Thursday, September 02, 2010

Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell Seeks Funds for Failed Abstinence-Only Sex Education

Never mind that numerous studies have documented that abstinence only sex education programs do not work and, in fact, often lead to higher teen pregnancy rates. Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell could care less that such programs are a blatant waste of public funds. Nope, acting I suspect on the orders of Victoria Cobb and the faux Christians at The Family Foundation, Taliban Bob wants to pursue funding for more ineffective and religious based sex education programs. If the Christo-fascists are happy, who cares if the programs actually work or not. As for Victoria Cobb's comments, from years of experience, if Ms. Cobb's lips are moving, she's lying. One might as well rely on an Ouija board rather than any data cited or claimed by The Family Foundation. as The Virginian Pilot has coverage on McDonnell's wrong headed pursuit of such funding. Here are some highlights:
*
Abortion-rights groups Tuesday denounced Gov. Bob McDonnell's decision to seek a federal grant for abstinence-only sex education while shunning funds available for comprehensive pregnancy and disease-prevention instruction.
*
Virginia's Health Department recently applied for a $1.27 million federal grant for supplementary abstinence instruction funds.
*
"Given Virginia's economic situation, wasting $400,000 of taxpayer money for an ineffective program is not a good use of the commonwealth's limited resources" wrote Jessica Honke, the group's policy director.
*
"The simple fact is that young people deserve honest information, not political ideology, in their health classrooms." The Family Foundation of Virginia defended McDonnell's choice.
*
State Sen. Ralph Northam, a Norfolk Democrat and a physician, said abstinence should be the goal but said he is disappointed McDonnell chose to disregard the chance to acquire federal dollars with more flexibility of use.
*
While abstinence is the only guaranteed way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, Northam said, "the reality is with teenagers their hormones come into play, and abstinence-only doesn't always work."
*
"We should at least teach our teenagers, I believe, all aspects of family planning and all the options that are available," Northam added. "There should be a comprehensive plan to sex education that strongly encourages abstinence-only, but it needs to be comprehensive."

No comments: