Don't touch it, you'll go blind

Gotta love an administration that doesn't place any value on science or facts. First, they told us that the existing stem cell lines were valid. You have to love what the folks on the $170 Million abstinence only gravy train are telling kids in their sex ed programs.

The survey was conducted by the staff of congressman Henry Waxman of California, a longstanding Democratic critic of the Republican administration's approach to sex education. His team concentrated on the 13 programs that are most widely used, and found only two of them were accurate.

Now for what the kids are actually being told with a straight face:

The Bush administration is funding sexual health projects that teach children that HIV can be contracted through sweat and tears, touching genitals can result in pregnancy, and that a 43-day-old fetus is a thinking person...

Other "facts" include that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, half the gay male teenagers in the US have tested positive for HIV, and condoms fail to prevent transmission of HIV in 31% of incidences of heterosexual intercourse. US government figures contradict all of these assertions.

And then there's this gem:

Mr Waxman also criticised some programmes for reinforcing sexist stereotypes to children. One - Why Know - says: "Women gauge their happiness and judge their success by their relationships. Men's happiness and success hinge on their accomplishments."

Another program, Wait Training, says: "Just as a woman needs to feel a man's devotion to her, a man has a primary need to feel a woman's admiration. To admire a man is to regard him with wonder, delight, and approval. A man feels admired when his unique characteristics and talents happily amaze her."

...In other news, a woman's place is in the house, children should be seen and not heard, calico cats are a harbinger of the devil and frogs give you warts.

It reads like Mao's Little Red Book written by Phyllis Schlafly.

Who wrote this bullshit anyway? (The education programs, not Rep. Waxman's report) I'm guessing that these programs were pounded out by the Partnership for a Drug Free America which produces propaganda with a similar level of hyperbole. Hell, maybe Ashcroft pumped them up with caffeine and sent their drafts back a few times for an extra helping of fire and brimstone.

Lying to kids completely destroys the credibility of the person delivering the message. 53 percent of high school kids are having sex anyway. Teaching abstinence is fine, but students need to know the truth, including how to properly use the different methods.