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Cecilia
Kang reports. Is anyone else
noticing a pattern of unelected judges imposing their moral values (or lack
thereof) and ideological beliefs on the rest of us?
An anonymous writer at NRO explains the social science on the dangers of pornography and gives a heartbreaking account of how pornography ripped apart her marriage and family.
Visit
StopJennings.com to find out what President
Obama’s Safe School Czar wants to teach your children.
Dr.
Miriam Grossman exposes the problems with Planned Parenthood’s sex
education programs. Excerpt:
As a physician who has spent hundreds of
hours with young people with sexually transmitted infections, I’m on a
one-woman mission to expose the falsehood of those claims. Planned Parenthood’s
sexual health education is not comprehensive or medically accurate; to the
contrary, this eminent, federally funded organization endangers lives by
withholding critical biological truths.
Even
the paid researchers of the abortion industry have to admit that pushing
contraceptives does not reduce abortion rates.
LifeNews reports.
Find
out about the upcoming movie called Blood
Money. Watch the trailer here.
CitizenLink reports. Excerpt:
President Barack Obama opened the White
House to hundreds of gay activists Monday, promising them that by the time he
leaves office they would "have pretty good feelings" about his
administration.
During an event to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of what gay activists consider the launch of their political
movement – several nights of violent riots in and around a New York gay bar –
Obama rattled off several policies he plans to implement to please his
homosexual constituency.
"I want you to know that I expect and
hope to be judged not by words, not by promises I've made, but by the promises
my administration keeps," he said. "We've been in office six months
now. I suspect that by the time this administration is over … you guys will
have pretty good feelings about the Obama administration."
Among those promises the president is
pursuing, he said: Overturning the federal Defense of Marriage Act, passing a
law to mandate health-care and other benefits to homosexual domestic partners,
repealing "don't ask, don't tell" and even "rescinding the
discriminatory ban on entry to the United States based on HIV status."
OneNewsNow also
reports.
Tony Perkins explains
at Human Events. Excerpt:
Kevin Jennings has neither the temperament
nor the ethical standards needed for public service. His history suggests a
commitment to serving only one narrow part of the student population, not all
students. He is unfit for the post to which he’s been assigned, and Secretary
Duncan should withdraw his appointment at once.
OneNewsNow
reports. Hopefully, teens with think
twice about taking or sending indecent photos of themselves or other teens when
they realize they can be punished under child pornography laws.
The
Washington Post reports. As
does Fox News. Excerpt:
The extended benefits include an option for
employees' domestic partners to be added to a government insurance program that
pays for long-term conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. They also would be
allowed to take sick leave to care for a sick partner or non-biological child.
CtizenLink
explains how the action threatens traditional
marriage and the rule of law.
Excerpt:
Family advocates say Obama’s action is a
direct violation of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and a big step toward
redefining marriage.
“The president thumbed his nose at the rule
of law and continues to undermine marriage as society’s most pro-child
institution,” said Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public
policy for Focus on the Family Action.
Not
long after his embassy staff in Iraq held a gay themed party in Baghdad,
President Obama has declared an official “Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month.” It is not known if these “gay pride” events
were coordinated intentionally to coincide with his Middle East tour.
During
the presidential campaign, then-Senator Barack Obama said America’s reputation
in the world (particularly in the Muslim world) had been gravely tarnished and
promised to improve our nation’s image abroad if elected. Perhaps the Obama administration’s public
relations outreach to Muslims needs a little work. The
Washington Post reports that the U.S. Embassy in Iraq recently held a party
in which participants were encouraged to dress in drag or come as their
favorite homosexual celebrity. Though it
comes as no surprise to see the Obama administration promoting “alternative
lifestyles,” the administration's decision to hold a gay party in the heart of the
Middle East seems somewhat ill-advised.
CitizenLink reports. Unfortunately modern day slaver in the form
of human trafficking (especially for prostitution) takes place in our own
country. As this Shared
Hope press release explains, an effort must be made to restrict the demand
for illicit sex and not just prosecuting the sellers. In our sex-saturated culture this is a
difficult but necessary task.
 It has recently come to light that President Obama’s pick for Deputy Attorney General is radically pro-pornography and holds to a loose, activist interpretation of the Constitution. In this post at the Justice Department, David Ogden would be required to enforce obscenity laws (including laws protecting children from the exploitation of child pornography). Having someone in this position who has actively supported pornographer’s (PDF document) supposed “free speech rights” and has opposed common-sense restrictions on obscenity, would be a slap in the face to all citizens with moral decency and would put innocent children at grave risk of exploitation and abuse.
The pornography business is extremely excited about Ogden’s nomination which should make every citizen opposed to obscenity wary. Click here to read a press release from an adult media news service applauding the Ogden nomination (Warning: while there is no pornography at this last link, readers should be warned that it is a pro-pornography news service and other news stories may link to highly offensive and objectionable content).
As if his promotion of pornography wasn’t bad enough, the Heritage Foundation has raised grave concerns over Ogden’s infidelity to the U.S. Constitution.
Also, FRC’s Change Watch website has thorough background information on David Ogden and other Obama nominees.
So
says Dr. James Dobson as CitizenLink reports. See excerpts of Dr. Dobson’s interview with
Bundy before his execution here (or see
below).
For
help battling pornography click here.
CitizenLink reports. Abstinence is not just about sexual
decisions. It also correlates with many
other productive and responsible life choices.
