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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Shame = Birth Control?

This dude seems to think so.

Found this on Feministing:

Lawmaker: Shame on 'sluts'
By Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS — A state lawmaker used a derogatory term Wednesday to describe unmarried teen parents as sexually promiscuous and complained that society condones premarital sex.

"In my parents' day and age, (unmarried teen parents) were sent away, they were shunned, they were called what they are," Republican Rep. Larry Liston said during a GOP legislative caucus meeting in Denver. "There was at least a sense of shame."

Liston continued: "There's no sense of shame today. Society condones it ... I think it's wrong. They're sluts. And I don't mean just the women. I mean the men, too."

Rep. Stella Garza Hicks, who was at the meeting, said Liston should apologize.

"I feel that he owes the apology somewhere, whether it's to the same group that he spoke to before or someone else," she told The Gazette of Colorado Springs.

Garza Hicks, R-Colorado Springs, said she was "disturbed" and "offended" by the word but didn't confront Liston at the time because she was so surprised to hear him use it.

The Rocky's Capitol blogger today asked Liston if his mother would approve of his use of the word.

"Actually, my mother would agree with me," he said as he hurried to a committee hearing.

"Maybe I could have a used a different word, but I was frustrated," Liston said. "And that was the word that came to my mind, because in the old days, you know, it was frowned upon." (Source)

Old school scare tactics will not work and never really did. Shaming someone into obscurity doesn't even scratch the surface.

I think talking to your kids abou sex is very helpful. If you know your kids are having sex, teach them how to use contraception. The problem that I see with a lot of parents is that they feel that arming their kids with knowledge is encouragement. Not the case. If you feel it is, say "hello" to your future grandbabies because you are welcoming the possibility. Or worse, be ready to deal with your child contracting an STD/STI on YOUR WATCH.

Also, I think young girls need to be taught self-worth. Too many of these girls fall for the "I love you" crap. Boys need to be taught responsibility. Teenage pregnancy is not just the girl's problem. And I really wish parents would stop encouraging these boys to be sex-crazed animals. "Oh he's just sowing his wild oats." Yeah, sowing his oats and planting seeds along the way. Now, isn't that just cute?

Something that can accompany unwanted pregnancies are unwanted diseases. Both of them are preventable. My old high school is considered an STD factory and has a sizable HIV/AIDS population. And just imagine the number of them who have children. I know that population's grown since my graduation.

I hope that scares the hell out of parents cuz we CANNOT afford to be regressive and ashamed when dealing with today's youth.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, sending them away worked REALLY well in the past....since they are STILL DOING IT.

so.outta.touch.

ZACK said...

Sweetheart, you don't know me. Don't disrespect me. You can disagree with me without disrespecting me.

Maybe read my blog before you judge me. But I forgot, everybody in America thinks before they speak.

No wonder there are so many blogs now.

Anonymiss said...

Are you one of the Americans you speak of? Just imagine the number of Blk ppl you disrespected with your post over there on AvgBro.

You make Obama's priveleged life sound like a bad thing. Last I checked, that's what many Blk ppl died for: the right to a good education and the right to reach your fullest potential minus a glass ceiling.

Most of the Blk population doesn't live in the hood so why let stereotypes that don't rep the majority define the majority?