Editor:

Blain Nicholsí His Point article ìGovernment Shouldnít Have Role in Sex Edî was very interesting...itís a shame it isnít based in fact, truth, or reality. He takes a serious issue that should be viewed through a scientific lens (there is quite a bit of research on the matter) and instead turns it into a moral/political issue (much like his fellow Clipper writer JoAnn Hamilton and her ìargumentî against pornography. ##M:MORE##

When he wrote that article he was either horribly uninformed or purposefully deceitful, because ALL of the scientific, empirical evidence and research we have shows that abstinence only sex ed programs do not work at all; however, all of the research we have shows that comprehensive sex ed programs actually correlate with practicing abstinence! (M. Silva, 2000. ìAbstinence and abstinence-only education: A review of US policies and programs.î Health Education Research: Theory and Practice, 17, 471-481). In his propaganda piece, Nichols writes that ìliberals push their selfish agendasî on everybody else despite the fact that every poll shows that the vast majority of people actually want comprehensive sex ed taught in schools funded with public tax dollars. Does Nichols realize that global studies have shown that teens in countries that provide comprehensive sex ed have much lower rates of STDs and teen pregnancy (an ideal that should appeal to all of the so-called pro-life people living in this community)? Does he realize that 60 percent of teens in our country have had sex? Does he realize that rates of STDs, which can be deadly, are on a rapid rise?

Do these facts not bother him when he thinks about them along with the fact that our government spends heavily (and government spending is something most conservatives like Nichols claim to be against...unless it supports their agenda, of course) on abstinence only programs, which have been proven to not work? Not teaching teens about sex and STDs will ultimately cost taxpayers more money, create a public health risk, and cause innumerable suffering and death.

Not only is not teaching sex ed in schools nonsensical, it is downright immoral. When you ponder all of these facts, ask yourself one key question: ìWho is REALLY pushing a selfish agenda concerning this issue?î



Ryan McKinnon

gonzobro83@yahoo.com