The
Heritage Foundation has prepared this helpful paper warning
of the serious dangers posed by the CEDAW treaty which unfortunately has
strong supporters in Congress.
The
treaty poses serious threats to morality, family health, and the pro-life cause
in any nation which ratifies it. Here is
an excerpt explaining the pro-life threat:
CEDAW is a much-debated and carefully
negotiated document, and access to abortion is not required, nor even
mentioned. But the committee's actions are an entirely different matter. In its
discussion of women's health, the committee focuses almost exclusively on
contraception and abortion, referencing its own General Recommendation No. 24
to require countries to liberalize their laws regarding abortion.[34] The
committee called on Nigeria "to assess the impact of its abortion law on
the maternal mortality rate and to give consideration to its reform or
modification."[35] Yemen was reminded that "contraceptives should be
free or affordable."[36] One committee member wanted to know whether women
in Lithuania had access to affordable contraceptives, including emergency
contraceptives, and was particularly concerned about a proposalunder
consideration in Lithuania to restrict legal abortion. She warned that,
"If the Government [intends] to restrict abortion, the consequences would
be disastrous for women."[37]
CitizenLink comments
on a recent op-ed piece in the Washington Post about a
school in Alexandria, Virginia with a serious teen pregnancy problem. An English teacher at the school writes about
the dangerous incentives to become pregnant out of wedlock that are fostered in
conventional “comprehensive” sex education programs. Excerpt from CitizenLink commentary:
At T.C. Williams, every student is required
to take a "family life" course that teaches about birth control,
sexually transmitted infections and teen pregnancy, Welsh writes. The
Adolescent Health Center, which provides birth control to girls as young as 13,
is just a few blocks from the school.
Yet girls continue to get pregnant. And
taxpayer money continues to fund so-called "comprehensive" sex
education, as well as abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.
Sandy Pickert, executive director of the
Abstinence Education Corp. in Wichita, Kan., told CitizenLink that kids receive
a double message in "comprehensive" sex-education programs. They may
be told abstinence is the best option to avoid getting pregnant, but they also
receive plenty of information on contraception.
Read
the full
article in the Washington Post here.
Pro-family
activists have long decried the negative effects on society from legalized
gambling and sexually oriented business.
They find vindication as CitizenLink reports
that even the Netherlands (where almost everything is legal and taxed by the government)
has decided to increase restrictions on prostitution and gambling. Excerpt:
Amsterdam has unveiled a comprehensive plan
to close up to half of its businesses that "generate criminality,"
including brothels, gambling parlors and marijuana cafes.
Daniel
Herbster reporting
Citizens for Community Values of
Indiana is one of the many great organizations in our nation fighting to
protect family values and to oppose pornography and sexually oriented
businesses. I had the opportunity to
interview Patrick Mangan, the Executive Director of CCV of IN, about his work
enabling people to take back their communities.
DH: Patrick, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and your
organization better over the last few months, so it’s a pleasure to introduce
you to our readers here at AdvanceUSA Blog.
I’ve seen first-hand how your work affects the state of Indiana and
especially my home town of South Bend.
Tell our readers what kinds of issues Citizens for Community Values
works on?
PM: Well our mission is to protect men, women, and
children from the misinformation of sexual activists, and the harms of sexual
addictions, sexual predators, sexually oriented businesses, materials harmful
to minors, broadcast indecency, and the porn/sex industry in all of its forms,
by promoting the principles of the Judeo/Christian ethic which is the
foundation of our nation.
Our vision is to empower concerned citizens and
community leaders to significantly reduce sexual exploitation, promiscuity, and
abuse in Indiana and beyond by:
CitizenLink reports
and reveals the source of this scourge, pornography. Excerpt:
Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and
sexuality at Focus on the Family Action, said the horror of child sexual
exploitation is growing worse.
"We cannot expect a change until the
culture as a whole puts an end to the mass marketing of pornography," he
said. "If we continue to allow pornographers to put out the message that
humans are nothing more than sexual commodities, we cannot act surprised when
children are abused, consumed and molested for someone’s sexual gratification.
"Law enforcement officials must begin
prosecuting the entire range of illegal pornography.”
The
AP reports. Excerpt:
Marriage
gets little respect on network TV shows that instead revel in the pleasures of
extramarital and even kinky sex, according to a study released Tuesday.
The
study by the Parents Television Council includes a strongly worded condemnation
of prime-time TV, contending it "seems to be actively seeking to undermine
marriage by consistently painting it in a negative light."
Even
more troubling, according to the watchdog group, is what it characterized as
TV's recent obsession with what it termed "outre" or bizarre
behavior, including partner swapping and pedophilia.
…
The effect on young viewers is dire, the Parents Television Council contends.
Behavior
that once was seen as "fringe, immoral or socially destructive have been
given the imprimatur of acceptability by the television industry" and
children are absorbing or even imitating it, the report contends.
Daniel Herbster reporting
Abstinence education is often ridiculed as puritanical or ineffective.
However, objective data shows just the opposite. Furthermore, parents
are often the most ardent supporters of abstinence education because they know
that casual sexual activity leads to emotional and physical scars and they want
what’s best for their children. One organization seeking to advocate on
behalf of abstinence education is the National Abstinence
Education Association. I had the opportunity to interview Valerie
Huber, who is the Executive Director of NAEA, about abstinence education and
the NAEA’s Parents for Truth campaign.
