INDIANAPOLIS (LifeSiteNews) — The mainstream media has set its eyes on Indiana, which is working on anti-grooming legislation similar to Florida’s parental rights bill that attracted widespread attention.
And just like how the media falsely labeled the Florida bill the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, as if that language is used, it’s simply recycling the same attacks on Indiana’s proposed law.
The Associated Press reported on February 20: “Indiana’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill pivots to kids’ gender identity.” Given that the AP is a wire service, other news outlets that reprint its stories or cite it could be expected to parrot similar language, such as U.S. News & World Report.
“Indiana lawmakers on Monday considered their own version of a “Don’t Say Gay” bill,” WNDU, a local Indiana news station, reported as well.
Education website Chalkbeat made sure to call Indiana’s bill “Don’t Say Gay,” too, using language used by the ACLU, which opposes parental rights and supports the genital and chemical mutilation of kids.
NBC Chicago used similar language in its headline on the anti-grooming law.
So what does HB 1608 actually do?
It protects parental rights and ensure kids up to 3rd grade are not being groomed or indoctrinated with sexualized topics, similar to Florida’s legislation.
The legislation states that “a school, an employee or staff member of a school, or a third party vendor used by a school to provide instruction may not provide any instruction to a student in kindergarten through grade 3 on human sexuality” but says that “a school employee or a school staff member is not prohibited from responding to a question from a student regarding certain topic.”
The bill also ensures that gender-confused students are not allowed to secretly change their name or pronouns with a help of a teacher — parents must be informed of any such activity.
Many parents spoke in favor of the bill and its support for their rights.
“The law has long held that a child’s parents get to choose how their child will be raised. This includes their religion, their values and their beliefs — but there is a dominant force in our society that disregards this right and believes that our children should be taught concepts in the public school that should be left to their parents,” Jennifer Wilson Reagan said, as reported by WRTV.
“As a parent, you regulate what your kids watch. You regulate their internet usage, and what they listen to. Not because you’re afraid of them being exposed to some truth or realities of the world, but because they are young, they’re innocent, and they’re impressionable,” Ashlynn Dewitt, another parent, said at a recent committee meeting. “There is absolutely no need to inject sexual information into their learning at this age.”
Dewitt is right. In fact, a recognized expert on child sexual abuse said that the discussion of sexuality and related topics is a common way that school employees groom kids for sexual abuse.
Professor Charol Shakeshaft wrote in one academic paper that “personal disclosure of adult sexual activity and preferences, and questions to students about their sexual lives” are considered “red flag grooming behaviors.”
“Grooming is rarely perceived as a violent act. Instead, it consists of actions that bond the target to the offender such as time spent together, secrets, gifts, special attention,” the paper states.
“The process presents the offender to the child as kind, gentle, under-standing, caring, generous, charming, and accessible. A goal of the offender is to be desirable, needed, and wanted by the child,” the Virginia Commonwealth University professor wrote.
The fact the mainstream media is using the same smear tactics against a common-sense, anti-grooming law shows the wider problem legacy outlets face – people do not trust them.
“Only 26% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the news media, the lowest level Gallup and Knight have recorded in the past five years, while 53% hold an unfavorable view,” a February 15 poll from Gallup and the Knight Foundation reported.
“While 72% say national news organizations have the resources and opportunity to report the news accurately and fairly to the public, only 35% say most national news organizations can be relied on to deliver the information they need,” the poll reported.
In total, half of Americans “feel most national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public.”
The media continues to embarrass itself with its slanted coverage and clear bias against social conservatives, Republicans, and anyone who holds Christian beliefs on marriage, family, sexuality, and the sanctity of life.
This latest smear is just one more reason why people do not trust the mainstream media.