this reminds me of a south park episode...i remember learning the differences in anatomy in preschool...so in kindergarten does it need to go any further than that? if one cannot come up with details of the proposed "age appropriate" sex education for kindergartners..then it becomes difficult to decide which side of the fence to be on.

oh the horror!! sex education!! bring back the abusive nuns who would lash our pupils hands into bloody pulps for even asking!! the more you lie to the youth about sex, they more they will explore and figure it out on their own, at younger and younger ages. GROW UP AMERICA, AND EDUCATE YOUR KIDS, NOT INDOCTRINATE THEM.

Am I the only one who thinks that sex education for kids in kindergarten is crazy? I respect Obama, but I have to disagree with him. Before puberty, what purpose could sex education serve? At what point does teaching sex education to pre-pubescent kids become absurd? Should we teach sex education to children who cannot walk or talk? There is nothing appropriate about this. The fact that he needs to re-explain himself on this issue, should have been a hint that this idea is half-baked. This is a dumb position for Obama to take. Good luck on formulating a curriculum. Let kindergarten kids be curious. Don't indoctrinate them.

Teaching sex education to Kindergarteners is totally inappropriate!

Just one more reason not to send your kids to public schools.

J...I think it's hard to lie about sex when children don't ask about it at that age. Of all the things that can be taught in a limited school day, sex ed in kindergarten doesn't seem that necessary...if this is Mr. Obama's solution to decreasing teen pregnancy rates (which are already at record lows) than I think his urban agenda may have some problems.

This is the case of another politician who think he knows how to teach your kids better than you...

Here's an idea- leave it completely up to parents.

Wouldn't it be more valuable to teach them the ABCs and how to add?

To J, it seems to me that there was less teen sexual activity decades ago and I don't think that it was due to additional instruction in the classroom at early ages.

...and why can't a teacher just tell a child who asks the where do babies come from question to talk to their parents??? Heaven forbid they have any say on how a child learns about sex.

Bwaaaaaaa! LOL!!! Ahhhh ha hah ha ha ha! This clown thinks children 4, 5 and 6 need to learn about sex?
Right, forget about being a child, playing with toys, learning to share and to interact and reading, writing and math we should get our children to be promiscuous “progressives”. What an idiot, I can’t believe there are enough delusional people in this country to give this fraud a chance.

I don’t recall ever hearing about sex education until high school but then my generation was not pregnant at 14 and sporting 4 different children from 4 different fathers, gotta love “progressives”.

Reminds me of Kindergarden Cop:
"Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina."
And THAT IS sex ed in kindergarden.

I simply can not understand how anyone could think that anything to do with sex would be relevant to a KINDERGARTNER. Unfortunately, there is an assumption out there that a "curriculum" can solve social ills. How much money has been poured into "educating" people about AIDS and everthing else? It does not work. The government can NOT be the answer. We don't even trust government with our money! Why would we trust it with a decision such as this?

You have to be kidding. Sex Ed for 5 and 6 year olds. This is a perfect example of what is wrong with this country. Why don't we give 5 year olds condoms?

Funny thing about all the opposition to abstinence based education- the most recent meta-study- which examined programs of abstinence and non-abstinence based sex ed programs in both suburban and inner city schools - found that the kids in ALL groups had the same rate of knowledge, condom use, STD diagnosis rate, pregnancy rate- and SO DID the kids who got NO SEX ED IN SCHOOL !
So when does THAT hit the headlines so we can stop wasting money on what parents should be doing, and start buying math books ???

don't be silly. like he said. age appropriate. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you LISTEN to words. That you READ them to understand what the person is actually SAYING. Age approproate means very vague, very general, not at all explicit or physically descriptive.

eg. "Babies come from mommy's tummy." Case closed. Job over. Kindergartener curiosity satisfied.

I send my kids to school so that they can learn how to read, write and do math ... not to learn how to multiply (pun intended).

Let me teach them about sexuality at home. Its my responsibility as a parent, not the state's.

This man will NEVER be president. He is very disturbed. Liberalism is a MENTAL DISORDER!!!

