Thanks Health Bill for the $250 Million Back to Abstinence-Only Education

[waiting for hope]

Posted by Ellen Friedrichs at 2:12 pm
March 30, 2010

We seemed so close.

No, not to real health care reform–though that would have been nice– but to the end of abstinence-only-until-heterosexual-marriage education.

This is the federally funded program that since 1996 has been teaching kids in schools across the country that the only way to avoid teen pregnancy, STDs and emotional ruin, is to just say no to any sex that isn’t maritally sanctioned. To further this goal, programs were barred from discussing everything from birth control and condoms to abortions and non-hetero sexual orientations–except to stress the dangers of such things.

Countless studies, not to mention our recent rise in teen pregnancies and STDs, demonstrated that this tactic didn’t work. In light of this mounting evidence of failure, the number of states accepting abstinence funding had been steadily decreasing over the past few years. Another sign that abstinence was on it’s way out? The Obama administration cut federal funding for such programs, set to go into effect September 2010.

Looks like things have changed.

Within the thousands of pages that make up the health bill, is nestled a $50 million a year line item for, yes, those very abstinence-only programs.

As the Washington Post reports,

“The bill restores $250 million over five years for states to sponsor programs aimed at preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases by focusing exclusively on encouraging children and adolescents to avoid sex. The funding provides at least a partial reprieve for the approach, which faced losing all federal support under President Obama’s first two budgets.”

~Snip~

Link

How many steps backward is this country going to take before people start to really pay attention?

[Oregone]

1. Who cares? Its a win!

[waiting for hope]

2. Thanks, that makes it all better ..

:banghead:

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Oregone]

6. A priceless smile on my face

Did one of those pieces hit home? :)

[laughingliberal]

8. North of the border...

where they don't have to put up with stupid, theocratic shit just to have health care.

[Oregone]

9. Speaking of which

Abortions are labeled as necessary procedures and covered with federal funds in all provinces. Shame on the Canadians. That doesn't sound "pragmatic" at all.

[Initech]

3. Most people don't care unless their pastor / pundit of choice tells them otherwise.

[inna]

4. KR+5 - and remind me, has even a single republican vote been solicited through this atrocity?

:banghead:



Kabuki galore

[waiting for hope]

7. Nope and it won't happen in the near future either ..

Reminds me of a NPR Talk of the Nation segment I heard, if they are going to call Obama a socialist, why won't he go ahead and act like one?

[jgraz]

10. That's because it's not about getting Republican votes

It's about getting Republican campaign contributions.

[waiting for hope]

13. As with everything, follow the money. n/t

[leftstreet]

11. Why would it cost so much to tell people not to have sex?

Where's this money really going?

:shrug:

[waiting for hope]

12. Good question ..

Who runs these abstinence only programs and behind it all?

http://www.abstinenceassociation.org/about_us/naea_bod.html

[Jamastiene]

18. What kills me is that even if we do find out,

there is nothing we can do about it. They are just running roughshod over us at this point, because they can.

[waiting for hope]

22. Helplessness .. it's a feeling so many have these days.

Have we ever had a government that worked for the people more than their own self interest?

[Nikki Stone1]

14. Abstinence only does not work

Such a waste of money. Better spent on jobs that help the country.

[waiting for hope]

15. 250 Million could do much in that area, instead of lining the

pockets of lobbyists.

[Nikki Stone1]

28. The GOP doesn't give an inch, and Obama gives them what they want

again

[saracat]

16. And I have no say so over my tax dollars supporting this but the RW

can control my tax dollars and deny they be used for choice? Our tax dollars are also being used for the "expanded" Office of Faith Based Initiatives so this should work in nicely with those folks. I don't even have any words to express how much this angers me. I am so tired of being angry. Remind me who won this election?

[Vinca]

19. IMHO there should be no "Office of Faith Based Initiatives."

Separation of church and state and all that apparently meaningless stuff.

[waiting for hope]

25. I'm not sure who won anymore ...

:banghead:

[Jamastiene]

17. Obama the Candidate and Obama the President

180°

This has to be on purpose. More kabuki.

[Echo In Light]

20. "America has ONE political party with TWO right wings" Gore Vidal

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

21. THANK GOD IT PASSED!!!!!!

:sarcasm:

[defendandprotect]

23. Obama is moving taxpayer dollars into supporting male-supremacist

religious ideals . . . !!

Looks to me like Bush also moved taxpayer money into RCC with subsidies for

"faith-based" organizations just when the Vatican really needed the money for

their peodphile lawsuits!

Anyone reading the Constitution . . . ???

[freddie mertz]

24. More progress and change from our Democratic representatives?

It's Jeez-o-matic!

[asdjrocky]

26. Because telling kids sex is bad has worked out so well so far.

It's all about capitulation to the right.

You have to wonder, eventually, if he really believes in this stuff.

[amborin]

27. an historic WIN ( for right wing conservatives)

[Karmadillo]

29. Yes!!! Another Republican issue in our column. By the time Obama finishes, the only thing the Reps

will have left to run on is offshore drilling.