Burnt Orange Report

Makes sense to me, in order to address this issue, perhaps the State Party should be focusing on putting Dems on the State Board of Education as well as the more visible offices.

Chris Bell hits the nail on the head: abortion is not the problem, unplanned pregnancies are. And, it's time we are comitted to addressing this problem.

Given that unplanned pregnancies are the no. 1 cause of abortions, it's obvious that when we underfund preventaive programs we will reap the "human costs" of these "fiscal decisions".

It's also important to recognize that the decline in the number of abortions in Texas does not necessarily correlate to the need. Consider that our very restrictive abortion laws in Texas make it increasingly difficult for the majority of women to access the procedure.

This cuts to the heart of concern for many mainstream Americans: while abortion may be legal, you will not be able to access the service. On paper, you'll have less abortions, but you will have all the side-effects of unplanned, compulsory pregnancies.

Let's hear it for the voice of reason! Now if we can just make people understand that abstinence is about as realistic as the tooth fairy, we might get some teenagers to listen to the voice of reason, too. What's it saying? "If you can't be good, BE CAREFUL!"

""I know a lot of people who are pro-choice, and I know a lot of people who call themselves pro-life. But I don’t know anyone who is pro-abortion. Nobody likes abortion. We’re all comfortable saying that abortion should be safe, legal and rare, but Democrats should not be shy about saying just how rare we think abortion should be." He went on to say that "the way we start to do that (reduce abortions) is by finding the moral courage to give our kids the age-appropriate, medically accurate information they need to not get pregnant in the first place.""

Last time I checked, quite a few are pro-abortion and see nothing wrong with it. Personally, I think it's wrong. But we live in a country where women should have the right to make the decision for themselves rather than having a politician make the decision for them. Including Chris Bell.

Pro-choice is actually a term used to describe people like me. Personally opposed to abortion but against restricting a woman's right to have one. You have people who are pro-abortion, pro-choice, and pro-life which is a politically correct way of saying they are anti-abortion. Barbara Bush was pro-choice. May still be. Quite a few politicians' wives, primarily Republicans, who were pro-choice became anti-abortion because it was and is politically correct. Which is what Chris Bell is attempting to be. Politically correct. Appealing to a Democratic position of protecting a woman's right to abortion and yet trying to find a middle ground in order to pander to a Republican position of restricting a woman's right to abortion. Doesn't work that way. The only middle ground is pro-choice. You are either pro-abortion, pro-choice, or anti-abortion. Not a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Sex education doesn't work unless parents instill some sense of responsibility in their children. It's that simple. Girls are taught not to have sex before marriage. Boys are taught to "prove their manhood" with any girl willing to spread her legs. And most boys find a way to convince the girl to spread her legs. And then walk away when she becomes pregnant with a "it's not mine, you're a slut" defense. Usually echoed by the boy's parents when the girl's parents scream statutory rape. As Jane Fonda and others who have really begun to address the problem, the problem is not sex. It's the lack of any real effort to teach a sense of sexual responsibility to children.

The only "medically accurate information" I can think of is condom use and RU-486. The abortion pill. Maybe we should just put RU-486 in vending machines in our high schools? As for condoms, as quite a few with AIDS have found out, they do break. At which point what do you do?

A lot of abortions in this country would never occur if fathers taught their sons to just keep their pants zipped. Instead they teach them to "prove their manhood" and that is why teenage pregnancies are an ongoing problem in this country. Along with STDs and AIDS.

And I'm not sure what "age-appropriate" really means when you have 10 and 11 year old boys raping 10 and 11 year old girls.

Maybe the kindergarten teachers should start teaching responsible sexual response.

"A lot of abortions in this country would never occur if fathers taught their sons to just keep their pants zipped"
I think this is pro-abstinance ranting at it's best. Did you mean it to be?
Furthermore, stating that abortion should be safe, rare and legal is not pandering. It's recognizing the reality as most Americans see it. Abortion as a terrible, but sometimes necessary evil. Much like war, it's awfull and yet sometimes necessary. But to be avoided whenever and wherever possible, the best way of which is to avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Recognizing the tradjedy of abortion while simultaneously recognizing it as sometimes necessary is not being politically correct, but morally honest.

