Republican Hypocrisy on Teen Pregnancy

Bob Geiger wrote Republican Hypocrisy on Teen Pregnancy for The Huffington Post. I don’t normally read The Huffington Post, it is a little to far to the left for me to take without a heavy dose of critical thinking. However, anything written that references James Dobson is hitting my news filter these days. Geiger highlights Republican hypocrisy and disregard for the welfare of American teens by passing s.493, a bill that made it a crime to go around parental-notification laws by transporting pregnant minor across state lines for an abortion, without include language that supports education.

"The Secretary of Health and Human Services may make grants to States, local educational agencies, State and local public health agencies, and nonprofit private entities for the purpose of carrying out programs of family life education, including education on both abstinence and contraception for the prevention of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, and education to support healthy adolescent development.'"

This statement was apposed by Republicans who mouthed Dobson’s position that abstinence is the only way to prevent teen pregnancy. To quote Tom Coburn (R-OK) “How many people really think it's in the best interest of young people to be sexually active outside of marriage? Does anything positive ever come from that?"

Abstinence is one technique, and I must admit, it is a good technique. However, it is not the only answer to the problem. It happens to be the Christian answer to the problem, and therein lay the problem. The Dobsonian abstinence position held by the religious right is not supported by science. It is based on a moral postion. No wonder Bush likes it. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) tired to interject evidence to support reduced pregnacy rates tied to education and the use of contraception.

"The U.S. teen pregnancy rate is the highest by far among developed countries, and here is some of the evidence we use to prove this.

"In Germany, the teen pregnancy rate is 16 per 1,000. The U.S. rate is 84 per 1,000. I ask my colleagues to look at this chart which shows several countries teen pregnancy rates compared with the U.S. This is teen pregnancy rate for ages 15 to 19, among developed countries per 1,000 persons. In Sweden, it is 25 young women per 1,000; in France, it is 20 young women per 1,000; in Canada, 46; in Great Britain, 47; and here we are. Are we the winners in this contest? I hardly think so. We have 84 unintended teenage pregnancies per 1,000 persons."

Lautenberg was unsuccessful. The bill passed 65-43 without language supporting funding education. There vote is anther clear example of legislated morality and highlights the current republican disregard for Science and desire to mold America in the Christian image. It is frightening. We must vote these irrational beings out of public office. It is the only solution.


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