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Apr
5
Bleach, Mountain Dew and Marijuana are Not Contraceptives
Since 1996, over $1.677 billion has been dumped into abstinence-only sex education and fueled by the religious right refusing to admit that sex exists. Yes, I said it! Sex exists!
Since abstinence-only sex education has been adopted by many states, we now get to see the outcome of what abstinence-only does to those receiving this type of education.
Teens in Florida believe that drinking a cap full of bleach will prevent HIV and that Mountain Dew and marijuana will prevent girls from getting pregnant. We now have a better understanding of what teenagers are walking away with when receiving abstinence-only education–Nothing!
Teenagers will not abstain from having sex, it is simply not going to happen and by these shocking tales of ignorance when it comes to sex education, we are not helping teenagers by telling them that sex is bad and that they shouldn’t do it. By this story, we are seeing that teenagers want to know how to prevent pregnancy and how to have sex without contracting sexually transmitted diseases and rightfully so, we should be giving them this information; there is absolutely no excuse not to.
Feb
26
McCain Doesn’t Know if He Supports Contraception
I bring up John McCain on here quite a bit; the reason for that is because the more I read about him, the more I’m convinced that he just cannot be the Republican candidate for president. The more this man speaks, the more he makes even extreme right wingers look like peace-loving hippies. He makes Ann Coulter look liberal!
I am convinced that John McCain has absolutely no thoughts of his own and is simply taking the ideals of other people and of the current president and thinks to himself “Well it worked for them and so I think I feel that way, too!” His thought process depicts more of how a 13 year old teenage girl thinks and acts when trying to fit in with the cool crowd at school. Example A: McCain isn’t sure if he supports condoms.
We know that McCain supports abstinence-only sex education, as does the current president although it has been statistically proven to be ineffective. However, his case gets even worse when he was recently asked if he believes that US taxpayer’s money should go to fund contraception to prevent AIDS in Africa. This was his response:
“Well I think it’s a combination. The guy I really respect on this is Dr. Coburn. He believes — and I was just reading the thing he wrote — that you should do what you can to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. Where that doesn’t succeed, then he thinks that we should employ contraceptives as well. But I agree with him that the first priority is on abstinence. I look to people like Dr. Coburn. I’m not very wise on it.”
Coburn, whom John McCain speaks of is the Republican Senator of Oklahoma; he has also been said to support death sentences for abortion providers so it is no surprise that McCain would be such a fan of his.
In the first part of McCain’s response he says that we need to encourage abstinence where there is going to be sexual activity. This is an insanely broad statement because it brings up the question of consenting adults. If two, consenting adults were to engage in sexual activity, does he believe they shouldn’t and that they should abstain? In all cases of sexual activity whatsoever, McCain believes that we must not give into temptation!
The last section of his response is a bit odd…How can you not be educated when it comes to contraception? While he may be cleverly trying to back up his broad abstinence remark and make us believe that he waited until marriage until engaging in sexual activity, which I believe to be highly unlikely; or that he is still a virgin, which again, is even more unlikely, how can you sincerely not have an opinion on funding contraception in Africa?
When asked about grants for sex education in the US and if they should include information on contraceptives, or if it should strictly be Bush’s policy, which is abstinence education and nothing more, McCain answered that “he thinks he supports the president’s policy.”
He thinks he supports the president’s policy. How can a grown, 71 year old man not know if he supports contraception? In the first question, he stated that when abstinence is not possible, we should then employ contraceptives. In this response, he takes that statement back by saying that we shouldn’t even educate people about contraception. Does he know what contraception is? Is he aware of what condoms are? If we took him to a store and asked him to point out a box of condoms, would he know where to go or what they look like?
When asked if he would agree that condoms stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, McCain refuses to answer, yet asks for Coburn’s paper regarding the subject so he knows what stance he has on it:
(Twelve-second pause) “Get me Coburn’s thing, ask Weaver to get me Coburn’s paper that he just gave me in the last couple of days. I’ve never gotten into these issues before.”
I still cannot wrap my mind around the fact that he claims that he has never gotten into issues of contraception and sex education before and in the process, admits that he has no real opinion on it and relies on the thoughts of other extreme Republicans for his thoughts on issues. I guess when it comes to these issues he was betting on just being able to say “pro-life” about a thousand times and he would be in the clear. Is he aware that abortion has to do with sex, which then has to do with the option of contraception? I can see him counseling women out of abortion now–”Well you should have just abstained from having sex in the first place. What do you mean ‘the condom broke,’ they can do that?”
Sorry John, we want answers this time and how about a presidential candidate with their own damn thoughts, would that be too hard?
Feb
18
McCain on Choice: Title X and Counseling on Abortion
After a little break, we’re back to John McCain’s anti-choice record.
John McCain, an uber-conservative (for those who still think he’s in any way pro-choice) voted to permit federally funded Title X family planning clinics to decline to counsel women on abortion services.
Title X family planning clinics have served as health care facilities for typically young and low-income women for 30 years; one of the most-recognizable Title X clinics is Planned Parenthood, which makes up 14 percent of Title X projects. Their goal, as health care providers, is to educate women in this country on how to be safe when it comes to sex, avoid unintended pregnancies, and make education and services readily available to the women who need them.
These clinics offer a wide range of information and health care to women who need their services. They offer birth control, emergency contraception, literature and testing for sexually transmitted infections and diseases, education on how to prevent unintended pregnancies, pregnancy tests and screenings for breast and cervical cancer. The best thing about these clinics, in my opinion, is that absolutely no one is turned away from receiving the health care and/or education they need because of inability to pay.
Since Title X is federally funded, a law has been placed in Section 1008 of the law saying that Title X funds cannot be used “in programs where abortion is a method of family planning.” In other words, Title X funds cannot be used to provide abortions. However, Title X projects must offer women neutral and factual information, non-directive counseling and referrals upon request for all of their pregnancy options, including prenatal care and delivery, infant care, foster care or adoption and abortion.
Senator John McCain voted in favor of Title X projects not even counseling women on abortion, as if the option didn’t even exist anymore. If you are pregnant and go into Planned Parenthood, a reproductive health care facility located in a hospital, which make up six percent of Title X projects or health department, 57 percent, and are seeking information about your options as far as pregnancy or not going through with your pregnancy, John McCain voted to make Title X projects refuse to even bring up the option of abortion. In his eyes you have two choices–you are either delivering and raising the child or delivering and giving the child up for adoption.
It’s no secret that McCain wants to abolish reproductive freedom for women, but to insist of closing the door on even the thought of terminating pregnancy is ridiculous. It is saying that McCain, along with the rest of the anti-choice brigade do not believe in women. They do not support or even like women unless they are in their place and doing what the conservative agenda believes is right. They do not trust women to make informed decisions about their own bodies but would love to force them into delivering and raising a child that they are either not ready for, in a matter of financial stability or mentality, or simply do not want. But we went over the reasons for this in the last McCain on Choice post. The more low-income children born to low-income mothers or families, the more future troops we have to carry out our world domination agenda.
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