I caught a teaser on GMA this morning about yet another twenty-something teacher getting married to his teen aged student. Robin Roberts posed, “What has caused this alarming trend?”

I didn’t see their story (I did find it on their website), but I had an answer for Robin on the spot. (Imagine that! I have an opinion on the matter. That never happens.</sarcasm>)

I have a favorite quote from Ronald Reagan that I’ve mentioned before. “What one generation tolerates, the next generation embraces.” The Gipper was talking about communism, but the statement holds true for almost anything.

Let’s look at the previous generation in this case. In the 60’s and 70’s, the sexual revolution taught that sex is good and love is free. That generation chided their parents for “repressing” our “natural” sexuality. They believed that children should be taught about sex as early as possible and taught that it’s a beautiful thing that should be expressed and experienced freely. (See novels like “Brave New World” were “sex games” are part of elementary education and abortions are as common as flu shots.)

When the youth of the 60’s and 70’s came of age in the 80’s and 90’s, they became the teachers and policy makers. They brought their ideals with them and taught them to the youth of the 80’s and 90’s. My generation was indoctrinated. We were taught that sex is good so enjoy it. “Embrace your sexuality.” “We can’t stop you from having sex, so we’re going to teach you to have sex safely.” (What a crock!)

Now, the youth of the 80’s and 90’s are the teachers and policy makers of today. The 27-year-old teacher who was raised in this post-hippy, free-love culture is preprogrammed to think that sex is natural and good and should not be hindered. It’s a very short leap from that preprogramming to “Sex is good and natural so I should not hinder my 16-year-old, hormone-crazed student’s sexual awakening. Nor should I hinder my own sexual growth. So sex between me (the adult teacher) and my student is good and natural.”

We have raised a generation (my generation) of people with no moral emergency brakes. A 16-year-old doesn’t have moral emergency brakes yet. Kids are going to be infatuated with a teacher. That’s natural. But, said teacher should be smart enough, and have enough of a moral compass to stay miles away from such a situation. As long as the teacher keeps things professional and is mindful of not giving any shred of credibility to the crush, the crush will fade and the kid will learn to identify a crush for what it is.

But this current crop of twenty-somethings never learned the moral background they need to be the grown up and do the grown up thing. This “alarming trend” should be no surprise. We are reaping what our teachers sowed. God help us when the coming generating takes the reins.

Interestingly, according to the article, this most recent case takes place in Texas. The 27-year-old, male teacher was arrested despite the fact that the girl’s parents signed a consent form allowing them to file for a marriage license. The teacher faces up to 20 years in prison for having sex with a student. See, we don’t put up with that kind of hanky-panky in Texas. We know that, “That boy ain’t right!”

I rode my bike to work today for the first time this year. It was a little chilly (53-ish) but otherwise a perfect day for it.

When I got to work and logged in to my PC, Tammy sent me an IM. “Did you make it to work ok?”

Now, on the face of it, that’s an honest question from a loving and concerned wife. But you know me. I can’t pass up a chance to be a smart alec.

“Nope. I died. I logged in from Heaven. God set me up with a sweet laptop with the fastest wireless connection imaginable.”

I’m so mean.