Wednesday, August 16. 2006
What do you call a High School girl who gets abstinence-only sex ed?
Mommy.
At Timken High School in Canton, 13% - that's ONE IN EIGHT, folks - of the female seniors is pregnant. Canton went to an abstinence-only sex ed curriculum some time ago to attract federal dollars that would be denied if they gave the kids information that just might have stopped some of those pregnancies. They've just now realized that that was a mistake.
From the AP via the Las Vegas Sun:
That's the mother of a pregnant teen in Canton.
Kids are going to have sex. The genie is out of that bottle, folks - and has been since boy first looked at girl. There are two things you can teach a kid that might just keep them safe - #1 Make them confident, self-assured kids who can think for themselves and they might just make the right choice and #2 Teach them what to do if they make the choice you'd rather they not make. But #1 assumes that you want kids to think for themselves - which "just say no" zealots clearly don't want. And #2 assumes you trust the kids with the information. Again, see the problem with #1.
JaBbA say give 'em free condoms along with some reality-based information.
At Timken High School in Canton, 13% - that's ONE IN EIGHT, folks - of the female seniors is pregnant. Canton went to an abstinence-only sex ed curriculum some time ago to attract federal dollars that would be denied if they gave the kids information that just might have stopped some of those pregnancies. They've just now realized that that was a mistake.
From the AP via the Las Vegas Sun:
"It's time to take the blinders off and realize that these kids are having sex," she said. "Obviously, abstinence is not working. If we have to, just give them condoms."
That's the mother of a pregnant teen in Canton.
John Van Dyke: Show the average American teenage male a condom, and his mind will turn to thoughts of lust.
Toby Ziegler: Show the average American teenage male a lug wrench, and his mind will turn to thoughts of lust.
-- The West Wing, Pilot Episode
Kids are going to have sex. The genie is out of that bottle, folks - and has been since boy first looked at girl. There are two things you can teach a kid that might just keep them safe - #1 Make them confident, self-assured kids who can think for themselves and they might just make the right choice and #2 Teach them what to do if they make the choice you'd rather they not make. But #1 assumes that you want kids to think for themselves - which "just say no" zealots clearly don't want. And #2 assumes you trust the kids with the information. Again, see the problem with #1.
JaBbA say give 'em free condoms along with some reality-based information.
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