Our view on sex education: Abstinence-only fails to stop early pregnancies, diseases

After graduating from college last year, Sarah Audelo joined Teach for America and was assigned to the tiny Texas border town of La Joya. There, at Jimmy Carter High School, she noticed something odd. Despite the fact that her school enrolled only ninth- and 10th-graders, a noticeable number of girls were mothers caring for babies or pregnant. Midway through the school year, one of her 14-year-old students became pregnant. Digg story
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This is an excellent article that highlights the dangers and ineffectiveness of abstinence-only sex education programs. I feel great sorrow for those poor teenagers that are subjected to such programs.

Texas Governor Rick Perry appoints creationist to head Board of Ed.

Via the DefCon blog comes news that Texas governor Rick Perry has appointed a creationist to head the Texas State Board of Education.I’ll give you a moment to clean off your screen ... read more digg story

As with the previous post yesterday, this post relates to a politician making a decision that befuddles me. With Bush, I was under the impression that he understood our health care crisis but then he suggested that kids could just go to the emergency room. With Governor Perry, I was under the impression he was a reasonably intelligent individual who, despite being in a morally conservative state, could comprehend the difference between what was science and what was religion. My basis for this was his decision, in an effort to protect women from cervical cancer, to require young girls in Texas to get vaccinated for HPV in order to attend school. This went against his morally conservative constituents since HPV is sexually transmitted. The evangelicals fail to recognize that a woman can still get HPV at any point in her life and could receive it from having sex with her husband, it doesn't only effect women who have premarital sex.
Now, after such an impressive display Perry's once shining star has fallen from the sky. Appointing a creationist to any department that is associated with public funds is nonsensical and for it to be the Board of Education is outrageous. Those who preach creationism are essentially telling the world that they are unable to entertain complex arguments in their heads, are unsophisticated, believe in fairy tales, and are just dumb. Hopefully people in Texas will revolt against this decision, otherwise, Texas will join Kansas (a state that put creationism into its schools) as the laughing stock of the nation.

President Bush suggests uninsured children go to hospital emergency rooms

After the Senate Finance Committee approved an expansion of the federal Children's Health Insurance Program to cover nearly 10 million kids, President Bush offered a strange rationale for threatening to veto it. "People have access to health care in America," he told an audience in Cleveland. "After all, you just go to an emergency room." read more Digg story

One begs to question what the President was thinking when he made that statement. One would assume he is aware that going to an emergency room is precisely the reason we have a health care crisis in this country. Dare I suggest that he wasn't thinking?
The article correctly points out why it is so costly when an uninsured person goes to the emergency room and is treated (as required by law).

Since emergency care is far more expensive than a scheduled visit to a doctor or
clinic, hospitals wind up with large costs that they then pass on to insured
patients using their overtaxed facilities. As a result, insurance companies
raise their rates ever higher to cover the increased payouts, making their
policies too expensive for more working families. The result is a health
care system spiraling out of control and more children left unprotected and
in poor health.

I certainly wasn't under the impression that the President's basis behind whatever plan he has for health care is to send people to the emergency room.

Circumcision could save millions from AIDS

Millions of new HIV infections in Africa could be avoided if more men were circumcised, an International AIDS Society conference was told on Tuesday. Studies in Africa have found that male circumcision, the world's oldest surgical procedure dating back to 2300 BC, reduces HIV transmission from females to males by 60 percent. Story

Finally this well known fact is getting some publicity. It would certainly be excellent if all males in Africa were circumcised but the reality is that it will not happen. However, in the US this possibility might one day come to fruition. Many people in the US scoff at the idea of circumcision and classify it as some type of religious ceremonial procedure. It is on the contrary a medical procedure that can have great benefit. Few realize that an uncircumcised penis is a very dirty one and is far more prone to disease. Requiring (or encouraging) newborn male babies to be circumcised would bring great public health benefits to this Country. Most hospitals, if they don't already, should be able to quickly and safely perform this procedure. Perhaps now that circumcision has been acknowledged to reduce HIV transmission more American potential parents will consider the procedure.

Sex Ed for Kindergarteners 'Right Thing to Do' Says Obama

ABC News' Teddy Davis and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told Planned Parenthood Tuesday that sex education for kindergarteners, as long as it is "age-appropriate," is "the right thing to do."