Schools have a hard enough time just teaching the basics let alone trying to teach 6 year olds about sex. I've never understood the concept of sex education in school in any grade level. I am sure it is a complete waste of time and for Obama to say kids who don't have this in school will grow up getting sick and pregnant and perhaps dying is pathetic and condescending.

I respect Alan Keyes. He didn't make a fool of himself EVER, and Mr "mocking" Obama just lost one vote.

Why can't parents teach their kids this information in the way they deem appropriate?

Yet another instance of how Liberals believe they can better educate and raise your children better than you can.
No thanks.

Yet another example of a politician out of touch with the majority. Sex-ed for 5 year olds? I wonder if that would have helped Bill Clinton... hmmmm.

Mr. Obama supports state legislation with "opt-out" provisions. Why, as a parent, should I have to intervene to protect my children from idealogues? (See comment from "J") Why don't government schools adopt "Opt-in" provisions for the parents who shirk the responsibility of providing the moral base upon which their children will stand? I have no objection (other than having to pay for it) to a father or mother wanting government indoctrination for his or her child, but I have major objections to anyone desiring government indoctrination for my child. Why do people fear those of us who desire liberty?

And Yes, I know I wrote "better" twice.
Probably a flashback from a liberal teacher I had during the years I attended a Government School.

Okay guys, we're not talking about teaching children the intricacies of male-female sexual relations, just that there is a difference between male and female anatomy and that babies come from a mother's body, not some mythical creature. I can't believe anybody, even those opposed to Obama for other reasons, can really find fault with this. Are you opposed to general health information for this age group?

What? Are we going to give them condoms too? This is why my kids go to private school. ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS FOR KINDERGARTEN.

Obama isn't saying it has to explicit. Just simple answers for children that do not rely on myth.

For all the good parents out there, keep on keeping on. You're not the problem and your kids aren't the ones who are going to get an STD to go along with their broken heart if you're doing your job. The fact is most is parents suck when it comes to raising their kids and would rather let MTV do that. Why do you people think Paris Hilton is a sex symbol and teenagers love her or someone just like her. It starts early.

And to the guy who says it seems like there was less sex decades ago - sure there was but what does that have to do with what is happening now? It's a different world now and changing rapidly. Wax poetic on how the world was and watch yourself get left behind, if you're not already.

It's funny one poster brings up the nuns slapping hands. Back then, there were a lot less teen pregnancies, less abortions, less sexual diseases.

The nuns look like they had it right.

Laura Miller, This would open up the flood gates to whatever indoctrination the government wants.

i hope he takes back that statement. are kindergarden teachers qualified to teach sex ed? has ever met kindergarden kids? my vote was always leaning towards him as president.

"It's the parents' job, it's the parents' job" parrot the right wing.

What if, like me, you had drunks for parents? I hate to break it to you, but SOMEBODY had to teach me what went where, how it went there, and when it went there. Guess who it was?

Not mom and dad.

Maybe they should focus more on reading comprehension in schools since it is obvious that the majority of you morons can't comprehend what it is exactly that Obama is advocating.

He does not sound like a person with sound judgment. No one sends their children to kindergarten to learn sex ed. Public schools really are a waste of time and money.

Just another example of liberals wanting to control your life. The principal difference between a conservative is a conservative believes in the principals of free markets and small government, a liberal believes the government should be involved in almost every aspect of your life.

What babies don't come from the stork? What wrong with using facts to teach something so basic as sex ed. The internet exposes kids to so much more than what we grew up with, it makes sense to provide facts that appropriate for a child. To run from the facts that half of kids 15 to 19 year olds are engaging in sexual activity, we need to start having the sex conversation much earlier than in years past. If you don't want your kid to get this information opt out, if not let the majority be educated to make good choices about an important topic.

OH by the way, "Second, Obama isn't saying it has to explicit. Just simple answers for children that do not rely on myth" what was that about? I agree maybe teach them (older kids ) something but not in kindergarten. Let's be a little realistic. NOT SEX-ED maybe we should rename it.

Why don't the schools make a booklet or packet or something, and send it home with the kids in a sealed envelope, and let the parents look it over and read it to them?

My kids' school is always sending home stuff I have to read and sign.

That way the parents can filter and control the content.

What a great idea!!!
ME for President!!

