Three organizations with impeccable liberal credentials sponsored the most celebrated major national survey about parental attitudes toward sex education. National Public Radio, the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and the Kaiser family foundation asked parents in 2004 whether sex education classes should include information about homosexuality. More than half of the respondents wanted schools to mention homosexuality “without discussing whether it is wrong or acceptable.” At the same time, only 8% of the parents of high school students and a mere 4% of middle school kids supported the idea that “schools should teach that homosexuality is acceptable.” Since the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 6%, it’s entirely possible that the percentage of middle school parents who want their kids informed that “it’s okay to be gay” is, actually, zero.

   But despite the fact that parents across the country overwhelmingly (almost unanimously, in fact) oppose the idea of pro-gay propaganda in schools, their kids are receiving precisely that sort of message. Recent controversies in Washington, DC and Montgomery County, Maryland, center on curricula that include the information that “many people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender celebrate their self discovery.” Some fourteen years ago, New York City schools launched the infamous “Rainbow Curriculum” for kids as young as kindergarten that featured the book “Heather Has Two Mommies,” which definitely conveyed an embracing, accepting message toward homosexuality.

   The fact that school districts everywhere move forward with such lessons, despite the obvious and sometimes fervent opposition of nearly all parents, illustrates one of the most disquieting accepts of contemporary American life.

   On a range of issues, ordinary Americans have begun to feel that their opinions and wishes don’t matter: big institutions and arrogant elites will do things their way, regardless of the wishes of the people. Increasingly, middle class citizens feel powerless, ignored, disregarded.

    The continued and unstoppable moves to undermine the traditional family (how many Americans actually support the idea that a third of all babies are now born outside of marriage?) provide one obvious example, but there are many others.

    On the immigration issue, everyone wants to see vastly improved security at the border and the speedy construction of the fence, but the government seems unable or unwilling to respond to this reasonable and overwhelming public desire.

     Every year in April, we groan and sweat under the mind-numbing complexities and crushing burdens of an irrational, incomprehensible tax system, but it only seems to get more complicated and annoying, no matter which party controls Congress.

    Time and again, citizens tell pollsters that they resent the corruption in Washington, the power of lobbies and corporate interests and the domination of big money in politics, but each election cycle we appear to see a process more out of reach for the little guy. We also feel disgusted with government waste and runaway spending – even welfare state liberals say they hate the idea of “pork”. Yet both major parties continue the disgusting practice or ripping off the public treasury for “goodies” that may deliver votes back home.

    These frustrations help to explain other polling data that show majorities of more than three-to-one who believe the nation is headed down “the wrong track.” This negativity co-exists with remarkably high satisfaction levels about our individual lives. A new Harris Poll released this week showed a startling 94% who say they’re satisfied with their personal situations, and a record 56% say “very satisfied.” By three to one, people believe their personal situation got better in the last five years (as opposed to worse) while by nine to one they think their lives will continue to improve in the next five years.

   If we think things are likely to get better for us, then how can we simultaneously suppose the nation’s on “the wrong track”?

   The answer, it seems to me, connects to this perception of powerlessness – Americans may think we’re doing fine, and feel grateful for our blessings, but there’s also a sense that the country is out of our control --- the wishes that we express over and over again get ignored in Washington, New York, Hollywood and other centers of power.

  Restoring the reality and the realization that we ultimately control our own destinies won’t be an easy process, but one place to start might be the public schools. Why not move immediately to empower parents rather than bureaucrats?

   And if parents want their kids to get only neutral messages about homosexuality, not celebration or endorsement or propaganda, why not give those parents what they want—or else drop the sex education altogether?

   Sometimes, we ought to acknowledge that when it comes to our own kids, father –and mother– really do know best.