"But it’s the right thing to do," Obama continued, "to provide age-appropriate sex education, science-based sex education in schools." read more digg story

This blog is no fan of Barack Obama, however he should be commended for standing up for this issue. Especially in light of the lack of science-based and lack of sexual education posts that have previously been posted to this blog. Obviously most politicians wouldn't stand up and say this for fear that they would be chastised. At least the man has some guts, too bad he is running on a populist campaign and is a borderline socialist.

Networks say "No" to Trojan ads

Controversy over a new advertising campaign by Trojan, the condom maker, has trickled down to the local level, with television stations in Pittsburgh roundly refusing to show it, and stations in Seattle giving it the green light.
When Trojan introduced the condom commercial last month, it was rejected as national advertising by both CBS and Fox. Fox said it objected to the message that condoms can prevent pregnancy, while CBS said it was not “appropriate,” drawing a firestorm of criticism from public health advocates and bloggers.
But Trojan, which is owned by Church & Dwight, was in for more unhappy surprises last week. Local affiliates in Pittsburgh for ABC and NBC, two networks that had agreed to run the ad nationally, also snubbed it.
read more Digg story


This is an absolute disgrace. These networks promote sex every day on their shows but refuse to show ads aimed at promoting safe sex. The level of hypocrisy is beyond comprehension. The fact that Fox "objected to the message that condoms can prevent pregnancy" is absurd. Condoms are extremely effective at preventing pregnancy just as a seatbelt is in preventing a death in a car accident or a helmet when riding a bike. No one objects when you see seatbelt ads. Why should CBS find the ads inappropriate? They show ads for drugs aimed at treating erectile disfunction in men. Don't these promote sex more than a condom ad? A condom ad is merely encouraging safe sex, not telling you to engage in it. What about sexually transmitted infections? Condoms are extremely useful in preventing those.

Does this country really want to send the message that it promotes unsafe sex? It would create more unwanted children and sicken the whole population. The US would turn into Madagascar.

An Embarrassment of Earmarks: $7.5 Billion Unclaimed

As a proposal to require full disclosure of all Senate earmarks languishes, senators have not claimed responsibility for at least $7.5 billion worth of projects approved by the Appropriations Committee, according to an analysis by a budget watchdog group. read more Digg story

It should disgust every tax paying American that our elected officials refuse to acknowledge their wasteful ways. Pork-barrel spending is a massive problem within our government and it should infuriate everyone that our own elected officials won't sign off on this. The worst part of it is that since nearly every politician has their fair share of pork projects, no one will rally against those who are the worst offenders for fear of not getting their own pork projects across. Pork is arguably the most visible example of how corrupt our system can be.

Supporters seek 11th hour reprieve for US death row inmate

Last-ditch efforts were underway Monday to spare the life of a 38-year-old black man condemned to death for the murder of a white police officer, even though most of the witnesses have admitted lying under police duress. read more Digg story

This case is another example of why the death penalty should probably be abolished in this country.

Twenty years old at the time of the shooting, Davis, who was singled out by several witnesses as the triggerman, told investigators that although he had been at the crime scene, he had no role in the killing. In the years since his conviction, seven of nine witnesses have changed their stories, and now insist Davis was not the gunman. They said earlier statements implicating him had been coerced by strongarm police tactics. Despite this new evidence that could serve to exonerate him, no state and federal courts have been willing to rehear Davis's case. A petition for a US Supreme Court appeal was denied in June.

How can a court refuse to review the case when new evidence that possibly exonerates the individual has been discovered, not to mention the admitted false testimony of witnesses? If a society is going to assume the right to take someone's life in a controlled manner then it needs to be absolutely sure it is executing the correct person. It is the obligation of the state to examine all possible evidence. All Type I error must be eliminated in these cases. To execute an innocent person is far worse than a guilty person going free.
Our justice system has so far been unable to handle death penalty cases effectively. That is, there have been situations where possibly innocent victims have been executed. Even if this were to be false, the fact that there are questions regarding guilt in anyone's mind should be enough of a reason not to go forward with executions.
The act of executing people itself is a rather barbaric act. Certainly many of those executed have committed heinous crimes and seem not to deserve to live. However, taking a life is no small matter. It is hypocritical to tell people not to kill while the state does that same thing. Furthermore, strapping someone down and killing them seems rather cold-blooded. Most other civilized nations do not have the death penalty yet the United States, the model of prosperity and all things fair and just still does.
Lastly, the death penalty does not prevent crime. No one that is committing murder thinks in the back of their mind that they might receive the death penalty and thus should not kill another person.