The following is my interview with Valerie.
DH: Why is it so
important to support abstinence education?
VH: On a number of levels, abstinence
education makes a lot of sense. First, from a health perspective, our
public health messaging usually puts emphasis on achieving the best health
outcome. Whether we are talking about underage drinking, smoking or
childhood obesity, the message focuses on avoiding those behaviors that put
young people’s health at risk. In the area of sexual activity, our message for
youth should mirror this same model, but unfortunately, the cultural message
relegates the sexual health of youth to something much less than this ideal.
We should not be content with merely reducing the risk to youth, but
should insist on a strategy focused on eliminating all risk. Abstinence
education fits within this risk avoidance paradigm.
On a practical level, the level of sexual activity among youth is trending
downward and most teens who have experimented sexually, wish they had waited.
This tells us that abstinence is a message that resonates with youth. They
understand the benefits of waiting to engage in sex. Abstinence education
provides the skills they need to succeed in that resolve.
Further, social science research abounds to show that abstinence until marriage
is better for society, the involved couple and the child conceived from a
sexual union.
DH: What are some
common misconceptions people have regarding abstinence education?
VH: Anti-abstinence special interest
groups have defined abstinence education by using gross misrepresentations.
They imply that abstinence education doesn’t work, that it is unrealistic, and
that it is a “just say no” approach, none of which are true. Growing research
demonstrates that the approach is very effective in helping youth delay sexual
debut or discontinue sexual activity. More and more teens are choosing to
abstain, which shows that it isn’t teens who think the approach is unrealistic!
Finally, abstinence education is a holistic strategy that is replete with
skills building techniques in good decision-making, identifying healthy
relationships, goal setting, refusal competencies, and self efficacy.
Additionally, abstinence education may provide information about contraception,
but the information is complete and accurate – demonstrating that abstinence is
the only way to avoid all risks associated with sexual experimentation.
DH:
Is it true that parents are often strong supporters of abstinence
education? Why do you think this would this be the case?
 The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has just made it nearly impossible for the FCC to restrict any indecency or obscenity over the publicly owned airwaves (even when children are likely to be in the broadcast audience). The Court ruled that the FCC could not fine CBS for the famous Janet Jackson “wardrobe malfunction” during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. Excerpt of AP report:
But Tim Winter of the watchdog organization Parents Television Council said the court's decision "borders on judicial stupidity."
"If a striptease during the Super Bowl in front of 90 million people — including millions of children — doesn't fit the parameters of broadcast indecency, then what does?" Winter said in a statement.
 Thanks to a bipartisan compromise, the Global Anti-AIDS bill being considered by the U.S. Senate today protects effective abstinence and faithfulness programs while protecting the conscience rights of religious organizations to accept funding without engaging in programs which violate their religious beliefs (ex: Catholic charities would not be forced to distribute condoms). The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops supports the legislation and the Bush Administration supports the bill and intends to sign it into law.
The amazing results seen in Uganda demonstrate the effectiveness of abstinence and faithfulness training as well as the importance of the involvement of religious organizations in fighting AIDS and other diseases in impoverished countries.
The Rev. Sam L. Ruteikara, the co-chair of Uganda's
National AIDS-Prevention Committee, writes a
moving piece in the Washington Post, showing that abstinence and faithfulness
programs work and calling on politically correct Westerners to stop forcing
condoms only programs on the suffering people of Sub Saharan Africa.
Uganda cut dramatically cut its AIDS infection rate
from 26% in 1991 to 6% in 2002, and is a living testament to the effectiveness
of abstinence and faithfulness education.
Westerners should not recreate a new form of colonialism by imposing
their secular values on Africa. The
president’s original PEPFAR funding initiative, which protects abstinence and
faithfulness programs, should be preserved.
Robert Knight comments on Ruteikara’s piece and on
the Post’s bias against effective AIDS prevention measures in his pieces at
Townhall entitled “Post
Tells the Truth on 'Safe Sex' -- Then Ignores It.”
CitizenLink reports. Unfortunately the U.S. Senate recessed for
the Fourth of July without approving this crucial funding.
Two
bills (which were combined into one bill, H.R. 2176) which would have expanded gambling
were defeated on Wednesday. Also,
attempts to undermine the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act were also defeated in
the House. CitizenLink reports.
The
AP also reports.
Daniel
Herbster reporting
I had the
opportunity to interview Mark Tooley about his work with UMAction
at the Institute on Religion and Democracy. The following is my interview
with Mark.
DH: What is UMAction
and how would you sum up its mission? Do you see it as more of a
theological or political movement or both?
MT: UMAction
is the Methodist program of the IRD. Its goal is to foster accountability
and reform within United Methodism. We’re not political in the sense that
we endorse candidates or specific legislation in civil society. We are
political in that we are concerned about the church’s public policy witness. We
are theological in that we vigorously affirm the official, orthodox teachings
of our church. DH: I understand
that you were very active in the recent United
Methodist Church’s
global conference in Forth Worth, Texas.
Are you encouraged by what took place there?
MT: Yes,
I’m encouraged by the growing numbers and influence of the non-U.S. church,
especially in Africa. They are the hope of the church’s future.
But the church still faces many battles ahead.
DH: What kinds of
decisions were reached on pro-life issues?
