What is Digg?129 Comments
- guytoronto, on 10/12/2007, -16/+80Relying on parents to give straight forward and honest information about sex, is like relying on Bush to give straight forward and honest information about the war on terror.
- sinfree, on 10/12/2007, -8/+58You actually have a point. If parents/guardians would sit down with their kids and take the time to talk through these issues like they should, then we would probably be much better off in general. Yeah, it may be a little painful to talk about to your kid, but when Johnny comes home with an STD, or Suzy with a baby, that can be pretty painful too.
- illious, on 10/12/2007, -9/+44But what about the parents that are have no clue? The ones that don't know about safer sex, transmission of STD's, etc, and are unwilling or unable to get educated themselves?
- there4iam, on 10/12/2007, -3/+29"I believe in making the world safe for our children, but not our children's children, because I don't think children should be having sex." -Jack Handy
I don't believe NJ is saying that kids having sex is appropriate. Just that the government's skewed sense of selective morality has no place in education . . . or our pants. - candre23, on 10/12/2007, -4/+29There are a lot of things I don't like about this state, but sometimes NJ actually gets something right. Between yesterday's gay-marriage ruling and today's refusal to take religious-wrong bribe money, I'm actually proud to live in the garden state. It almost makes it worth the absurdly high property taxes and car insurance rates.
- roosterjm2k2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+27You mean, like, expect a parent to actually...like "parent" their kids and be a role model and such? never gonna happen. (not in the masses anyways, there ARE good parent out there, but not the masses)
- argblat, on 10/12/2007, -3/+26Yeah ... sorry about that
zing! - pkulak, on 10/12/2007, -14/+35Yeah, you're right, anything that makes the religious nut-jobs uneasy should just be dropped from education completely. That way we can totally avoid discussions about topics that we as a society know the least about. Let's drop all health curriculum. Hell, let's drop all the sciences; parents are responsible for that kind of thing, not schools! Schools are for football!
- colinmhayes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+20yesterday, apparantly.
- alanspach, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Gay Unions, Anti-abstinence education, Wow when did New Jersey become so progressive?
- qwickone, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17The way I see it, I would rather the money going to sex education in schools rather than increased need for funding of abortion clinics and adoptions centers. And I'm pro-choice. I think this is a necessary effort to be proactive. Better to educate people than have to deal with all the negative effects of no education on this topic. And sure, I believe every case of sex under the age of 15 is inappropriate, but that's not going to stop people. I mean, if we could somehow stop kids from having sex until theyre at least 18, that would probably be best, but that will never happen.
- MioTheGreat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15They lie about the alternatives.
- MioTheGreat, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Stem cell funding, too....Almost makes one proud to live in NJ.
Almost. - TimDigg, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18"Relying on parents to give straight forward and honest information about sex, is like relying on Bush to give straight forward and honest information about the war on terror."
I agree sex is still a very taboo topic in america...even parents are ashamed to talk about it with their kids - guregu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Direct link to article: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-5/116175195148760.xml&coll=1
- Mudb0y, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Clinton, among others, has said that Abortions should be Safe, Legal, and RARE... I agree with that completely, and the only way to cut down on the frequency is education, both through parents, and teachers...
I would propose an option for parents to opt out of the school sex ed, but only if they take a class on how to teach it themselves... - dBLiSS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10"Sex prevention is the true waste of money."
Agreed, it would take a LOT money to prevent a horny teenager from having sex. - colinmhayes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9oh I never smelled the outside air, but flying into there after being in Germany for 6 weeks was a brutal change.
- zigspective, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Independent evaluators have often found that abstinence only educators use scare tactics and often claim falsities such as condoms will transmit HIV and other STDs, that birth control pills can prevent one's choice to have children in the future and that abortions usually have extreme detrimental health risks.
- pilot3033, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10This whole issue is not about abortion clinics, or the morality of children having sex. This is about a state telling the federal government: "we don't think you have it right".
And I agree. Sex education is necessary (there are just certain things a professional can teach better than a parent), but that means EXPLAINING SEX. Not telling someone not to have it. - aliengoods, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10True, but if they get the facts they may choose to use a condom or birth control while doing it. Thats the point of sex education.
Sex prevention is the true waste of money. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Whenever I am with your girlfriend I simply make her shower first...
- FearFactory, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8What is happening to these high schools? When I graduated in 93 there was about 1 pregnant girl in the whole school and she dropped out before having the kid.
Now my old high school has a baby-momma daycare center so teen moms can drop off their babies before they goto class. My old school even has a security center with a few cops that stay there all day long. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7The way they make it seem in schools is that if you don't have sex you cant get STDs... They don't necessarily tell you that oral sex can transmit disease as can physical contact with diseased body parts (i.e. nude dry humping).
They need to educate on disease and pregnancy prevention rather than abstinence. Those religious nuts (pun intended) would be against teaching kids how not to have children. - fasda, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7NJ was always progressive it was just over shadowed by Mass.
- Jolls, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I do NOT think Abstinence-ONLY Education should be taught; but abstinence should still be taught. Their are physical and emotional benefits to abstinence. I don't say proven because I'd have to cite it, but common sense tells us that no sex = much lower percentage of diseases and that no-sex means less 'issues' in ended relationships. I've seen this in my relationships (I am abstinent) versus my friends relationships (non-abstinent). Granted, I have also dated less due to abstinence (It takes a rare girl to date you with the foreknowledge that there is no sex in the relationship), so my views are slightly skewed.
anyways, back the original point.
Abstinence Only education = BAD
Abstinence Education included in Sex Education = GOOD
no forcing, just teaching. Kid's make up their own mind anyways, give the info to do it properly! - Renuvian, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Which is why we should teach them to use condoms when they're doing "something."
