With great
fanfare, this week Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Ca) released a report
on sex education, “The Content of Federally Funded Abstinence-Only
Education Programs.” It purports to be an analysis of abstinence
programs.
After poring
through the 26-page document with a yellow highlighter, it became
clear that “The Report” is the tip of an iceberg. And as with all
icebergs, the most tantalizing parts of the report lie under the
water, out of sight, and unreported by mainstream news. Get ready
to take some depth soundings on what lies below. It’s not a pretty
sight.
Sounding One:
Henry Waxman ordered the report. Why? Because he wanted to.
Waxman’s own paid staff prepared the report…for their boss…who hires
and fires them.
Sounding Two:
Henry Waxman already knew what he wanted the report to say before he
ordered it. Since first elected in 1974, he has amassed a sizable
and telling voting record. Waxman receives a 100 percent rating
from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and NOW…earned for his steadfast
support of abortion on demand and without restriction and of
same-sex marriage.
“On the votes
that the Planned Parenthood considered to be the most important from
1995 to 2001,” says Vote-Smart.org, “Representative Waxman voted
their preferred position 100 percent of the time.” Planned
Parenthood has, from the beginning, stood vehemently in opposition
to abstinence education funded by Congress and spends thousands of
dollars each year lobbying against it.
Sounding Three:
As we dive lower into darker waters, reading “The Report” in the dim
light…don’t expect any further information from Waxman or his
staff. They aren’t talking. Well…you can call their media
person…and IF she calls you back…well…I’m still waiting.
Sounding Four:
We are in the dark waters now, where it’s easy to hide an iceberg
behind thick oily slicks of footnotes. Indeed, at times in “The
Report” there are more footnotes than report. But we live in an age
where it is possible to fill two pages with footnotes in defense of
adults having sex with children. We must keep our eyes on the
berg. What is “The Report” really about?
“The Report”
claims a “scarcity of comprehensive sex education courses” and links
this to lack of funding. Hmmm. What about the reported $254
million in government grants and contracts to Planned Parenthood for
2002-2003? Or the $288 million in abortion/health clinic income for
the same period? Did the report attempt to identify funding streams
that direct money to Planned Parenthood and others, available for
their condom-based sex education? I called Waxman’s office to
inquire…and left a message…I’m still waiting.
“The Report”
attempts to “prove” abstinence education is ineffective. Yet,
Douglas Kirby, the expert cited in their own footnotes gave a
lengthy presentation in Phoenix last September which may surprise
Waxman. Dr. Kirby says we have no reason to conclude that
abstinence programs don’t work. Reiterating what he has said many
times over the years, Kirby said, “The jury is still out.” In fact,
he said he expects in the coming years that studies will demonstrate
the effectiveness of abstinence education.
“The Report”
literally drips with research citations on every page. Yet, they
missed a few…the ones that demonstrate success of abstinence
education programs in Denmark, SC and in Monroe County, NY. Maybe
they missed these and other studies…or maybe they wanted to
miss reports on the successes of abstinence education.
“The Report” goes
to great lengths to “explain” condoms. Why? In 2001, the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) in conjunction with the CDC, released a
detailed summary report on a comprehensive review of condom
research. The panel of medical experts finally demonstrated the lack
of evidence for broad “safe-sex” claims based on condoms. Anyone
working to unravel the truth about condoms would do well to bypass
Waxman's obfuscation and check the NIH report.
“The Report”
claims some programs are inaccurate in linking pregnancy to
“touching another person’s genitals.” However, they fail to note
that abstinence educators have had to undo the long list of lies
associated with some condom-based programs. These programs have
gone so far as to coin the term “outercourse”…versus
intercourse…teaching students in contradiction to medical realities
that any and all “outercourse” is fun and safe, including naked body
to body eroticism, just short of actual intercourse.
“The Report”
objects to abstinence programs and their views of “when life
begins.” Waxman’s staff might be enlightened by a text, The
Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th
Edition: “Human development begins at fertilization.” Of
course, this might be a disturbing revelation for Waxman and his
supporters who have no problem with partial birth abortion, the
destruction of babies just nano-seconds from birth.
“The Report”
objects to information about “the physical and psychological effects
of legal abortion.” Hmmm. Waxman’s staff gives no credence to
any negative impact of abortion discussed by abstinence
educators. So…are the only effects of abortion positive? I’d like
to talk with his staff about that one…if they ever call back.
“The Report”
objects to abstinence program efforts to discuss male/female
differences and marriage. And here is where we hit the crux of many
an objection to abstinence education from people like Waxman.
Linking healthy sex, with healthy male/female relationships inside
of marriage, where having babies is a joyful occasion…planned or
unplanned…this is an affront to those who would want our children to
embrace same-sex sex and same-sex marriage.
In a report that
claims to seek and destroy “errors and distortions”, this short list
of errors and distortions is unforgivable. Somehow, though, I doubt
Waxman or his staff are seeking forgiveness.
I think they are
seeking what they got…“The Report”…a mass of errors and distortions
constructed by people who knew what they wanted to find before they
looked.
No wonder Waxman
is touting “The Report” with such enthusiasm. He got what he paid
for.
