It really just keeps going and going. And we just continue to be disappointed.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies voted yesterday to continue funding the Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) program despite research over the last year that has proved over and over again the inefficacy of abstinence-only education.
The Democrats in Congress have failed to ax ab-only funding in the past, and for some reason they just seem to continue to allow millions of federal dollars to be filtered into these dangerous and ineffective programs.
RH Reality Check makes a good point that despite the fact that seventeen states have now refused Title V money for abstinence-only programs, Congress just can't seem to get a clue. Caroline Fredrickson, director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office made a statement:
"It’s hard to imagine a good reason why, in these tight economic times, Congress would intentionally flush taxpayer dollars down the drain by spending them on disproven, ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. We are floored that they continue to ignore study after study, and the consensus of the pubic health community, all concluding that these programs censor vital health care information, teach gender stereotypes, discriminate against lesbian and gay teens, and in some cases promote religion in the classroom in violation of the Constitution."
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"It’s hard to imagine a good reason why, in these tight economic times, Congress would intentionally flush taxpayer dollars down the drain by spending them on disproven, ineffective abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. We are floored that they continue to ignore study after study, and the consensus of the pubic health community, all concluding that these programs censor vital health care information, teach gender stereotypes, discriminate against lesbian and gay teens, and in some cases promote religion in the classroom in violation of the Constitution."
Simultaneously flabbergasting and disgustingly, tragically unsurprising and revoltingly fucked up.
What is wrong with this country? And what the fuck--a Democratic House is allowing this?
Criminally stupid.
RIP Science and Reason.
Yet another reason to be pissed at the spineless Democrats in congress. See also: the "compromise" surveillance bill that passed in the house today.
I'm fully prepared to see a huge resurgence in such wonderful STD's as herpes and HIV because of this lack of instruction.
When are the Democrats going to stand up to this shit? When are they going to realize that no one wants to vote for a party that constantly compromises on core beliefs and issues?
And why oh why don't we have more parties to choose from so we actually have choices on who to vote for so we can send the Democrats a message?
I kind of want to cry.
What's it going to take, honestly? Kids are drinking bleach, teen pregnancy is on the rise, and I wouldn't be shocked if abortion is on the rise as well. What the heck is it going to take?
I'm disgusted.