I believe we need to teach kindergardener's reading, writing and math. We then give them a healthy snack and let them run around at recess. I would even let them play tag.

This is just more typical liberal garbage that has damaged our educational system since the 60's. Way to screw things up hippies!

Sex Ed for 5-6 year olds? Gives a whole new meaning to the old kids game, of duck, duck , goose. I'm sorry kids can't play tag anymore or keep score playing games, it may OFFFFFF Fend someone.

Obama, buddy go HOME, the village is looking for their idiot.

This is absurd, this will only teach the kids to have sex younger. I didn't know about sex until I was in the 6th grade !

Oh the Horror!!! Not teaching sex education to kindergartners!!! Now they're all going to get uncontrollably curious about sex and start having babies and spreading diseases. Grow up J, indoctrinate your own kids, not mine.

I honestly think we will be better off turning our children over to the state. We as parents dont have the intelligence/ability to teach our children what they need to know. They would be better off if the state indoc.. I mean taught them both the basic subjects and all their life lessons.

You all (with few exceptions) forgot the important part: "age-appropriate". I highly doubt anyone agrees that "age-appropriate" sex-ed is what the comments have been alluding to. Parents need to teach their young children at an early age about sex-ed with the fact that it's their private place and no one can 'touch' them there w/o their parents and/or doctor present, that boys and girls are different, and that babies come from a tummy. That is it.

And is someone (apparently Obama) actually suggesting that a kindergarten age student being told babies come from storks actually going to increase 15 to 19 year old pregnancies?

Next, belief in Santa will be linked to chronic Meth usage.

And just because your parents are drunks doesn't mean kindergarten students need to be taught sexuality. Just more of an excuse to control reproduction, not encourage it. I can't tell you to stop having as many kids by as many different fathers as you can find, but you can tell me my tax dollars have to support you and your spawn... now that's just backwards.

All of the naysayers on here keep avoiding the real subject that needs to be taught- individual responsibility. But the Left only likes to legislate it away, not to give it to people and hold them accountable for it.

In addition to sex education, let's teach 5 year olds that all politicians are corrupt and dysfunctional.
I did not have sex with that woman....

I really don't want the government telling me what is "age appropriate" for my children. Yeah, we need MORE government controls like Michael Moore needs more Twinkies.

if you watch the video he is pandering to planned parenthood--watch for yourself--and he pans "abstinence."
there's nothing about storks.
he opposes teaching abstinence.
question was specific to dc schools

Yet another reason I will never vote for a LIBERAL-left wing moron! He needs to take some advise from Glenn Beck...Tune in to CNN Mr. Obama and get yourself an education.

Health class for Kindergardeners should include brushing their teeth and washing after using the bathroom. Birds and bees have no place in a classroom where kids are so young they still believe in Santa and the Tooth Fairy.

And I guess the next proposal will be to enroll your children in government schools when they are born? it truly amazes me how liberals think the government can do a better job with every aspect of our lives. How narrow-minded can they possibly be?

sorry Obama thought you might be alright you lost any chance you had of getting my vote

Ah the nanny state encroacheth. Kids are at risk Mr. Obama, not because they are ignorant of their sexual nature but because they DO NOT LEARN BASIC INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND SELF RESPECT! THAT'S the stuff to be taught in kindergarden Mr Obama. And should be doubly taught in the home. Teach a kid how to use their brain and think is the first step.

Lets start with gun safety kindergarden and work up to sex ed

This guy is your mainstream liberal and is very dangerous. He should not be allowed to get close to the White House.

LISTEN.. HE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT HAVING CLASSES ON THE ACTUAL ACT OF A MAN AN WOMAN HAVING INTERCOURSE. CLEARLY HE IS HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE "SCIENCE" OF WHY A LITTLE BOY AND GIRL ARE DIFFERENT WITHIN THEIR LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING.

WE MUST KEEP OUT MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER HERE LADIES.. AND GENTLEMEN.

This has got to be a parody. No one running for President or any office can be this stupid. Keep talking Obama. What a blessing it is when liberals expose their true beliefs rather than their usual lies to disguise their beliefs.