MT: There
were some small, incremental steps supporting parental consent and affirming
the sacredness of unborn human life. We narrowly failed to remove church
agencies from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. Had the
vote been NOT on the last day, when many of the Africans had left, we probably
would have won.
DH: What progress
was made in affirming the traditional definition of marriage and Biblical
teaching on sexual morality?
As
AdvanceUSA reported
last June, when Jim Holsinger was nominated by President Bush to be surgeon
general, radical homosexual interest groups smeared his reputation and
convinced the U.S. Senate to stall his nomination because of his religious
convictions concerning homosexuality and for sound medical reports he issued on
the health dangers of homosexual activity.
Holsinger is a Methodist and has taken public stands in defense of
Biblical teaching on homosexuality while serving his church in leadership
positions.
It
appears Jim Holsinger has been vindicated by the United Methodist Church as
that body recently upheld the traditional definition of marriage and biblical
teaching on sexual morality at its recent global conference. The
Institute on Religions and Democracy explains.
It
has been a full year since George W. Bush first nominated Holsinger, and his
nomination is still stalled in the U.S. Senate.
It is a shame that a man’s religious convictions can be used to smear
his reputation and prohibit him from serving his country.
Rebecca
Hagelin reports. Excerpt:
Who could argue with the idea that, when it
comes to sex education, our teenagers should be taught to say “no”? Considering
what’s at stake (their health, their future, their dignity as human beings,
their morality) -- and because we love them and want what’s best for them --
nothing short of a clear-cut abstinence message will do.
At least, that’s how it appears out here in
the Real World. In the rarified air of a congressional hearing room, it’s
another matter. According to several witnesses (including John Santelli of the
Guttmacher Institute, and Max Siegel of the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth
& Families) who spoke recently before the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform, abstinence education is not only impractical, it’s
dangerous.
Read
full
article here.
Read
the Heritage Foundation’s study on the effectiveness of
abstinence education here.
By Daniel Herbster
 I recently corresponded with Bryan Wickens, president of Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana (ROCK), and asked him about the work he does fighting sexually oriented businesses and protecting families. Visit reclaimourculture.org for more information. Below is my interview with Bryan.
DH: Bryan, thanks for taking the time to tell our readers about your work in the culture war fighting against pornography and for families in Kentuckiana. First of all, for our readers who may not be familiar with the term, what is Kentuckiana, and how much area does it contain? Is it basically the greater Louisville area?
BW: Thanks, Daniel. Kentuckiana usually means central Kentucky up to central Indiana and that is definitely where ROCK’s focus began. During the past couple of years, however, as we have expanded our reach and been invited to join in on national initiatives and projects, we are recognized now as ROCK and have interests in projects across the country. Since our staff lives in the Kentuckiana region, we will of course always have the communities that ROCK was born out of at the heart of anything we do. But it is imperative to us that we not confine our work to one geographic circle in that the issues we face today are certainly not confined to one geographic circle.
DH: How did ROCK get started, and how long has it been operating?
BW: ROCK was created in March 2004 in response to a series of articles reporting on the unrestrained growth of sex business in the Kentuckiana area and their related negative effects on the community. As a result, a group of citizens, concerned about the state of affairs of our culture came together to form ROCK. This group simply said “enough is enough” and decided to do something, to get off the sidelines – to change Kentuckiana for the better.
 I was asked to sit on the board of ROCK in 2004 which, at the time, was an all volunteer organization comprised of some incredible individuals. In 2005, ROCK was growing and decided to hire its first full time President. At the time, I was a partner in one of the largest law firms in our region and was feeling a call in my life to use my skills and abilities to stand up against the attacks on our values, our beliefs and our families. But leaving my law firm to become the first President of a non-profit was not really in my plans. But as so often happens, God had a different plan! To the surprise of many, I left my law practice to become President of ROCK in September, 2005. And every person at ROCK has a similar story. It is amazing how that faithfulness has been rewarded and the blessings ROCK has experienced in a short period of time.
DH: How bad was the situation in Kentuckiana when ROCK was first started, and what kind of progress have you seen since that time? What are some of your proudest accomplishments as an organization?
As
the Weekly Standard reports, with an influx of membership in Africa combined
with a growing conservative evangelical movement in the United States, the United
Methodist Church could begin to take more conservative positions on issues
such as homosexuality, abortion, family, and Christian doctrine at its quadrennial
global conference now meeting in Texas.
Already, a well-publicized anti-Israel resolution has been defeated, and
observers are expecting to see more surprising results in the future.
The
United Methodist Church is a global and highly influential organization (with a
large facility right next to the U.S. Supreme Court), and it is encouraging to
think that they might soon adopt a more Biblical understanding of sexual morality,
the family, and the right to life.
Concerned citizens would do well to pray that this influential
organization would cease to undermine traditional morality and the right to
life with its resources and policies.
The
Institute on Religion and Democracy has been watching and reporting on the
developing conservative movement within Methodism, and their
website is a helpful resource for monitoring these developments.
AdvanceUSA
thanks Sen. Browback for defending
abstinence education in hearings being held today in the House of
Representatives. Excerpt:
"Studies have shown that abstinence
education is effective in decreasing the number of teen pregnancy and rates of
sexually transmitted diseases among youth," said Brownback. "Clearly
our current approach to sex education is not working; STD rates among teens are
rising, and it is irresponsible of us to silence the abstinence message. We
need more funding for abstinence programs, not less. Cutting funding to such
valuable programs will only have negative results as we see teens, and even
pre-teens, engage in risky sexual behavior."
