Globe columnist Ellen Goodman discusses the failure of abstinence-only education that was advocated and funded by the Bush Administration for the past eight years. After spending $1.5 billion on such programs around the country, research shows what most non-ideologues already knew: abstinence-only does not work.
The latest study, from Johns Hopkins, of teens who took virginity pledges -- which is one way the government measured their policy as working -- "found absolutely no difference in their sexual behavior, or the age at which they began having sex, or the number of their partners." The only difference? Those who pledged abstinence were less likely to use birth control.
So what did we get for our money? More pregnant teens. That is what happens when, as Goodman says, we pay for "an ideology in search of a methodology." The good news is that the war on science, truth and reality that has been waged for eight years will end in 17 days. The bad news may be that the damage done is so great that it will take years to recover.
9 comments:
The comments here really surprised me. I can't believe that there are that many people who this this is all a liberal conspiracy, etc. and that they have so much time to post on something like this article. Amazing.
Dear Anonymous: Have you not noticed that Jim posts on a myriad of subjects? Some may be of interest to a few, others may prompt many to respond. At least Jim gives this community a way to express its thoughts, good or bad, provoking or boring, but it's another vehicle for all of us to discuss many issues. Dialogue of any kind is better than one-sided journalism controlled by a chosen few.
Here's a thought: why don't you post an issue for discussion and see if others respond? You can clearly read, let's see if you can compose.
Jim, keep up the good work.
I believe that Anonymous is referring to the linked Boston.com article, which is beset by a number of hostile, conspiracy-minded, realistically-challenged comments.
But thanks for the support Eastie Knitter!
What about recent dec 30th 2008 globe and herald articles regarding on going corruption , i thought all articles regarding eastie should be posted on this web sight all residents should be informed
My apologies to Anonymous.
Yes, Jimbo, anonymous here, thanks for understanding what I was trying to say (although I can see how if someone was reading quickly he/she could misunderstand).
It does bring me to my other thought when I was reading the comments at the end of the article. Eastie Knitter, I find it hard to believe that you would have said to my face what you wrote. It wasn't very nice, even if I had been attacking Jimbo's commenters. Why didn't you ask me a question such as "What comment about a liberal conspiracy are you talking about?" As far as I can tell Jimbo and many of his readers are actually liberal so why would I have talked about that in reference to this blog? I could have explained that if you had asked me a question.
Instead you tried to insult me by saying something rude like, "You can clearly read, let's see if you can compose."
To be honest, I am guilty of this too. I'm not happy to admit that I've occasionally made cutting comments in response to other comments on blogs, forgetting that there is a person behind the comment, someone I would never be so mean to if I was talking to him/her face to face. It's sad that this happens so much and I for one am trying to stop.
In response to Anonymous at 6:59: My intention here is not to comment on or to link to every story that has to do with East Boston. This is, unabashedly, a blog about whatever interests, angers or humors me.
EastBoston.com does a better job linking to every story about Eastie.
Eastie Knitter--
Thanks for the apology! I posted before I saw yours just so you know. Maybe one day we will meet in person because I love knitting, although I haven't in a long time.
And after hitting send I did realize that I also meant to say that I wasn't really comparing your post to a lot of the hateful stuff you see out there in the blogosphere...
Yvonne Abraham wrote a column in the past couple of weeks about the comments posted at the bottom of many of the stories on the Globe's website. Many of them are hurtful; some border on racism/ sexism/ classism/ general sadism.
I think perhaps some of us who have been long time readers of this blog have become sensitive to people who post these kinds of comments. Jimbo allows them to be posted and I don't fault him for that. It's his blog. But in defense of Eastie Knitter, it may have been a knee jerk reaction to some of the comments that attack Jimbo, or liberals, or anyone who just wants to spout off something incomprehensible with the sole intent to be hateful or hurtful. I have to admit, I interpreted the Anonymous comment in the same way. And her response was right in line with my own thoughts. But again, I think it's because we've been down this road with trolls and some folks have obviously decided to proactively defend the blog.
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