Saturday, December 06, 2003

Just in case it gets deleted from the board it’s posted on…

The trouble with sex education

The primary problem with what’s been called “sex ed” throughout American history is that we have trouble speaking plainly. I hear people saying that “we tell them too much,” but IMO not only don’t we tell them enough, but what little we can bring ourselves to talk about is more allusion and circumlocution than straight-up facts and clinical terms.

Until we (and I’m speaking of us as a culture) grow up and get over our adolescent attitude and puritan shame about sex and start treating our reproductive systems with the same respect as we have for the rest of our body, people will get in trouble, get sick and die because they’re either ignorant, in denial or ashamed.

The only guarantees come with abstinence. Period. However, here in real life teenagers (and adults) do not always abstain. So they need to be educated in what ELSE will minimize the risks. Those options include condoms and safer sex, which offers a RANGE of activities that keep everyone safe *and* happy.  Not only are few people willing to come forth and present those options in a straightforward manner, but those who do are shouted down and vilified for “encouraging licentious behavior.”

Joycelyn Elder had the right idea, and for daring to suggest teaching our kids about ONE *very* common safe sex practice, she was branded a heretic and kicked out of her job. How ridiculous!

We’ve made some progress since my grandmother’s day, but we’ve got a LONG way to go. We’re doomed until we are allowed to educate people - all of their lives - in the proper care for the health of their “naughty bits” (euphemisms are the American Way!) with the same level of maturity, honesty and plain speech we offer about caring for their lungs, hearts, kidneys and teeth. People have sex, that’s a fact. They need to know when, why and HOW to do it to keep themselves healthy, without making everything about it seem shameful.

Our Attorney General felt Lady Justice was immodest… that’s a *really* bad sign for the future of sex ed in America. 

Saturday, March 15, 2003

Because I’m totally fucking lazy today

I’m just going to cut & paste a tangent I went off on in email, in response to the tongue-in-cheek question, “What are you?  Some kind of Republican or something? (hahahahaha)”

(of course, I did add links… so I guess I’m not really all THAT lazy, eh?)

Hahaha Hardly.  Republicans generally don’t like my kind:  pro-choice, atheist, card-carrying member of both the Free Speech Coalition and the ACLU, making a very small part-time living (in fact, last year I think I only made enough to qualify as a hobbyist) at selling internet pornography; in support of the 9th Circuit’s opinion last year that the words, “under God,” make the mandatory recitation in public schools of the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional, and of the opinion that the 2nd Amendment quite clearly supports the right of every American to keep and bear arms.  I like to think I’m a Republican’s nightmare, and I actually believe that it’s long past time for a third party to be a viable alternative.

In fact, politically speaking, beyond a rather vague label of “Independent,” I’m not really sure what the hell I am.  I agree with nearly everything the Libertarians have to say, except perhaps open borders and totally free trade—still chewing on those aspects.  I *detest* politicians, because most of them seem to forget that their JOB is to represent the people who voted them in, and I don’t see very many of them doing that.  A guy I know is campaigning for president... ["running for president,” that is—lousy grammar, bad OB!]

I believe the only “crimes” should be those in which one party deprives another of life, liberty or property (bye-bye “War on Drugs” and mandatory sentences, Three Strikes or whatever-the-f*ck).  I’d rather take my chances and provide for my OWN safety from terrorists than cede my civil liberties to the fedgov like the quaking pantywaist Americans who think that “only people with something to hide” should fear the sweeping intrusion into our privacy, in the name of “Homeland Security,” of shit legislation like the PATRIOT Act.  I believe our educational system SUCKS and is churning out ignorant sheep who are programmed to believe that the government knows best.  I believe that attempting to sanitize everything in society so that we only see and hear things that won’t offend anyone anywhere, or are considered safe for the eyes and ears of children 13 and under, is a slap in the face to free-thinking Americans and people who still believe we have a chance to enjoy Liberty as envisioned by the Founding Fathers.  I believe anyone who cannot properly pronounce the word “nuclear” should be disqualified as a candidate for public office, because they are clearly too f*cking stupid to represent me.

But, best of all, the response to this rant:

You are named correctly as you are your Daddy’s child in many many ways.

Heh, Daddy’s Little Girl grew up to be Obnoxious Bitch.  The Rock would’ve LOVED that!

Oh yeah… I slapped up a message board.  Why?  Because I can!  Who knows?  Maybe someone will actually come by and have something to say!

Friday, April 26, 2002

America: Addicted to Irresponsibility

America: Addicted to Irresponsibility

Vicious Headbutt, the author of this right-on-the-money editorial, has a point!  My favorite paragraph:

I’m sick of all the excuses people have for being irresponsible and saying its not their fault when it really is.  Some of the most common defensive justifications for being a total fuck up are: “I can’t help myself,” and “It’s a sickness/disease,” and “Don’t blame the victim.” I wish there would be one honest “addict” that would just say, “Feel sorry for me because I’m a huge fuck up that will make up any excuse to deflect blame and not be held accountable for my own actions.”

Wouldn’t that be a breath of fresh air to those of us who would like to beat the living shit out of each and every loved one reveling in their perceived status as the victim of circumstance?  Shit, I have a REAL physical disease (not to mention a child with one, too), and if I worked hard enough at the bureaucratic, documentational hoop-jumping, I could probably spend the rest of my life living off the governmental teat.  But I’m NOT a victim, goddammit!  I’m a SURVIVOR.  And y’know why I’m a survivor?  Because instead of lying around wallowing in self-pity, I’ve always gotten off my fat ass and done what I had to do to keep a roof over my head, food in my belly and my bills paid. I don’t want or deserve any special recognition for that—it’s what you do when you become an adult, it’s not that fucking difficult.

You want your life to change?  Then quit whining, shut the fuck up and do what the rest of the world does: Work and take care of business instead of acting like the world’s got something against poor little you.  Boo fucking hoo.  The world doesn’t give a rat’s ass.  If you’re not an asset to your friends and family and the world at large, you’re a liability.  There’s no in-between.

We’ve all got some sad tale or another; we’ve all had our catastrophes in life.  Get over it and move on, because yours is no more important than the next guy’s.  In the end, no one really gives a shit what your problems are… it in no way affects your duty to do what needs to be done.

Monday, March 11, 2002

The Disney-fication of Fairy Tales

Marlene Wurfel deserves a “high five” for this article, addressing the Disney-fication of Fairy Tales.  Wish upon THIS, I say!