We're number (twenty) one!
Unlike other states, California has refused federal money associated with sex education in our schools. When a state accepts this money, they are required to teach what is known as “Abstinence Only” education, or more commonly known as “A Big Fucking Misleading Lie”.
Dubya has interwoven his fundamentalist religion into the core of our educational system in many ways, but this one is actually blatant, not sneaky, and right out there in the open for us to see with our own disbelieving eyes. There is no false pretense here. This is religion in schools. Morality and dogma being preached to our (well, your) children in public institutions. When you send your child to parochial school, you expect that they will be taught in the way of the Judeo-Christian bible. If you’re not religious, and just send your children there for the superior education they’ll receive, you actually have a chance to counteract the crap they fill their easily molded minds with. You shouldn’t expect that in public school. Whitewashing over American history, yes, but religion?
California, in 1999, was number 11 in the country for teen pregnancy. In 2004 we’re now number 21. We’ve gotten better. Why? Because we’ve decided to say, “Are you kidding me? They’re having sex anyway, let’s just admit that, protect them and get on with it, you fucking nitwit.” Or something to that effect. Proof that having morality stuffed down our throats by bible-thumping, egomaniacal politicians just doesn’t work.
Score one for us!