WHY SEX EDUCATION AND CONTRACEPTIVES ARE STILL VITAL
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistTeen pregnancies are no laughing matter–no matter how much the Republican Party keeps cracking jokes and making fun of the whole idea; while denying funding for sex-education programs and covering contraceptives all the same time. (Like McCain has done.)
The truth of the matter, is that abstinence is no substitute for proven sex-education programs and contraceptives.
Abstinence just means you
abstain from partaking in sex. It doesn’t protect you from unwanted pregnancies or sexually-transmitted diseases. (Should it occur.)
Contraceptives–in conjunction with sex-ed programs–
will to some extent.
Bristol Palin is paying the price for such a mistake–either on her part as an uninformed teenager, her lack of a solid education, or her mother’s staunch opposition for sex-ed and contraceptives. (Which could’ve saved her from being pregnant in the first place.)
But she is paying that price nonetheless.The sad fact to this whole affair is that McCain’s supporters, the religious right, and the so-called social conservatives whom are against teen pregnancies from the start (but have no problem with voicing their opposition to abortion) are rallying around Palin–acting like she’s some kind of
heroine for allowing her kid to get pregnant at such a young age and seeing the baby to full-term.
But they don’t see just how
hypocritical their stance on such a matter really is.
They refuse to see why sex education and the use of contraceptives is so vital
to our society is these days.
Whatever the down side to this matter eventually becomes, it won’t make the problem go away overnight. Bristol still has to deal with being a young, unwed mother–the same problem which thousands of teenage mothers have to go through every day here in the United States.
But the issue is still there. And sex-education and contraceptives are still a much needed deterrent against unwanted pregnancies.
Even if the Republican Party doesn’t want to deal with it–
especially during one of their election years.Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: abstinence, contraceptives, hypocritical, John McCain, politics, Republican Party, Sara Palin, sex education, teenage mothers
THOSE WHO ARE IN MOST NEED LEFT HIGH AND DRY
By Schuyler ThorpeAuthor and Political ActivistI’m pissed at my government for allowing them to walk all over us.
I’m pissed at Congress for caving in and not giving those whom need help the most.
Yes, I am talking about the tax rebate legislation–which axed financial aide for those whom need energy assistance, extra food stamp money, and those whom are currently unemployed–and would
all enjoy the tax bate relief.
I know I would. I just spent three-quarters of my food stamps on food within the last 24 hours. Most of it on meat, bread, cheese, and soy milk.
I saved a little bit on the side so my wife and I can get our monthly chocolate fix. The rest I’ve set aside for later–when I need it.
To the outside observer, what I’ve done may not be such a big deal. But trying living on nearly $300 in food stamps a month–for 2 people–with the current high food prices; and you would begin to see
why people like myself were rooting for Congress to pass that extra legislation for those like myself whom have been financially hurting all this time.
And came away gravely disappointed.Why did the Republicans block the legislation that would’ve given us an extra boost? According to some insiders, they said it was too much money.
Too much money!?
Let me guess: We can blow hundreds of billions of dollars on an ill-gotten war, but we can’t blow the same amount on the home front–making sure that those whom need help…
get it?
What does the Republican Party have against people like me? What did we ever do to piss them off so much??? Why must we be made to suffer so they can waste our tax-paying money on corporate ventures and oil interests? (Not to mention all those tax-cuts for the rich?)
I didn’t ask to be born into this world under the dogging weight of extreme poverty. But I certainly made many efforts to dig myself out of it--and failing each time. But it seems that the mechanisms which tells us that we can
aspire to better ourselves in the long run–are the same entities which controls the purse strings of Congress.
These are the same machinations which tells me that not only can I
not better myself, but I must be permanently slaved to a system that won’t allow me to do the same.
In essence, I am an unwilling prisoner in a corrupt system of democracy.To make matters even worse, Bush’s latest budget proposal has gone ahead and cut
funding from the very programs which help people like me.
Those whom need energy assistance, housing, Medicare, and food stamps.
And if you have noticed something peculiar about his allocated funds?
The majority of it goes to the military and defense industries.So they can have their precious wars.
But why not the people whom need help the most?
Because they were never a priority with the Republican Party.
The poor and the downtrodden have been made to suffer since Reagan was President. His slanted fiscal budgets heavily favored the wealthy and the rich–while giving those who needed help the
least amount of money.
Thus setting into motion, a series of events which has made it harder for people like me
, to get ahead a little bit in life.
We’ve never asked for the world, all we are asking for is a boost in the right direction.
Unfortunately…? Both Bush and Congress doesn’t seem to be listening.
Which means?People like me are left high and dry.
Again.Schuyler Thorpe is an author, a political activist, and a frequent letter writer to The Everett Herald of Snohomish County. He can be reached at: starchildalpha1 at yahoo.comLabels: assistance, budgets, Bush, Democrats, food stamps, needy, poor, Reagan, Republican Party, tax cuts, tax rebate, unemployed