Click here for
more.
Daniel Herbster
reporting
Congressman Paul
Broun, who represents Georgia’s tenth district, is one of the newest members of
Congress—having won a special election last year after the previous Congressman
for the 10th district, Charlie Norwood, passed away. I
was privileged to interview Rep. Broun about his proposed bill the “Military
Honor and Decency Act” which would fully prohibit the sale of obscene and
pornographic material on military bases. The following is my interview
with Rep. Broun.
DH:
Congressman, thanks so much for doing this interview for us. First of
all, I’d like to ask you the question I always love to ask politicians.
Why did you decide to get into politics and specifically why did you run for
your current office?
PB: When I ran for
office, I was not seeking a title or political position. I ran because I firmly believe that our
nation has lost sight of its core principles, and I want to make fundamental
changes to how our government operates.
In Psalm 11, God
asks a question, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous
do?” And God tells us the answer to that
question is to return to His precepts and commandments, because a righteous
Lord loves righteousness and He will uphold our efforts on His behalf.
We have lost our
righteous zeal, and lost our once cherished principles of personal freedom,
individual accountability and responsibility, and limited government. I ran for office to restore those principles,
and I believe that He calls each one of His children to uphold those
principles. That is what I am trying to
do in Congress, at home, and everywhere I go.
DH:
You’ve recently proposed the Military Honor and Decency Act (H.R.5821) which
deals with the sale of pornographic or obscene material on military
bases. What would this bill do?
PB: Essentially, it
will close the loophole in current law that allows pornography to be sold on
military installations across the United States and around the world. The Defense Authorization Act of 1997
included a provision to prohibit the distribution and sale of all sexually
explicit material on property under the jurisdiction of the Department of
Defense (DoD). Sadly, DoD has failed to
strictly enforce this law, and has allowed blatant, obviously pornographic
material such as Playboy and Penthouse to continue to be sold on
military bases. My bill will end this
practice and force the DoD to submit to the law.
Let me be clear – if
military personnel want to buy pornography, that is their prerogative. However, the U.S. Military should not be
involved and facilitating the transaction.
The U.S. Military should not be using its resources to deliver it right
to the doors of these military personnel. My bill does not make pornography illegal, but
it would remove the U.S. military and the U.S. taxpayer from the transaction.
DH: How
did you become aware of the need for this legislation, and what are some of the
facts that convinced you this legislation was necessary?
Janice
Shaw Crouse explains how recent encouraging trends in teen pregnancy rates shows
the value of abstinence education despite what proponents of so-called “comprehensive
sex education” would have us believe.
Excerpt:
There is still much to be done in changing
attitudes and promoting the well-being of America’s young people, but teen
sexual activity is down, teen pregnancies are down and teen abortions are down.
That is great news from the cultural battle fields.
Over the past decade, we have offered our
nation’s teens a bright future and expected the best from them. Not
surprisingly, they have met the challenge and are seizing the opportunities to
grasp all the possibilities available to their generation. Our national
leadership needs to continue to keep faith with them by supporting abstinence education
as clearly the best choice for their current and future well-being.
Her
insight is very timely and relevant as Congress will soon hold hearings on
whether to maintain abstinence education funding in the budget as LifeNews
reports. Excerpt:
The House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform plans the hearing for April 23 to supposedly review the
effectiveness of abstinence education.
However, leading abstinence critic Henry
Waxman will chair the panel.
He has repeatedly gone after abstinence
programs with wild-eyed claims that they are rife with inaccurate medical data
and unrealistic expectations.
Waxman has invited five witnesses to take
the anti-abstinence side in support of comprehensive sex education and just one
abstinence proponent.
The
House of Representatives has approved
a version of PEPFAR anti-AIDS funding that is much improved from the original
version which would have mandated abortion funding, drastically cut back
abstinence and faithfulness education, and weakened anti-prostitution
provisions. Though significant
improvements have been made to the bill, not all conservatives support the
measure because of fiscal concerns over massive spending increases and concerns
that there is insufficient accountability over how funds are spent. The bill will now go to the U.S. Senate.
Should
broadcasters be allowed to air patently indecent or obscene content at any time
of day (including when children are likely to be in the audience)? Kristen Fyfe gives a helpful explanation of
the case and provides examples of current and future abuses by broadcasters.
Excerpt:
As it stands the
Supreme Court is due to consider broadcast indecency in the 2008-2009
term. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
ruled last year in Fox v. FCC that “fleeting” expletives should not be fined by
the FCC. The FCC appealed the ruling to
the Supreme Court, which has not examined the indecency issue since it ruled in
the Pacifica case in 1973. For more on the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the
fleeting expletives case, click
here.
Until the Supreme
Court acts to clarify broadcast decency issues, it appears the networks are
going to do everything in their power to thumb their collective noses at the
FCC and in effect, the American public.
All in the name of “entertainment.”
Isn’t that hilarious?
Janice
Shaw Crouse, Ph.D., has a helpful column today about the
importance and effectiveness of abstinence education and explains why
radical leftist organizations and politicians are so determined to eliminate it
completely. Congress should increase
abstinence education funding, not cut it.