I think abstinence is probably the best foundation to give our children. Boys and girls. It does not, however, reflect the reality of our society. Preventative sex education that lacks any real education about relationships and responsible sexual response, however, is probably the worst foundation to give our children.

That includes gay and lesbian children. Gay children in particular. Too many young men are in college wondering what their future really holds. Having discovered that their "mentor" was really a monster who purposely infected them with AIDS.

When Chris Bell talks about sex education, he should talk about that as well. AIDS is just as much a problem with our teenagers as pregnancy.

There was an "all-American" couple in my junior high school. They were indeed the quarterback and the cheerleader. They met in 7th grade, dated only each other, went too far one night in 11th grade. They graduated as man and wife. They are still married. Quite a few years and a couple of other children later. They are the exception to the rule. But reflect the rule.

Their parents obviously instilled a sense of responsibility in them. Their parents probably would have preferred they had been in college when they got married. But were just as pleased to have given them a wedding in high school. It shocked everyone. But there was a church wedding and a reception and a honeymoon. And they were back in class on Monday.

One of their daughters had an abortion after a campus stud in college decided she was the next notch on the bedpost. It took him six months to get her in bed. And then he dumped her the next day. The condom broke. Abortion was the only solution for her. Even when you do the right thing it sometimes turns out to be the wrong thing. Had abortion not been legal, she would have had a D&C which is what parents with money arranged for their daughters. The doctors covered themselves with records which indicated only uterine bleeding. Parents with no money just welcomed the latest grandchild. Or handed the daughter a coat hanger.

My personal opinion is men should have no opinion with regard to abortion. Particularly the ones who can't keep their pants zipped.

Baby Snooks,
I hope your not suggesting I'm a man.

Chris Bell says "It's a beautiful sunny day.
B.S. replies "Chris Bell is pandering to Weather casters and sunglass salesmen!"

What Chris has had the courage to do is hard for any Democratic candidate or office holder - initiate a dialogue of reason and common sense when it comes to a woman's reproductive rights. Changing the way we speak about this matter is important. Unintended pregnancies can be prevented, but we do need to teach kids how to protect themselves and how to be in control of their bodies and their health.
Telling kids to "keep their pants zipped" is stupid, irresponsible and no longer an acceptable form of birth control or disease preventative in the 21st century.

"Chris Bell says "It's a beautiful sunny day."

"B.S. replies "Chris Bell is pandering to Weather casters and sunglass salesmen!""

Chris Bell says the sun rises in the west.

Marie replies, yes, it does.

Like I said, STUPID, irresponsible and no longer an acceptable form of birth control or disease preventative in the 21st century.

Not that we're in any danger of B.S. multiplying, so maybe that "pants zipped" rhetoric works just fine for her.

Why is abortion suddenly a bad thing to Democrats? I thought it was an inviolable right to most D's. Why should that be rare?

Maybe you should try actually READING the post, snrub. You'll find the answer to that question is right before your tiny little judgemental eyes.

All I saw was "Nobody likes abortion."

As was said by one of the male actors in the classic film, Puddle Cruisers:

"Just a bunch of rich white guys trying to legislate my uterus."

Also, I'll zip my pants when Baby Snooks zips her mouth.

"Also, I'll zip my pants when Baby Snooks zips her mouth."

That will never happen.

Quick! There's an attempt at discussion going on. Let's disintegrate it into name-calling snarkiness!

Regarding the framing angle, we need to come up with a better term for abstinence only education. As stupid, irresponsible, and useless as it is, it still sounds kind of respectable. We need a good rhetorical twist to make it sound as bad as it really is on first hearing, not just after dumping a litany of statistics on a busy voting populace. Any ideas? Ignorance only education?

How about

Pre-teen Pregnancy Boot Camps
"nothing you ever needed to know to keep from getting pregnate"

on a more serious note
what about

Absence Education