Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-02-05
PLACE
TO TEACH SEX
MRS, Bright
& : & ~.
RY Mrs. OrviMe e. Briqht.

81. sL>%r y n &ttt ~ -~7Hft.sf
By mrs. or,viille T. Bright.
Tn TO the present day the world
has maintained what Bernard Shaw
terms "a conspiracy tto3f. silence which
we call decorum,' in dealing with the
sex question. More recently an effort
has been madesIo tell the world the
scientific truth about itself.
In the field Of literature and the
drama genius. has been laboring to
make us see that to ignore the ex'
istence of certain evils and to sup.
press all mention of them is to af.
ford them inst the cover they need
FOR rapid growth.
A few courageous spirits have dar.
ed to mention the uncomfortable and
The modest puhIc@is shocked and
panic.stricken; not that it did not
know the fostering facts, but that
they should be- actually spoken of
publicly and in plain terms!
"The boundless. docility and SUD.
mission to sociaIsconvention which is
characteristic Of the human race"
stands like a wall of rock between
suffering humanity-even suffering,
innocent and helnless humanity-and
restoration to social health. y
Conditions Uncomfortable.
If it were not for thrse, s~snffering
innocents, one might have more pa
thence to await the outcome, but the
spectacle of an age>tomplacently re.
garding itself assthe summit of civil
ization, while allowing terrible,
scourging,< lingering disease to fasten
upon it's tender and helpless young
entirely preventable disease, mind
youGis as uncomfortable as would be
the witnessing, Of their more sudden
and merciful violent death.
During the current year an effort
has been made to give to the high
school children of Chicago enough
scientific knowledge of themselves
and the laws of health to afford them
protection from menacing danger. Elk.
perts were selected to impart this
knowledge and every care was taken
that the. subject should be so pre-.
scented as to dispel ignorance without
offending innocence. II was a new
venture and if-as some allege-mis.
takes were made, it is neither re-
markablc nor does it. affect the main
proposition in any way. The ques-
ton is not: do we know the best
and wisest way to do this new and
untried thing?" but Does this thing
need to be done?" If it does, then
we must do it and gradually find the
best way of doing it, as we do in all
other new teaching. ut is the duty
Of the h0me!" is the cry of the
thoughtless, for to say. that and to
relegate it to the home is to cast
into; outer darkness all those children
whose parents are lazy or Indifferent,
or, more still,,sof low ideal.
+ ~ Public Responsibility.
We offer to the children of all an
equal opportunity for education along
other :lines;t in this most vital ques.
ton of allsfs It to be only the chill.
'dren Of the few enlightened and high
minded who shall have opportunity
Granted that YOU and ] can take care
of our own; have we eno responsible.
ity for those who never will be taken
care of unless the schools do it?
And is there an indication of how
the parents will take upon themselves
this responsibility in the fact of their
scanty interest in attendance of the
social hygiene lectures when they
were being given in the high schools !!
The indifference of parents is the
most amazing and incomprehensible
thing in the universe.
By all means, confront them with
their responsibilities. Urge their du'
ty upon them. Educate them (when
you can catch them) to fitness fol
the teaching they must debut
save the children in the meantime!
In view, of the conditions that con
front us, school and home and church
might ali put forth their utmost eff,
forts to this end without stopping to
question where the duty is. Shall We
let the children run the risk of being
drawn into the grasping, hungry
1uicksand while WEI debate who shall
show them where the quicksand lies :!