12.20.2006

Nice day for a white wedding?

Reality check: 95 percent of Americans had premarital sex. No real surprise there, although this was a bit of a surprise - "The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people were more chaste in the past." But this study presents interesting political issues as well.

"The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal government's funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to 29-year-olds," Finer said.

Under the Bush administration, such programs have received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

"It would be more effective," Finer said, "to provide young people with the skills and information they need to be safe once they become sexually active -- which nearly everyone eventually will."

[Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of H&HS] insisted there was no federal mission against premarital sex among adults.

"Absolutely not," Horn said. "The Bush administration does not believe the government should be regulating or stigmatizing the behavior of adults."

Oh really! Bush doesn't want to regulate or stigmatize the behavior of adults?

EXHIBIT A - President Calls for Constitutional Amendment Protecting Marriage. Not trying to regulate the behavior of adults? Really? (or, Bush 'troubled' by same-sex marriages)

EXHIBIT B - You are either with us or against us. Not trying to stigmatize the behavior of adults?

EXHIBIT C - Bush calls for protection of 'children waiting to be born'. Huh. Not trying to regulate or stigmatize the behavior of adults? Really?

EXHIBIT D - Bush calls for tougher welfare rules. Not trying to stigmatize any groups of Americans?

Labels: George W Bush, politics

posted by brian at 12:32 AM | Permalink

0 Comment(s) - Click to View/Hide