I am a conservative and am proudly one of the 80% of Republicans who approve of George W.'s performance (and proudly not a member of the religous right). I also wouldn't vote for Obama, Hillary, or any of the other bufoons representing democrats these days. I do, however, think Obama has a point here. His distinction of "age appropriate" shouldn't be dismissed, it is what makes his points relevant. Kids should learn about their body and the differences between boys and girls. I think, for instance, showing them how to apply a condom would not be age appropriate and would be morally criminal. But to teach kids about the areas of their body that distinguish them as a gender, and explaining to them that these are private areas, and to tell parents when these areas are violated, I think, is a valid idea.

I think Obama's a liberal, and therefore not worthy of my vote, but if we are going to have a serious discussion of what he meant, let's keep the "age appropriate" aspect of what he is saying in focus.

Another deceptive headlines from the press. This does a lot of good to distort his words to attract readers and ad dollars. Shame on ABC News. Is this The Drudge Report or a respected news outlet???

Ask people who knew him at Columbia. They will tell you all you need to know about Barack Obama.

Seems to me there is two Americas: An enlighted America that has lead the rest of us into the 21st Century, and a "God Fearing" ignorant America that is trying to drag us all back to the stone ages. Will Enlighted America please save us all in the next election... Seriously.

This evidences Obama's inherent distrust of Americans. He feels we cannot teach our children, therefore, he wants the government to do it. Thanks Obama, but I don't hold the same lofty value in politicians as you. Try trusting in families for a change. It works.

Is he insane? Do we, as parnets, have no right to parent our children anymore?

What's most disgusting about his proposal is the fact that he is simply pandering to a group such as Planned Parenthood, whose main goal is abortions-for-dollars.

Sorry Obama I think at the kindergarten age it's not the place of the school or the goveroment to tell my kids about sex ed. That's my place and my right as a parent. I can tell them a stork or they came from mommy tummy. That is my choice to I what tell them. I have three boys my oldest at thirteen knows about sex due to a libery and my husband taken him there to which sex ed videos and reading books on it. You would be amazed on how much information is out there for parents on this subject. My twelve year is going to go after his thirteenth birthday not a day sooner. My seven years has years to wait and knows mommy's and daddy's get together and a baby just appears in mommy's tummy and that is how a baby comes about. Though love. Not all the other stuff. So on sex ed in kindgarden you can have it I'll rather do private or homeschool before I let my kids be introduce to that.

Sex ed in Kindergarten? Why stop there? Why not sex ed in pre-K? Or better yet, sex ed in the womb. The fetus could be taught with ultrasound, unless, of course, those of Obama's ilk would abort the "learner."

Heaven help us if that jerk gets in office!

It's always about the ones who don't have strong parental influence. Is it my fault they don't. So why should children that do always have to fall in line with children who don't?? I taught my children about sex at home..Look at government policies and someone wants to say the government should have a hand in what our children learn about sex. Somehow Obama I don't think teaching sex ed to 4 year old will have them not having sex when they are 15.

I had never planned on voting for Obama in the first place. As far as I'm concerned, this is one of the nails in his political coffin.

Why stop at Kindergarten? Why not have a Federal mandate requiring hospitals to have sex educators on hand for the immediate sex education for newborns (age appropriate of course). LOL

LISTEN.. Not every body lives in a town of population of 1,000. In Big cities all over the country kids are getting sexually abused and raped. Somteimes parents or guardians aren't there. So teacher's are just as much a part of a kids life as a parent. If a teacher can teach a kid that no one is to touch them inappropriatley, then I'm all for it..

Is This not part of sex-education?

I agree with the posters here who say that sex ed for kindergarteners is completely inappropriate. While sexual education has it's place in junior high and high school health classes, I think it's pure insanity to suggest that 5 years need to hear it.

As for all the posters who keep saying "age-appropriate information" such as babies come from mommy's tummy and not the stork. What kind of crap is that? Most 5 year olds have seen a pregnant woman before, much less seen their own mother pregnant with a sibling. I think all children realize that babies come from mommy's tummy. I don't need a school teacher to tell my children that. Furthermore, I hardly believe that anything proposed by the left would be as innocent as that. it's bound to get into things like the definition of a family, sexuality, etc. Leave it to the parents!

