Monday, December 10, 2007
Why Abstinence?
This evening I was attending a Kiwanis Club meeting. While at the cashier, I talked to a young lady at the cashier. who is a junior at a southeast Washington, DC high school. I explained about signing the petition to save abstinence education in Washington, DC. She said that she supports that because she has a sister who is 16 years old. When her sister was 13, she had an abortion. She is emotionally messed up because of that. The guy was 30 years old, and ended up getting jail time for statutory rape.
How many youth could literally be saved if we could get the message of abstinence out to more youth?
How does giving out a condom deal at all with the whole person? What about the emotional, social, moral as well as the physical consequences of having sex?
I will fight with all my heart and soul for the youth. No one has the right to stop those youth who want to choose sexual abstinence from having a program to support them.
How many youth could literally be saved if we could get the message of abstinence out to more youth?
How does giving out a condom deal at all with the whole person? What about the emotional, social, moral as well as the physical consequences of having sex?
I will fight with all my heart and soul for the youth. No one has the right to stop those youth who want to choose sexual abstinence from having a program to support them.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Mandatory HPV Vaccine is the Wrong Focus for our Youth
Today I realized once again why I am doing this work with youth. I was at the ULTRA Teen Choice Service Club meeting at Eastern High School. One of the Club Members indicated that they would like to attend one of the events that are occurring during Abstinence Awareness. That in itself is not unusual. But what I felt behind it is the sincere desire to respond to the caring that our staff is expressing by having the ULTRA Teen Choice program for the youth. Another youth stopped me a few meetings ago, and asked if I had her new phone number. She knows that sometimes staff will call to update parents and students on current activities.
What if there were Clubs for all of the youth who want to make right choices and practice abstinence from sex before marriage and other healthy behaviors? For a very nominal cost we can encourage youth to make right choices.
Many youth in DC have difficult home situations. They may have moved several times between different relatives, and a significant percentage are not living with either their mom or their dad. Clubs that promote abstinence and avoidance of other risk behaviors, and that give participating youth a chance to speak out to other students, are a good investment, indeed.
There has been talk about requiring all 6th grade girls in DC to get a three part inoculation for Human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that is the primary cause of cervical cancer. This will cost $360 per student, and will last no more that five years. Side effects of the drug for children this young are unknown, and the drug will wear off before the peak age when most girls would be exposed to the virus.
How about "inoculating" youth with an injection of Clubs that promote abstinence from sex before marriage for middle school students, and also continuing support for high school youth, staffed by caring and well trained adults, including mentor "STAR Guides from local universities?. For about the same cost per student as this vaccination, we can provide clubs for thirty 7th and 8th grade students for five years at every middle school. Also, these students will reach out to all of the other 7th and 8th grade youth, and additionally, parents will receive education, too. For a very nominal cost, we can also provide classroom education on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy that emphasizes the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social benefits of abstaining from sex before marriage.
How can we not support these precious youth who sincerely want to better their lives? Giving vaccinations has its place, but isn't the real issue one of addressing the whole person, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially? Let's give our youth a brighter future by promoting self control, relationship skills, and preparation for healthy relationships with the opposite sex. Focusing on giving vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases to eleven year old girls is the wrong focus. Focusing on education and peer plus adult support for youth to stay abstinent is the right focus.
What if there were Clubs for all of the youth who want to make right choices and practice abstinence from sex before marriage and other healthy behaviors? For a very nominal cost we can encourage youth to make right choices.
Many youth in DC have difficult home situations. They may have moved several times between different relatives, and a significant percentage are not living with either their mom or their dad. Clubs that promote abstinence and avoidance of other risk behaviors, and that give participating youth a chance to speak out to other students, are a good investment, indeed.
There has been talk about requiring all 6th grade girls in DC to get a three part inoculation for Human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that is the primary cause of cervical cancer. This will cost $360 per student, and will last no more that five years. Side effects of the drug for children this young are unknown, and the drug will wear off before the peak age when most girls would be exposed to the virus.
How about "inoculating" youth with an injection of Clubs that promote abstinence from sex before marriage for middle school students, and also continuing support for high school youth, staffed by caring and well trained adults, including mentor "STAR Guides from local universities?. For about the same cost per student as this vaccination, we can provide clubs for thirty 7th and 8th grade students for five years at every middle school. Also, these students will reach out to all of the other 7th and 8th grade youth, and additionally, parents will receive education, too. For a very nominal cost, we can also provide classroom education on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy that emphasizes the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social benefits of abstaining from sex before marriage.
How can we not support these precious youth who sincerely want to better their lives? Giving vaccinations has its place, but isn't the real issue one of addressing the whole person, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially? Let's give our youth a brighter future by promoting self control, relationship skills, and preparation for healthy relationships with the opposite sex. Focusing on giving vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases to eleven year old girls is the wrong focus. Focusing on education and peer plus adult support for youth to stay abstinent is the right focus.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
What do eleven year old girls in DC fear?
