Dear Editor:

I just read the hit piece you printed in your paper on Bill Bruch, candidate for Legislative District 10 regarding his position on the mandatory sex education bill.

It was clear from the article that its author had not done a thorough review of the actual curriculum being mandated.

The point of view expressed was that the curriculum was age appropriate.

I would hazard a guess that most of the folks supporting this appalling curriculum have never looked at it much less taken the time to read the entire thing.

While there are some redeeming lessons therein on respect and prevention of bullying it is absolutely not age appropriate in many ways.

Some of what they intend to teach to children ages 5-7 could actually be traumatizing depending on the emotional development of the child and covers topics best left to a conversation between parent and child.

This bill when presented in the state legislature was occasioned by the attendance of over a thousand concerned parents in opposition. Regardless the legislature chose to pass this partisan bill in the middle of the night. The backlash to this horrific bill was the gathering of a record-breaking 266,000 plus signatures to put it to a vote of the people on the November ballot and this during a pandemic. This bill strikes at the heart of conservative family values.

Bill Bruch is a conservative leader with a heart of compassion for the concerned parents in his district. He stands solidly on less government interference in peoples’ lives and upholding strong family values. He would be doing the voters an injustice if he did not take a stand for their values as demonstrated by Referendum 90. He is a man with a heart for his community wishing only to see it thrive. The attack by your paper for his conservative stance was unprofessional and biased. I for one am voting for Bill Bruch in the hopes that we can finally send some common sense leadership to Olympia!

Barbara L. Pearson

Oak Harbor

(No curriculum is mandated by SB5395. A list of curriculum reviewed by OSPI [Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction] and DOH [Washington Department of Health] is at: https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/hivsexualhealth/pubdocs/Reviewed%20Materials%20Consistent%20with%20State%20Requirements%20Rev%2003.19.2020.pdf. – ed).