Go ahead and scoff at age-appropriate "sex ed" or however you want to spin it- the fact of the matter is that young children DO need to know that their bodies are their own and nobody should be touching them inappropriately (including other kids). No matter what you think of Obama, have the common sense to infer that he's not talking about actually having sex...the ignorance of the posts on here are what's really scary.

Oh, and news flash- sex isn't going away. You're not going to prevent it. Accept the reality that teaching self-respect and responsibility is the only way to prevent the STD epidemic that is raging in young people. Hasn't happened to your kid (that you know of)? They're probably using protection.

But hey, ignorance is bliss, right?

The biggest misconception on the part of Obama and those who think like he does is that if schools do not teach something, then kids will never learn about the subject in question. That may be true in many cases, but my children should not be subjected to unwanted sexual education (which, make no mistake, will become political in a very short time) at such a young age.

I think there are many people, like me, who do not want teachers lying to their children if a child asks a difficult question; instead, I would prefer they say "That's an excellent question, you should ask your parents."

GREAT POST E.B.

GO OBAMA!!!!

Obama had better not be teaching sex ed to MY kindergartener, that's for sure. Somebody needs to explain to him the concept of the "Constitution." Educating kindergarteners is not a Federal mandate, let alone teaching them about sex.

He just lost the nomination on that one.

Nobody but crazy fools is going to buy into this nonsense. Kids are not ready for sex education until 5th or 6th grade. That's why they don't teach it until 5th or 6th grade.

How about Drivers Ed in K also... Its never to early...

OBAMA NEVER SAID TEACH THEM HOW.

It’s simple, Obama believes that parents have no say in the education of their children. Remember that when Elian Gonzalez went home to Cuba he was reunited with his real father, Fidel.

I think I'm going to send this guy a bill for 18 years (and counting) of raising three of his "subjects". In other words, you don't know my children so shut the hell up.

OBAMA,
Put this at the top of your platform and you will positively finish last in any election.

We should definitely prohibit anti-smoking and anti-drug education too. Why tell kids about these things they'll just want to go out and try? It's not the government's place to encourage our children to be healthy, educated individuals who can positively influence their peers. Who do they think they are?!?!?!

What the hell is wrong with the stork myth at 5-6 years old? If that's the explanation that the parents want to give at that age then it's their perogative. Generations of children were told the stork story and some how managed to learn about sex leter in life. While Obama's at it why doesn't he introduce legislation allowing the government to tell our 5 year olds that there's no Santa Clause. Liberals post that the world is not as innocent as it once was and therefore the kids should be educated more. Meanwhile, it's the liberal policies like this one that destroyed that innocence. Other Liberals say that we are not listening to what Obabma really said. Well, we are listening and we are reading between the lines.

Whoever is running this campaign has got to talk to him about issues like this. Sex ed is read as sex ed no matter how "age appropriate" it is. If he can't even define what is age appropriate, he has no business pushing a policy like this no matter how much he defers to local government. A few more gems like this, and I'll start thinking he wants to hand the nomination to the Clintons.

Aha! The liberal Hawaiian shows his true Aloha spirit! Parents are the first and best teachers, Senator Obama - not politicians or public school teachers.

Obama just eliminated himself as a viable candidate for Pres. Sex ed. for 5 year olds - good grief. Let the kids have a childhood for crying out loud.

This is another part of the liberal agenda that belongs in the dust bin of history.

'It's a different world now and changing rapidly. Wax poetic on how the world was and watch yourself get left behind, if you're not already.' writes Voiceofreason.
Well, maybe things are changing rapidly. But let me pose a question to you, Voiceofreason. Didn't all the great civilizations of the past see them selves as indestructible? Weren't they certain of their progressive nature even while in the throes of self-destruction? Where are they now?

He's not saying that at all. He's saying that age-appropriate sex education is okay. When he talked about Keyes in the mocking tone, don't you get he was talking about people who purposely mislead like the author of this article (and the sheep that are linked from Drudge, Newsbusters, et al)that will sensationalize it?

Get a clue.

is this guy cracked?? they can't even teach kids to read and write these day's, budget cuts are all we need and lots of them now time to start shutting things down, way, way way out of control....