Sex Education as a Mode of Defense

The fact that Harvey Kochel--a convicted sex offender--was concerned enough to write to the county superintendent of schools recommending doing away with effective, accurate sex education in our schools, should ring a very loud warning bell for all of us (Convicted Offender Enters Sex Education Debate, March 24).

The more factual the education youngsters receive, the more they are able to defend themselves against sexual predators like Mr. Kochel, as well as against sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

MIRIAM ALBERT

Thousand Oaks

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* I was appalled to read the statements of Harvey Kochel and the effort by Board of Education President Wendy Larner to ban Planned Parenthood, AIDS Care and the Public Health Department from participating in county-sponsored training sessions for teachers.

For a convicted sex offender like Kochel to suggest that when you educate a teen-ager about sex “the innocence of youth becomes history” is the height of hypocrisy. Does Kochel feel being a convicted sex offender makes him an expert on child sex education? I’m sure he would prefer children remain ignorant about sex so predators like him can manipulate that weakness.

He and Larner’s group want to ban people infected with AIDS from speaking to students. Do they really believe AIDS is not a threat to our teen-agers? Or do they think if we close our eyes and cross our arms AIDS will magically disappear?

My wife and I strongly believe in sex education for our children. It is our moral responsibility to provide them with the knowledge, awareness and self-esteem necessary to protect themselves from people like Harvey Kochel. We also feel there is something drastically wrong when the president of the board of education makes an effort to keep our children ignorant.

TERRANCE WIMMER

Santa Paula