amendment which adds "age appropriate" Link here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=09300SB0099sam001&GA=93&SessionId=3&DocTypeId=SB&LegID=734&DocNum=99&GAID=3&Session=

    However, if you check the status of the bill here:

    http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=0099&GAID=3&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=734&SessionID=3&SpecSess=&Session=&GA=93

    The proposed bill was recommended for passage by the Health and Human Services Committee, which Barack chaired. However, the amendment was not passed in the 93rd General Assembly and Barack was not a member of the 94th General Assembly because he ran for and became Senator.

    If my research is faulty, please provide insight as to how it is faulty.

    My vote wouldn't depend on just this one issue. The thing is, it isn't just this one issue. Barack Obama does not show his true self. He also called the ad lies. Why didn't he just say they passed the bill without age appropriate in the language and later realized it should say age appropriate? Maybe because that would show incompetence for drafting legislation?

    • Posted By: Mimi13 @ 09/12/2008 11:18:49 PM

      The education program for kindergarteners focused on protecting them from sexual predators. Good touches, bad touches. Feeling comfortable, feeling bad. Not keeping secrets when someone makes you feel bad. That sort of thing. It had nothing to do with sperm and eggs and how they get together.

      • Posted By: omegabit @ 09/17/2008 11:25:30 PM

        B.S. Read the bill, it's right in front of you. It MANDATES the topics that must be taught. They are what anyone would think of when they thought of comprehensive sex ed, which most people would rather not expose to a 5yr old. Plus a few bonuses. References to monogamy and waiting for marriage deleted: Education as to what constitutes rape for the male(!) students, and how to avoid acquaintance rape for females. (Isn't that nice?) Nothing about avoiding predators, contrary to Obama's spin. (Unless you think only fellow male students are capable of abusing a female student)

  • Posted By: trapstar @ 09/13/2008 1:39:09 PM


    If you would look at the SYLLABUS that is referenced by the Obama campaign and has been APPROVED by Obama teaching would include for children 5-8,
    Level 1 Sex Education Includes:
    ???Both Boys And Girls Have Body Parts That Feel Good When Touched.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 25, 2004)
    ???A Boy/Man Has Nipples, A Penis, A ***, And Testicles.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 25, 2004)
    ???A Girl/Woman Has Breasts, Nipples, A Vulva, A Clitoris, A Vagina, A Uterus, And Ovaries.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 25, 2004)
    ???Some Sexual Or Reproductive Organs, Such As Penises And Vulvas, Are External Or On The Outside Of The Body While Others, Such As Ovaries And Testicles, Are Internal Or Inside The Body.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 25, 2004)
    ???Some People Are Homosexual, Which Means They Can Be Attracted To And Fall In Love With Someone Of The Same Gender.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 29, 2004)
    ???Vaginal Intercourse ??? When A Penis Is Placed Inside A Vagina ??? Is The Most Common Way For A Sperm And Egg To Join.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 26, 2004)
    ???Two People Of The Same Gender Can Live In Loving, Lifetime Committed Relationships.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 39, 2004)
    ???Homosexual Men And Women Are Also Known As Gay Men And Lesbians.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 29, 2004)
    Level 1 Sex Education Teaches Students Ages 5-8 About Masturbation:
    ???Touching And Rubbing One???s Own Genitals To Feel Good Is Called Masturbation.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 51, 2004)
    ???Some Boys And Girls Masturbate And Others Do Not.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 52, 2004)
    ???Masturbation Should Be Done In A Private Place.??? (???Guidelines For Comprehensive Sexuality Education,??? The Sexuality Information And Education Council Of The United States, www.siecus.org, p. 52, 2004)

    • Posted By: Mimi13 @ 09/13/2008 3:58:14 PM

      Did you even READ SB 99? You know, the one that Obama supported. There is none of this verbage in the bill. It is about health and hygine issues. Read it. I have no idea where this syllabus comes from but it has nothing to do with Illinois SB 99. You know, the one that Obama supported. And since the bill failed to clear the Illinois legislature, there would be no syllabus connected to the bill that Obama supported. That would be Illinois SB 99 -- just in case you wanted to actuallly read the legislation Obama supported.

      • Posted By: AskPlus @ 09/17/2008 6:49:23 PM

        That was SB-99? Was that the one Mr.Obama supported? Not the one this guy is lying about - again.

  • Posted By: AskPlus @ 09/17/2008 6:43:43 PM

    McCain lie number 22-of-23. How come the mighty right never look at that stat? He's horrible. He had to have set a new record for fact-check lie futility.

  • Posted By: cjs82 @ 09/17/2008 2:21:07 PM

    I am surprised that anyone would be against having their children learn about what is inappropriate touching and what constitutes sexual assault. Maybe it should not be taught formally in the classroom and left to the parents to do. But I do not whatsoever trust that all parents do that and I would sooner have all kids learn it in the classroom than have one child sexually assaulted or raped because he or she didn't know what was happening.

  • Posted By: letsbehonest @ 09/17/2008 11:15:08 AM

    WHO IS BEING DISHONEST? I double-checked on this bill, and here you go folks: Senate Bill 99 struck out grade six, CHANGING IT TO KINDERGARTEN, in addition to making a few other changes in wording. It read: "Each class or course in comprehensive sex education IN ANY OF GRADES K THROUGH 12 shall include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV." Our media keeps misleading us....on BOTH SIDES...and we should be insulted and upset.

  • Posted By: momlove @ 09/15/2008 1:59:18 AM

    "(13) Course material and instruction shall be free
    14 of racial, ethnic, gender, religious, or sexual
    15 orientation biases."

    No licit boundaries for sexual behavior are given in S,. B. 99. Marriage is never discussed as a valid and praiseworthy channeling of sexual need. Abstinence is useful for preventing illness, abuse, and pregnancy but never as preparation for marriage and licit union. Discussion of homosexual behavior is sacrosanct, however.

  • Posted By: momlove @ 09/15/2008 1:53:29 AM

    "(13) Course material and instruction shall be free
    14 of racial, ethnic, gender, religious, or sexual
    15 orientation biases."
    This section has not been discussed.
    Marriage is never once discussed in the sex ed program. There are no boundaries that can be set by the young that are licit except "abstinence." Sexual orientation biases, however, are strictly prohibited. If the term "religious" was meant to refer to marriage, then it is implied that marriage is just for the religious.

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