U.S. to pour $750 million into Pakistani tribal areas

This would be 'aid' over the next five years as part of a "hearts and minds" campaign to win over the lawless region from Al Qaeda and Taliban militants. But even before the plan has been fully carried out, officials involved in the planning are warning of the dangers of distributing so much money in an area so hostile that oversight is impossible. read more Digg story

This appears to be a smart idea and should be given hesitant applause. An important part of the war on terror is winning over the local tribal leaders and their constituents in the highly volatile and contested areas of South and Central Asia. Many of these groups support the Taliban and Al Queda not because of what they stand for, but because they could possibly bring change and help to many of these beleaguered areas. While we know that this isn't true, many of these groups do not view their governments in Kabul and Islamabad as representative of them. They see their respective local tribal leaders as their government. Add in the fact that they are poor and joining an opposition group doesn't seem so bad. This aid package, if put properly to use should help sway many of these groups to help their national goverments and NATO in the fight against terrorists.
The reason for hesitant applause is that the money could always end up in the wrong hands or simply not be put to good use. If the plan fails, its end result would be the armorment of many potential new opposing groups which will fight against the governments that help finance them. The most well known example of thiswas the support of the Mujahideen of Afghanistan during their fight against the Soviet Union in the 80s. This got Osama bin Laden his start.
While the consequences of this action could be potentially disaterous, the benefit is certainly there and it may be worth the risk.

Christian extremists disrupt first ever Hindu prayer in the US Senate

For the first time in history, a Hindu today delivered the Senate’s morning invocation. But three protesters belonging to the Christian Right anti-abortion group Operation Save America loudly interrupted the invocation, stating, “Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight.” Digg story

What is it that scares extremist Christians so much about other religions in this country? We ask the same question about Islamic extremists and attempt to hold our nation as an example above the rest. However, we have many similar ideological fears that plague other nations. Luckily, religious violence resulting from intolerance is generally not that issue in the US that it is elsewhere is the world.

The teen birth rate has hit a record low

Fewer high school students are having sex these days, and more are using condoms. The teen birth rate has hit a record low. read more Digg story

Though you will probably read claims in the next few days that this proves that "abstinence-only" programs work. Certainly common sense would tell you that isn't true since "abstinence-only" programs are completely ineffective but moreover the decreases are from 1991 so no conclusions can be drawn. The release of this data should be seen as an accomplishment to whomever does deserve credit. Teen pregnancy is arguably one of the primary roots of poverty and the further the rate declines the greater number of young women there will be whose lives are not destroyed by unexpected pregnancy during their teenage years. Those who prefer to cast a blind eye to this problem and poverty in general should at least cheer in knowing that reduced teen pregnancies mean reduced government expenditures on social welfare.

The idea that teens are using more condoms will likely make Evangelicals shudder. The "abstinence-only" camp unfortunately will always to subscribe to the unrealistic idea that teen can be taught that the only safe option is to never have sex before giving those "sacred vows". As studies have shown this is actually more dangerous as teens will have no knowledge of how to practice safe sex and will inevitably end up having sex anyway- multitudes of times before they ever get married. So much for getting free tickets to "My First Time."

$54 million pants lawsuit still not ironed out

A customer who sued a dry cleaner for $54 million over a missing pair of pants has asked the judge who threw out the widely mocked case to reconsider, saying she committed a "fundamental legal error." read more Digg story

This is another example how the letigious culture of America is harming society. Frivilous lawsuits are costly not only to the defendants but to society as well. Wasted time in court adds to court costs and decisions in favor of plaintiffs have reprecussions throughout. Small businesses are forced to close while big busines is forced to pass the costs of the suit on to customers. Part of the reason our healthcare system is such a mess is because of these lawsuits. How do you think John Edwards became a multimillionare? It wasn't just his looks...

Report on Iraq Sees Progress; Bush Rejects Troop Pullout

With the release of a White House report finding some progress on political and security goals in Iraq, President Bush said today that it was premature to be talking now about a withdrawal of American troops. Bush warned that withdrawing U.S. forces before the country is stable "would be a disaster" amid growing calls for a pullout. Read more...

