Fucking Floridian Morons

[joreth]

Dear Joreth:

Thank you for contacting me. I appreciate hearing from you regarding abstinence education programs and would like to respond to your concerns.

Federal funding for abstinence education programs was first authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193). This law defines abstinence education as a program that teaches the social, psychological, and health gains that can be achieved through abstention from sexual activity. Currently, 49 of 50 states sponsor various programs focusing on abstinence education.

The President’s budget for fiscal year 2009 requests $204 million for abstinence education through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for developing research-based standards for abstinence education curriculum and for ensuring the consistency of messages in all youth programming that addresses teen pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS prevention. This request is a $28 million increase from the fiscal year 2008 funding level.

You may also be interested to know that I joined a number of my colleagues in the Senate in sending a letter to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Human Services and Education. This letter urged the Committee to continue to support Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) funding. Abstinence education is an important primary health message and is taught to more than two million youth across the country and it is crucial that funding for these programs continue.

Each week, I hear from many Floridians expressing their thoughts regarding the effects of abstinence education programs on students in Florida. I appreciate your interest in this matter. As a parent and a grandparent, I too recognize the importance of this issue for Florida's parents, students, and teachers. We have a national obligation to see that all young Americans receive the preparation they need to succeed in life. I can assure you I will keep your comments in mind as we proceed with the fiscal year 2009 appropriations process.


Again, thank you for sharing your views with me. If you have any additional questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. In addition, for more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator

Comments

[redheadlass.livejournal.com]

I got the same fucking message... grrr...

[leora.livejournal.com]

It looks designed to be sent to people who comment on the issue regardless of on which side.

It occurs to me a point that is rarely made that is part of why I disapprove of abstinance-only education (although I think I mostly object because it does not work, but I'm not sure which part bothers me more) is that it's teaching morals in the school. I don't think schools generally should. I think schools should generally teach information and facts and choosing morality should be left to the students, and teaching it should be left to the family.

Mainly, it bothers me that they're teaching a morality I strongly object to in schools. I think remaining abstinent until marriage is generally wrong and should not be done (I do think there are exceptions, but as a general rule, I think people should not). If I had a child, I wouldn't want my child taught a message I disagree with like that (although I'd let my kid be taught it rather than withdraw the child from the class. I figure any kid will encounter numerous beliefs that the parents disagree with and it's better to use it as an opportunity for discussion of why I disagree and what I do believe in).

I'd want my child taught facts, like how saying no to various sexual acts can decrease various risks. I'd also want my child taught facts about other ways of decreasing or increasing those risks. And I want the teaching of what you should do with that information left to families. I want the discussion of whether or not it is right to have sex outside of marriage to not be in a health class. Maybe you can hold that in a philosophy, ethics, or debate class. But I'd want it raised as an issue for discussion acknowledging various views, not as: this is what is right and this is what is wrong, do this. I just think that sort of attitude doesn't generally belong in public schools. (Private schools are a separate matter as basically parents often choose to give the schools a much greater part of the parenting. As long as the private school is clear about what it is teaching, it's permissible.)

But there is also the fact that it does not work. Which people who like abstinence seem to try very hard to ignore.

[sylvar.livejournal.com]

It seems to me that the pro-abstinence crowd would rather see people make bad choices based on lack of information (Not My Fault) than give tolerant advice that results in sin (Totally My Fault If I Tell You To).