Read Crouse’s
article for more details. Excerpts:
It is incomprehensible that leaders of
organizations working with teens would oppose abstinence. The increase in abstinence programs has been
effective in reversing trends that some believed were irreversible. It is clear from my analysis of official data
that abstinence education is behind the current decreases in teen births, teen
abortion and the number of teens engaged in sexual activity.
While the left claims that abstinence
education is a too-simplistic “just say no” campaign, the programs teach teens
how to say “no” and give them the skills and character development needed for
them to be able to say “no” effectively.
And many teens need to learn that sexually active girls regret their
early sexual activity — nearly two-thirds (63 percent) state that they wish
they had waited to have sex.
…
Many teens don’t know the facts, and the
comprehensive sex education programs do not inform them. A Maryland teenager, Stephen, was part of a
conversation with friends who claimed that “everyone is doing it.” Stephen told them that, statistically, teens
today are less sexually active. They
were surprised; they had not heard that important fact in their so-called
“full-coverage” sex education program.
Stephen summed up our view when he asked,
“Don’t you think our sex ed programs should tell us that more and more teens
are choosing to stay abstinent and how they are doing it?”
CitizenLink
reports. Excerpt:
“With
3 million teen girls infected with STIs, safer sex in adolescents does not
exist,” said Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family
Action. “For the current and future health of teens, we must teach them how to
have strong relationships not based on sex.”
The
American Journal of Health
Behavior published a study in January showing that students who
receive abstinence education are 50 percent less likely to initiate sex.
Furthermore, last
year’s report by the federal Department of Health and Human Services showed
that some comprehensive sex-education curricula taught in the nation's schools
essentially have no impact on behavior.
Valerie
Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association,
said it is important to look at the growing body of research showing abstinence
education as the only curriculum that successfully addresses teen pregnancies,
STIs and the emotional consequences of teen sex.
Pro-family groups are encouraged that the Supreme Court has decided to hear a broadcast indecency case brought by the FCC. Hopefully, the court will rule that the FCC can regulate even so-called “fleeting instances” of profanity during hours when children are likely to be watching TV or listening to radio.
For more information on this court case or about the issue of broadcast indecency, click here.
Dr. Miriam Grossman, M.D. takes an insightful look at the recent statistics regarding female STD rates and uses her professional experience to explain some of the educational factors contributing to this crisis. Excerpt:
That so many American girls have a sexually transmitted infection should come as no shock. Rather, the shock should be at the madness in our country that we call sexuality education.
Today the Supreme Court is meeting to decide whether to hear an appeal by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over an outrageous decision by the 2nd Circuit Court. The 2nd Circuit ruled that “fleeting” instances of profanity were acceptable on broadcast radio and TV at any time of day regardless of the likelihood that children were in the audience. Pray that the Supreme Court takes up this case and gives the FCC the power it needs to enforce common-sense restrictions on indecency over the publicly owned airwaves. On Monday, the high court will announce its decision on whether or not to hear the case.
Regardless of the Court’s decision Monday, this issue reveals the importance of passing common-sense legislation in Congress which will clarify that the FCC can do its job (even for so-called “fleeting” instances of profanity). Our thanks to FCC Chairman Martin for his leadership.
Check back with AdvanceUSA for the latest on this important moral and cultural issue.
As
if Planned Parenthood could sink any lower.
LifeNews reports. Excerpt:
Pro-life members of Congress say the
federal government should stop funding Planned Parenthood through national family
programs because its teen-oriented web site features pornography.
CitizenLink reports
on this encouraging news for those concerned about keeping their communities
free from indecency.
CitizenLink reports. This is great news for other communities who
want to stay safe and free from sexually oriented businesses.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on PEPFAR anti-AIDS funding reauthorization on Thursday, February 28. Call your representative today (especially if they serve on this committee) and urge him or her to vote against the PEPFAR legislation unless pro-abortion code words like “family panning” and “reproductive health” are removed and abstinence education and anti-prostitution language is maintained. LifeNews reports on the abortion funding aspect while the AP reports on President Bush’s statements urging lawmakers to preserve crucial abstinence and faithfulness funding.
Click here for more information on PEPFAR or check the AdvanceUSA home page.
AdvanceUSA
has learned from friends in the House of Representatives that the Foreign
Affairs Committee hearings on PEPFAR have been postponed until the “week of February
25.”
 AdvanceUSA has learned that Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA) passed away this morning from lung cancer complications. AdvanceUSA expresses its condolences to the family of Congressman Lantos, and is thankful for his willingness to serve his nation in Congress. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (which Lantos chaired) will likely postpone Thursday's hearing on PEPFAR until leadership and membership changes are made to the committee.
AdvanceUSA will continue to monitor the PEPFAR issue, and is encouraged that President Bush has indicated his opposition to the bill until the abortion and abstinence policy changes are removed.
As
the AP reports, proposed changes to PEPFAR funding would side-step the crucial
Mexico City Policy allowing
tax dollars to support overseas abortions.
The AP report also mentions that the Lantos bill would undermine
ant-prostitution regulations and withhold funding from successful abstinence
and faithfulness anti-AIDS education.
The
Foreign Affairs Committee will likely vote on PEPFAR on Thursday, February
14. Be sure to contact
members of this committee and urge them to preserve the crucial pro-life
and pro-morality provisions PEPFAR.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee markup for PEPFAR originally scheduled today has been postponed to next week. As currently written, the legislation undermines effective abstinence programs and mandates taxpayer support of overseas abortions. FRC has provided a helpful list of committee members. If your representative is in this list, be sure to encourage him or her to oppose any provisions which undermine the Mexico City Policy, allow tax dollars to support overseas abortion providers or proponents, undermine anti-prostitution regulations, or weakens support for successful abstinence and faithfulness education programs. If these concerns are not met, your representative should be encouraged to oppose the underlying bill. For more information on this issue check the PEPFAR blurb.