- colinmhayes, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8New Jersey's on a roll!
Now just if they could make Newark nicer to look at when flying into it... - afpunk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6http://www.now.org/issues/health/121704abstinence.html
Ok, its from NOW, so many have problems with that, but the data can be independently verified if you're up for it.
"The report finds that over 80 percent of the abstinence-only curricula, used by over two-thirds of SPRANS grantees in 2003, contain false, misleading or distorted information. This information distorts data about the effectiveness of contraceptives, misrepresents the risks associated with abortion, blurs religion and science, treats stereotypes about girls and boys as scientific fact, and contains basic scientific errors." - docholiday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6For a really good point of view on this check out Penn & Teller's ***** Episode on Abstinence. I found it really thought provoking.
- kolop1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7 Yeah and I'm sure teaching abstinence, would have made a difference. Why not teach safe sex.
- a10webb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7umm, when I had sex-ed in virginia we talked about everything from condoms, diaphragms, the pill, and even ABSTINENCE. In any sex education class they will tell you all your options, not just throw you a condom and say 'good luck'
This ***** abstinence class just throws out false statistics to scare people into thinking abstinence is the only way, UNLESS THEY WANT TO DIE. - forcedfx, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9I agree. I can't stand the traffic and high cost of homes, but at least we're mostly free of the religious lunacy that often grips this country.
- TyRaNNOus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9The problem imo does not lay in the hands of inadequate education on the subject of sex, Atleast not in Canada. It doesn't matter who tells the kids about STD's and getting pregnant. I think everyone knows about STD's and doesn't want them, but with pregnancy all teenager's are risk takers and it doesn't really matter how the information is presented they are still gonna think it can't happen to them.
They need to go the same route they do with drinking and driving you need people who its happened too, to ball there eyes out in front of a class because of their mistake. Put a face to what pregnancy at an early age can do. For both males and females, teenagers having sex know damn well they can get pregnant but their ability to really put into perspective what will happen if it does is almost non-existant. Mostly because while in school you live a very protected life. - steinbeckgirl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5mudboy- that's the most logical thing I've heard yet. My parents were super religious and told me to abstain til I was married. When I asked them about birth control they practically called me a slut. THEN I discovered sex! Anyway, once I was pregnant at eighteen, they realized they hadn't been very realistic. My son is twelve and knows more about safe sex than I did at 18.
- missflibbles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5bunny, twenty girls out of how many? You have to provide some scope.
- Sangatious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I agree Jolls
The way I see these two methods aren’t as mutually exclusive as they seem. Why can't both be taught? "You should wait to have sex until you're married, here are some abstinence pamphlets and free pencils. But if you can't wait you should use protection, here are some pamphlets and free coffee mugs, and condoms.
Seriously, I'm not joking. - synapseattack, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6If you are going to quote George Carlin, at least let other people know.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6LibertyBelle, I think I hear your church calling...
- pintomp3, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7good, how many teenagers are going to not have sex "because teacher said not to"
- truspector, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@jonshipman
"I didn't have sex when I was a teen does that make me have the will power of the gods?"
No, it means you were not blessed with good genes.
"If that were the case why isn't prostitution legal?"
Because the christian element still holds power in this country. Just wait, the tide will turn. - drlha, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7There's nothing immoral about having sex.
- dustedbunny, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Good luck with that. haha. We could try as hard as we want to make it "look nice" but the smell would still make you want to close your eyes and go back to where you flew in from.
- sooperdooper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4It's not on the SATs. ;)
- Meadow113, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4We have never expected young people to wait very long to have sex in this country, it just used to be that they married in their teens, sometimes in the very young teens they were getting married in this country. How old were they when they were marrying in your parents generation, or in your grandparents generation? Not having sex before marriage wasn't some great sacrifice when they were getting married at 15 you see........Abstinence is not the idea way here, after puberty, sex starts seeming like a really good idea, whether marriage seems like a really good idea or not.
Think of it this way, you live near a lake, it's 102 and the weather forecast is calling for the same all summer, you can't always be home, are you going to trust that your kids will take your advise that getting into that lake is a bad idea, or are you going to teach them how to swim? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Who waits? Seriously? What a waste of money.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5bahahahaaaa
oh sorry, I mean, I respect your choice.. - ZenMojo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5They lie about the efficacy of condoms in preventing STDs and pregnancy (believe me, I had three sex-ed classes growing up...one in 5th grade which taught about naughty bits, one in 6th grade that taught us we could easily get AIDS by having sex with a condom on, and one in 8th grade that taught us our sixth grade teacher was feeding us a load of *****...and if you don't agree with my 8th grade teacher, chances are you're a victim of the same program my sixth grade teacher taught).
- tont0r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I dont care what anyone says, If someone says 'I was on birth control and he was using a condom' and she still got pregnant, there is a better chance they were lying rather than BOTH of those methods failing. Im not saying it has never happened, but its a minor chance.
I feel a degree of abstinence should be taught (aka, dont have sex with everyone at the drop of a hat), but also teach kids that 'IF you are going to have sex, please take the proper precautions'.
Its obvious they will do whatever they want. But if you only teach abstinence, they arent going to be taught what steps to take in order to protect themselves when the time comes. - scorchedearth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3what religious fanatics tend to forget is that it is precisely the type of sexual repression that they advocate which results in pedophilia and other sexual disorders appearing in people.
if people were not discouraged from expressing their sexuality (whether it be straight, gay, etc), then people with sexual problems like we hear about on the news all the time wouldn't be a big deal.
but these religious whackos prefer to deny the fact that we are animals and the urge to procreate is a part of what we are - denying it is stupid....then again, these are the same people who believe the earth is 6000 years old :P -
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