Despite a rather sour opinion of the war in this country the Administration has luckily stood its ground and not allowed public opinion to sway sound decision making. As a result, the troop surge has been given the necessary time it needs and slow but sure progress is being made in Iraq. Leaving now would certainly be devastating to the country as its forces are not yet nearly prepared to take on the daily violence that terrorists continue to incite. The idea that the conflict has morphed into a civil war and has nothing to do with the US is absurd. Those fighting against the current Iraqi government view it as an extension of the US. The terrorists see the Iraqi government a symbol of the US in that America help to put it in place and it follows a democratic style rule. By attacking the Iraqi government the terrorists are just as much inflicting damage upon the US. Furthermore, if the US leaves and allows Iraq to be overtaken by insurgents, a wave of extremism will comes across the entire region. However, if success can be achieved, a stable Iraq will pressure nearby extremist nations, namely Iran and Syria.

Flynt is tracking 20 congressional sex scandal leads

Larry Flynt, the porn-industry magnate who first linked Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) to the escort service of the “D.C. Madam,” said Wednesday that his investigators are tracking more than 20 leads on alleged congressional sex scandals. read more Digg story

Constituents shouldn't have any problem or issue if their Representative is revealed to be on the list. What public officials, or anyone else for that matter, does on their own time is not the public's business. If they hire prostitutes, so be it, as long as it doesn't interfere with or compromise their ability to do their job. However, this assumes that the Representative was not a moral-preaching Evangelical who shunned all things as sins. Or, if the Representative was around during the Clinton impeachment and specifically mentioned Clinton's moral judgement with regard to his affair. In such a case, Flint should out these officials and leave the other be. But Flint is out for "payback" and seems destined to mention every single individual he finds even if their action are hypocritical.

Former Bush surgeon general says he was muzzled

The first U.S. surgeon general appointed by George W. Bush accused the administration of political interference and muzzling him on key issues like embryonic stem cell research. "Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, marginalized or simply buried," said Dr. Richard Carmona read more Digg story

It is certainly understandable that a President would appoint people that will follow his agenda. That is the whole point of standing behind your platform when you run. When elected you will attempt to further your agenda. For example, George H. W. Bush wanted to promote free trade so he appointed Carla Hills, a free trade advocate, as US Trade Rep, and thus NAFTA was put into play. Clinton of course made NAFTA a priority as well and saw its eventual passage. Part of a great continuing chapter in American history of course.

However, in some areas the line should be drawn and health is one of them. Crazed Evangelicals and other religious groups seem to believe that both health and science are on the same table as their religious beliefs and do not distinguish between them. Since they believe that stem cell research is in some way immoral it must not take place despite the benefit to the public that the research may bring. Health is something that should be analyzed objectively with no thought of religious beliefs in a person's mind. As the chief medical officer and senior most health official in the US, the surgeon general should be acting as a doctor is supposed to act, in the best interest of a patient. Straying from this mindset is immoral. There is so much benefit that can come from stem cell research and it is disgusting to see religious agendas stifle it. Believing that you are killing someone by performing research on microscopic cells in a petri dish while watching a person die from an incurable condition is irrational.

Stem cell research is hardly the only measure where the effects of a religious agenda can be seen. Religious agendas by "right to life" types have already put numerous cramps on the ability of doctors to perform normal medical procedures. Abortion is being slowly made illegal and very few forms of euthanasia are legal in most states.

£20k reward aims to stop female circumcision

A reward of £20,000 was offered today to bring the first person in the UK to justice for the ritual of female circumcision. It is feared that up to 66,000 women and girls in the UK are at risk of genital mutilation, a tradition traced back to many African nations. One London health specialist said she is treating up to 500 women every year. read more Digg story

The UK authorities should be commended for attempting to eliminate this barbaric practice. Unfortunately it still goes on today and many girls each year are subjected to this mutilating and torturous act. Egypt recently imposed a complete ban on the practice (it had been illegal except in certain circumstances) further supporting the global effort towards it eradication. Female circumcision is often improperly assigned to being part of Muslim culture. This gives the anti-Islam camp more ammunition to fuel its prejudice. However, the practice is actually rare in the Arab world and has no basis in either the Koran or the Bible. It is more a practice of a region (Africa) than something rooted in religious tradition. Either way, no girl should ever have to be subjected to it and efforts such as those previously mentioned are important in the path toward elimination of the abusive and sadistic procedure.