Liberals in Congress should stop endangering critical AIDS funding with attempts to advance their anti-life, liberal social agenda.
Because of a court ruling so called “fleeting instances” of indecency or profanity are allowed on broadcast television. CtizenLink reports that federal legislation to close this broadcast indecency loophole is stalled in the U.S. Senate. Excerpt:
Legislation stuck in the U.S. Senate would give the government more power to clean up television.
In order to ensure the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) ability to fine broadcasters over "fleeting" instances of profanity or nudity, the Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act (S. 1780) needs to be voted on by the full Senate.
…
Weiss said the law is needed after four television networks sued the FCC for the right to air profanity at any time of day. The 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the networks last year; the FCC has appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The networks act as if they own the airwaves and are fighting with everything they have for the ‘right’ to pollute them as they see fit,” Weiss said. “The law, however, states that the public owns the airwaves and has some say over how they are used. We have an opportunity right now to directly impact our culture, but we must make our voices heard for that to happen.”
Graphic source: CitizenLink
NOTE: For different conservative perspective on TV indecency regulations check out Stuart Epperson’s testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee in 2006 which was reposted at Townhall recently under the title “The Law of Unintended Consequences: Well meaning efforts to target indecency could come back to haunt us.” Conservatives often disagree about the proper role of government in these matters, but many conservatives recognize a legitimate role for government to prohibit indecency on publicly owned wavelengths (much as governments rightfully prohibit public indecent exposure).
The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which was begun in 2003, has bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and will be up for renewal this year. Unfortunately, there is an aggressive push by liberals to disregard current stipulations that mandate funding for the “AB” (“abstinence” and “be faithful”) portion of “ABC” education (“C” = condoms). The new efforts would allow funding for “reproductive health” (a.k.a “abortion”) and ease the regulations that require groups receiving PEPFAR funds to pledge opposition to prostitution. The liberals claim to want only to fund “what works” despite the mounting evidence that teaching abstinence and faithfulness (as is done in Uganda) and taking a strong stance against prostitution are the most effective ways to combat the spread of the dreaded AIDS virus. Also, Americans should not have to subsidize overseas abortions with their tax dollars so Congress should be wary of allowing funds for “reproductive health” purposes as this is a broad term used by liberals to promote abortion.
Our friends in Congress tell us that PEPFAR will likely be considered by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on February 7. If your representative sits on this committee call him or her today and encourage them to be sure to 1. attend the February 7 hearings, 2. voice their support for abstinence funding and anti-prostitution efforts, 3. oppose taxpayer funded “reproductive health” (abortion), and 4. vote against any amendments which would weaken these crucial provisions.
The
Washington Blade (homosexual news publication) explains the
strategy of the “gay rights” agenda while offering critique to help
proponents obtain the ultimate goal of same-sex marriage. The article suggests a “incremental” approach
in which marriage and civil unions are not discussed until the public is
“ready.”
A
suggested plan of attack includes these stages of building in this order:
- Hate Crimes
- ENDA
- Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell”
- Permanent Partners
Immigration Act
- Civil Unions
- Repeal Defense of Marriage
Act and Overturn State Marriage Amendments
Click here
to read the full explanation.
 Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) recently proposed an amendment to the Labor HHS appropriations bill which would have “prohibit[ed] the use of funds to provide abstinence education that includes information that is medically inaccurate.” The “medical accuracy” strategy actually puts unreasonable burdens on abstinence curriculum and would end federal abstinence education as we know it if enacted. Fortunately Sen. Lautenberg decided to remove his amendment, but there is concern among our friends on the Hill that this dangerous amendment could be reintroduced in the future.
One of the reasons liberals oppose abstinence education is the fact that less promiscuity directly threatens the profits of abortion providers and “comprehensive” sex education advocates like Planned Parenthood.
These observations were made by Heritage Foundation scholar Robert Rector whose report entitled “Facts about Abstinence Education” makes a compelling and factual case for abstinence education.
The
Parents Television Council has set up a new website called HowCableShouldBe.com.
At this site you can calculate how your cable
bill would improve if you could pick and chose what channels your home received, and you can find more information about cable
choice.
Some in
the pro-family community advocate “Cable Choice” as a way to benefit consumers
and give families greater control over the programming entering their
homes. While there is some debate among conservatives over whether
certain cable choice legislation inappropriately allows the federal government
to over-regulate business, it is undeniable that greater cable choice would be
appreciated by many consumers.
CitizenLink reports:
The clock is running out on federal abstinence funding. If
grants to the states are not renewed by Sunday, abstinence-based sex education
will be a rare commodity in public schools.
A letter
to members of Congress by the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA)
thanks Congress for extending abstinence funding even for three short months
but urges a much longer
reauthorization to ensure that these effective programs continue.
CitizenLink reports:
The Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act that
was introduced in the U.S.
House Tuesday would make it clear that fleeting expletives should not be
allowed on radio and TV stations. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled
in June that Congress really didn't mean for such expletives to be considered
indecent, and reversed fines levied by the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC).
