The thin end of the pledge.

[barciad]

Firstly, very sorry about the joke, I just think it is a good one.
Secondly I read this (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1406572,00.html) article and became rather puzzled and disturbed by the rather backwards steps the US seems to be making.
Any comments.

[Rivet]

I think we should be honest with kids when talking about sex. Not use fear to scare them in avoiding it. Didn't work with drugs - definitely not going to work with sex.

Teach them that sex is something not to be taken lightly. There are risks involved and associated responsibilities.

[cpwill]

the problem isn't in how you talk to your kids about sex; the problem is in how society views sex. as a parent; the best you can do is try to teach them a basic moral system.

[Albert]

I think Americans are more moving sideways than backwards as we embrace the denial movement. Politicians and what stands in for moral leadership doesn’t want to deal with factual data when deciding what to do about the issues and non-issues surrounding teenage sexuality. Those of us who are closer to the business end of the issue, teachers, social workers, health care givers and law enforcement are confronted with learning we can’t so easily deny away with hopeful programs.

So if people wish to pull the scales from their eyes consider a few questions:

If asked in a non-judgmental way, how many young women would report that their first sexual encounter was completely consensual?

By what age do most American girls enter puberty?

How many girls under the age of 14 are allowed to date and spend unsupervised time with young men 18 years and over?

On average, how much time are young men and women left unsupervised in a normal workweek?

What would you predict would be the percentage of unreported rapes on college campuses to the reported ones?

What would you think would be the increase of female –to – male sexual harassment complaints in grades 5 to 12?

What exactly was the appeal of Brittany Spears and now Jessica Simpson that some of their most ardent fans are middle aged men?

I believe that the United States suffers from a symphony of problems when it comes to teen sexuality, which we seem to at once celebrate and castigate. This has caused two camps to emerge, the realists, who believe that our only hope is to arm our children with information and condoms and the idealists who want to teach our children to behave. If we are completely honest with ourselves neither will work.

Our at risk children are starving for lack of adult attention that is really adult; they need adults who will tell them the truth so they can be prepared for the realities that will face them. Advising young people to hold off having sex isn’t a bad idea but it would be more effective to tell young women that it may not be their choice. It may be the afternoon spent at your 18 year old boyfriends house, of that 4th drink at the bar or it may be when that girl, you thought was your friend ditched you. After you made such a stinking big deal how “special” the first time should be what do you say to the 14 year old who didn’t get to live the dream?

No, I think if Americans really wanted to help our kids we could start by pulling our heads out of the sand.