What do you think about Palin's stance against sexual education?

Question

In the 2008 Governor's Questionnaire, Palin vehemently stood against sexual education programs. Now she has a pregnant teenager. ALL else aside, what do we think about this?

Personally I think it's bordering on insane to not educate teens about safe-s*x. Like it or not, they are having it. I know we sure wish they wouldn't, but it's happening. The conservative stance on this issue has always baffled me. They are literally trying to act like teens aren't having s*x and that they shouldn't at least learn how to protect themselves if they choose to. Those teens who are uneducated go on to have unwanted pregnancies and diseases, some fatal. That is exactly the OPPOSITE of the effect they are trying to have by denying education, which is abstinence. I think it is highly ironic and unfortunate that Palin has chosen to take the stance against educating our teens and now she has a pregnant teen and thinks she can make it better by making them get married. I'm baffled by McCain's decision, as I was sure he might win this election before. Now I wonder.

What do YOU think?

DISCALIMER: Politics is a sticky issue, and I'm not trying to step on toes. I'm hoping all opinions, whether with me or against, will be as diplomatic as possible. I want to hear real thoughts, I do not wish to be attacked for my opinion. Let's have a discussion!

Answer 1

Warning: this is going to be quite a long answer...

This stance on s*x education is symptomatic of the weird attitude many people have towards s*x. They act as if it were the worst thing in the world. That, rather than being decided by whether a person makes the world a better or worse place to live, the question of whether a person is moral is decided entirely by what they do in the bedroom.

What's more, the reason that is most often given for why schools should not teach children about s*x is quite weak. They don't like s*x, so they don't think children should learn about it, and that if they do, they will be more likely to do it? Imagine if we thought like that about everything we don't like: history would have to be virtually eliminated. After all, most of the things about which children are taught in history are bad! When I was at school, we learnt about the goings on in n**i Germany, the slave-trade, apartheid, imperialism, dictatorship, and all sorts of wars. According to the "if you teach them about it, they will be more likely to do it" logic, I should be growing a Charlie Chaplin moustache and Goose-Stepping down the road wearing jackboots and beating up anyone who doesn't look like me. Educating children about bad things does not make them want to do them (and even if it did, it would not matter since s*x is not such a big deal).

And international comparisons suggest that you are right when you say that not teaching children about s*x has the opposite effect to the one intended. The US, where inside and outside schools "Victorian" attitudes to s*x are more common than in other Western countries has far more teenage pregnancies and cases of AIDS than in other parts of the developed world. Countries like The Netherlands, where people are usually less prudish, have fewer pregnancies and better sexual health (see sources).

Answer 2

I agree with you.  I think what is happening in her family now shows how utterly she lacks the wisdom to govern.  It takes wisdom and policy--not merely ideology, as the Bush years have shown us.

Answer 3

Bush has tried to enforce an abstinence only education as well as cutting funding for s*x education. That hasn't gotten us far, in fact the problem has been getting worse. There comes a point in a child's life where he other s*x seems more appealing than skate boarding, if that didn't happen we wouldn't have a species. But because we live longer it is not socially acceptable for 17 year olds to be having kids. The logical thing to do is explain the dilemma and say we aren't going to interfere in your bedroom, its your instinct, but you can't handle a child when your a child. Practice Safe s*x.

Answer 4

It was my parents that educated me on s*x, and I'm certain that Governor Palin taught her older children and will teach the other ones about it.

Perhaps if more people put it the way my parents did; Their house wasn't abstinence only, it was abstinence or else!

Abstinence only education doesn't work.  s*x-Ed as it is conducted doesn't work.  Abstinence does.

Answer 5

Well, since her daughter got an F in abstinence perhaps an education in proper sexual behavior would have prevented an unwanted or premature pregnancy

Answer 6

Education of many kinds is considered a waste by Republicans.

What erks me the most is the waste of tax dollars for abstinace only programs, and just goes to show the hypocrisy of those that think its the only proper method.



  

Answer 7

You see what that got her.  Her decisions and McCain's decisions are JUST SAD!

Answer 8

what do you think of Obama's stance on s*x Ed

he wants s*x Ed for Kindergardeners

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pO1dIKgf...

and on this site it says http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pO1dIKgf...

(this is a continuation of the video not in the video)

Obama later clarified and said it was "age appropriate" which still doesn't make any sense. Let kids be kids and worry about s*x later. And yet again later, Obama tried to "clarify" what he supposedly meant and meant that it was about abuse. But as we've already seen, Obama is more pro-pervert than pro-children.

Answer 9

I think that abstinence only education is weak at its best.  We cannot keep America's youth in the dark about possible life saving protection in the hope that they will abstain from s*x.  We have to remember that at that age hormones are running wild and kids will be kids.  

Answer 10

She knew absitence only education didn't work long ago. There's only 8 months between her wedding date and the birth of her first.

She has been insisting on a program she knows doesn't work in an area concerning the health of our children.  How dare she!

Answer 11

Her daughter needs s*x education. Sad that she is against it.

Answer 12

I believe abstinence only education is completely illogical. We can't afford to keep our kids ignorant of facts in the hopes that they won't get pregnant.

Sadly, as we've learned recently, it doesn't work.

Answer 13

Maybe her daughter would have benefited from that education.