Rep. Charles "Chip" Pickering, R-Miss., said he
introduced the bill to set the record straight.
AdvanceUSA
applauds the efforts of groups like Citizens for Community Values for investigating
companies that provide pornography for hotel chains and reporting
violations of the law to authorities. As the LodgeNet case shows, many
objectionable businesses and materials could be eradicated by simply enforcing
current obscenity laws.
For more
information on fighting pornography in society and in individual lives visit
the AdvanceUSA pro-morality page.
Fox News
reports that 29,000 registered sex offenders
were discovered and removed from the popular social networking site
MySpace. This should be a warning for parents to be sure their children
know about the dangers of the internet and to monitor carefully their
children’s internet use.
It should
come as no surprise that a recent study finds that 85% of men
convicted of internet child pornography charges have sexually abused a minor.
This indicates that there could be a strong causal link between viewing child pornography
and actually committing sexual crimes on minors. While the vast majority
of attention is given to extreme cases of child pornography and exploitation,
this evidence suggests that a more stringent enforcement of “minor” cases could
have a preventative effect on actual child sexual abuse.
In a
blatant display of judicial activism, the 2nd Circuit Court of
Appeals recently ruled that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could
not intervene in cases of “fleeting instances” of indecent words or images over
the broadcast airwaves. This ruling, in effect, makes last year’s penalty
increase passed by Congress totally ineffective. Senator Sam Brownback
(R-KS) recently proposed an amendment to the Financial Services and General
Government Appropriations bill to give the FCC authority to enforce indecency
regulations even for “single word[s] or image[s].” The amendment was
defeated in committee, but thankfully Senators Rockefeller (D-WV) and Pryor
(D-AR) have introduced
the same legislation as a separate bill (S. 1780).
It is crucial that this bill be passed before the oral arguments begin in the
notorious “Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction” court case so that the FCC has
solid guidelines with which to defend its intervention in that perfect example
of “fleeting indecency.”
Senators
should be aware that “a vote against S. 1780 is a
vote for airing the f-word and s-word [and indecent images] at any time of day
on broadcast airwaves.” AdvanceUSA applauds the efforts of Senators
Brownback, Rockefeller, and Pryor to protect
the publicly owned airwaves from being used to broadcast indecency
during hours when children are watching.
President Bush’s nominee for Surgeon General, James Holsinger, continues to undergo withering attack from radical gay groups because he once prepared a paper for the Methodist church explaining why homosexual behavior can cause serious health risks and problems. So for professionally and medically stating what is common knowledge to most, James Holsinger risks having his good name dragged through the mud by radical homosexual activists.
Equally as troubling is the homosexual lobby’s opposition to Dr. Holsinger’s religious activities with the Methodist church. As a governing member of the denomination, he upheld the biblical view of human sexuality multiple times, and the church in Kentucky he helped start helps homosexuals who wish to leave the lifestyle. According to the Constitution, there is to be no religious test for any public office.
Information on these stories was featured on the Wall Street Journal’s Best of the Web for two straight days.
Dr. Holsinger’s findings can be read here (Warning: contents are clinical and very explicit).
UPDATE:
The Family Research Council has posted this resource on the health risks of homosexuality which verifies Dr. Holsinger's findings.
Our friend Randy Thomas shares about his victory over homosexuality and offers a unique perspective on the controversial “gender identity” debate. He exposes the hypocrisy of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) activists who claim that “sexual orientation” is not changeable but “gender identity” somehow is. Randy works for the great organization Exodus International.
The Second District Court of Appeals has dealt a setback to good efforts of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect children by combating broadcast indecency on the publicly-owned airwaves. AdvanceUSA is happy to report that friends at the FCC have given assurances that the fight must and will go on.
CitizenLink reports on this shining example of liberal “tolerance.”
UPDATE:
Exodus International is defending statements by President Bush’s nominee for Surgeon General on the medical dangers of homosexual activity and in support of the rights of self-determination for ex-gays. The whole fiasco bares witness to the rampant “intolerance” and outright bigotry of many in the radical homosexual movement. A PFOX press release on the issue can be read on NewsWire. An informative email exchange between a Human Rights Campaign employee and an ex-gay usefully illustrates the harassment and bigotry faced by those who have walked away from homosexuality.
The California State Senate recently passed SB 777, which would require school children to be taught about transsexuality, bisexuality and homosexuality at grades as early as kindergarten. The radical homosexual agenda has nothing to do with equal rights and everything to do with forcing a deviant lifestyle on others.
Despite the fact that most parents support abstinence education for their children, House Democrats plan to let the abstinence education funding in Title V expire. CitizenLink reports on this issue here.
In 1987 an article was published in a gay publication that outlined a comprehensive strategy for legitimizing and then promoting homosexuality throughout our society. Looking back over 20 years shows just how faithfully its advice was heeded and applied. "The Overhauling of Straight America" (PDF file) should be read carefully by concerned citizens.
Though conservatives are often accused of seeking to "force their morality on others," in reality we merely oppose having a secular and unbiblical morality forced on us. Christians should speak the truth in love to homosexuals and liberal activists, but that does not mean we should appologize for not wanting the homosexual agenda forced upon us and our children.
Despite all the misinformation about abstinence education, this article reveals that "9 of 10 parents want their children [to be] abstinent [and that a] majority believe teaching contraception encourages sexual activity."
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