Character, not condoms. That says a lot. Today, in a discussion session with middle school youth, led by college STAR guides (interns), I was touched and angry to hear that some girls in 6th grade in Washington, DC, have to worry about being raped or murdered. The discussion turned around a story about Wilbur the pig, from Charlotte's Web. Wilbur didn't quite know what to do with his new found "freedom" when he temporarily escaped from the barnyard. The connection was that the youth were asked "What are things young people your age might fear?" Some answers were, "being robbed" and "being raped or jacked up". Well, I remember being afraid of neighborhood bullies, but how about the fear of being raped and murdered?
What kind of world are we creating for our children. Does saying, "well, if you are going to have sex, use a condom" even begin to address the issues behind the kind of violent, disrespectful world that many children, (almost all children, if you consider the influence of media) have to grow up with.
Promoting abstinence for our youth is not just about pregnancy or disease, although those are very important issues. It is about promoting respect, kindness and concern for the well being of others. A world where youth wait until marriage to have sex is a vastly safer world for children, as well as for adults. Those learning to abstain from sex are practicing self control and respect for others. Youth who are abstaining from sex are much less likely to use drugs or alcohol, be arrested or suspended from school.
What kind of world do we want to create for our children; a world that says, "here, use a condom", or one that says "wait until marriage so that you can realize the full beauty and joy of a committed sexual relationship with someone you truly love". The answer to this question is directly related to whether we will see a more peaceful and respectful world in the future, or one where eleven year old girls have to literally fear being raped or killed.
Richard
What kind of world are we creating for our children. Does saying, "well, if you are going to have sex, use a condom" even begin to address the issues behind the kind of violent, disrespectful world that many children, (almost all children, if you consider the influence of media) have to grow up with.
Promoting abstinence for our youth is not just about pregnancy or disease, although those are very important issues. It is about promoting respect, kindness and concern for the well being of others. A world where youth wait until marriage to have sex is a vastly safer world for children, as well as for adults. Those learning to abstain from sex are practicing self control and respect for others. Youth who are abstaining from sex are much less likely to use drugs or alcohol, be arrested or suspended from school.
What kind of world do we want to create for our children; a world that says, "here, use a condom", or one that says "wait until marriage so that you can realize the full beauty and joy of a committed sexual relationship with someone you truly love". The answer to this question is directly related to whether we will see a more peaceful and respectful world in the future, or one where eleven year old girls have to literally fear being raped or killed.
Richard
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Welcome to Character; Not Condoms
I have had it on my mind for a while to create this blog.
Then, yesterday, while waiting in line at the Target store, where the lady in front of me was taking about 20 minutes, I asked a young couple behind me if they had heard of ULTRA Teen Choice. She said no, and when I explained about it, she and he were glad to hear that we are doing something positive for the youth.
Then I shared that we are working at two schools in DC. He said, that's a rough neighborhood (near RFK Stadium, and Union Station). Then he shared that he recently witnessed a homicide on the street beside Union Station. The person just ahead of him was shot and killed and his wallet stolen.
You might ask; what has that got to do with helping youth to be abstinent from sex before marriage. Plenty. Ninety per cent of youth who come from stable, two parent homes, even in high crime areas, will not become involved in any kind of delinquency. Do you get the connection?
By promoting abstinence, we are encouraging youth to aim for a brighter future. When they wait, and provide a stable, loving home for their future children, then the spate of lawlessness and juvenile crime that we see in Washington DC will decline dramatically.
It's really simple, when you think about it. Family break down leads to societal problems. By abstaining from sex before marriage, youth are not just preventing disease or unwanted pregnancy, they are helping to ensure a better future for themselves and for our city.
Then, yesterday, while waiting in line at the Target store, where the lady in front of me was taking about 20 minutes, I asked a young couple behind me if they had heard of ULTRA Teen Choice. She said no, and when I explained about it, she and he were glad to hear that we are doing something positive for the youth.
Then I shared that we are working at two schools in DC. He said, that's a rough neighborhood (near RFK Stadium, and Union Station). Then he shared that he recently witnessed a homicide on the street beside Union Station. The person just ahead of him was shot and killed and his wallet stolen.
You might ask; what has that got to do with helping youth to be abstinent from sex before marriage. Plenty. Ninety per cent of youth who come from stable, two parent homes, even in high crime areas, will not become involved in any kind of delinquency. Do you get the connection?
By promoting abstinence, we are encouraging youth to aim for a brighter future. When they wait, and provide a stable, loving home for their future children, then the spate of lawlessness and juvenile crime that we see in Washington DC will decline dramatically.
It's really simple, when you think about it. Family break down leads to societal problems. By abstaining from sex before marriage, youth are not just preventing disease or unwanted pregnancy, they are helping to ensure a better future for themselves and for our city.