UPS To Gays: No Marriage No Benefits

Despite a New Jersey Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples must have the same benefits as married couples, and a state law creating civil unions to comply with the ruling United Parcel Service says it will not provide health and insurance benefits to the civil unioned partners of its workers in the state.
read more digg story

UPS made the decision not out of hatred for gays but for business reasons (though the Evangelicals will likely not credit this as the reason). Having to pay benefits for all those additional couples would force them to incur significant costs. However, the NJ Supreme Court ruled and UPS should comply with the law in spirit. But since corporations should always have the final word and shouldn't have to pay up unless absolutely forced to this one will likely get settled in the courts. This is unfortunate for NJ's gay couples but they must respect that they wouldn't have a job and income to survive if it wasn't for the large corporation employing them so they shouldn't attempt to hurt the corporation. Their union should have negotiated this better, that is part of what unions are supposed to do (other than destroying companies that employ their members).
It would be absurd to suggest (though it is commonplace) that same-sex couples should have any less rights than heterosexual couples. If two people love each other then they should be able to live happily ever after and receive the benefits that a married couple would get. There shouldn't be a problem with marriage either but of course there is. Regardless, while large companies should wield most of the power in society, they shouldn't be allowed to deny benefits to anyone because of who they are, that's discrimination.

Flashback: Vitter said Clinton should resign over extramarital affair.

Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), who was on the DC Madam escort list, first got his start in Congress after replacing former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA), who “abruptly resigned after disclosures of numerous affairs” in 1998. At the time, Vitter argued that an extramarital affair was grounds for President Clinton's resignation. read more Digg the story

Vitter certainly should resign if he is going to stand by what he said. Some would argue that those who called for Clinton's resignation were doing so in reference to his lying under oath. However, this is not the case for Vitter. He was referencing then Speaker Bob Livingston's resignation as a model for Clinton. (Vitter succeeded Livingston after his resignation by winning a special run-off.) Livingston wasn't resigning because he lied under oath but because he had an affair and from a moral perspective couldn't persecute Clinton for something that he himself was guilty of. While the impeachment of Clinton, much like the prosecution of Scooter Libby and the DC Madam scandal, was a bogus political stunt, those who were involved should stand by what they say.

Gonzales Was Told of FBI Violations

As he sought to renew the USA Patriot Act two years ago, Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales assured lawmakers that the FBI had not abused its potent new terrorism-fighting powers. 'There has not been one verified case of civil liberties abuse,' Gonzales told senators on April 27, 2005. read more - Digg story

Members of the Administration can't seem to get out of their own way. More and more of these small minor incidents that only bring negative press to the already shamed (in the eyes of many Americans) Administration keep occurring. Gonzales, if it wasn't already evident, is clearly being left out to dry and to serve as a whipping boy for anyone who wants to take shots and beat up on the Administration. The firing of the US Attorneys wasn't a big deal (Clinton did the same thing) but someone he managed to screw that up and get himself dragged through the mud. At that point he was only being kept around so he could be royally beaten by the Democrats and the public, a public humiliation of sorts. The beating has been bad enough that it took some focus off of the war in Iraq (part of the objective of keeping him). The odd thing was that after the attorney scandal many thought he couldn't do any more harm since he was already up shit's creek. I guess not. Then again, the attorney scandal has died down a bit so maybe there needs to be something else on the domestic side for everyone to holler about. Perhaps this is it.

Fitzgerald May Testify on Prosecution of Libby Case

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced that U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald may be called to testify about his prosecution of former vice presidential aide Lewis ``Scooter'' Libby. While many on the Democratic side applauded Fitzgerald's manhunt and eventual prosecution of Libby, significant amounts of tax dollars were expended pursuing the case. The only conclusion that seemed to sprout from it was that Scooter Libby lied. Many will say the case shed light into the Administration's basis for going into Iraq but none of this ever came to light in the grand manner than so many had hoped. Fitzgerald should answer why so much effort was put into pursuing the case well after it was determined that no underlying crime was committed on the outing of the CIA agent. Wasn't the whole point of his investigation to determine this? Not who told the truth while the investigation was going on.

Giuliani Jeered for Opposing Flat Tax

Rudy recently didn't receive a warm reception from a crowd after suggesting that he was not in favor of a flat tax. While a flat tax might be a solution to the current mess that is our tax code, there are some benefits to the structure currently in place. The tax code as it stands promotes a number of good behaviors that serve Americans well. Tax deductions for mortgages and retirement promote home ownership and fiscal planning. Additionally, deductions for charitable donations encourage charitable giving. Granted home ownership and retirement planning are part of good common sense but if we eliminate all deductions in instituting a flat tax, will Americans still save for the future and strive to own homes? Will our charitable donations decrease?