Monthly Archives: July 2007

Challenging Abstinence-Only Sex Ed

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Guttmacher Report:

Newly released data indicate that the declines in teen sexual activity among high school students largely predated the federal government’s major investment in abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education programs, and provides important new context for the ongoing debate over those expenditures. Despite compelling evidence that abstinence-only programs do not stop – or even delay – teen sex, these programs are currently funded at a level of $176 million annually. In contrast, there is no comparable federal program to support sex education that includes information about both abstinence and contraceptive use, an approach proven effective at promoting both delays in sexual activity and protective behaviors among teens when they do become sexually active.

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Constituent Service. Not.

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Rep. Henry Brown

This message was sent by ACLU activist Nancy Seufert about a recent trip to DC and her unpleasant experience with Rep. Henry Brown. She wanted to share her story.

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Nancy Seufert. I am in Dorchester County, SC. Yesterday, I had the distinct displeasure in meeting Congressman Henry Brown after an ACLU rally I participated in. I had an appointment in which I was going to speak to the Congressman regarding my concerns to Restore Rights, Stop Torture, and Close Guantánamo. When I arrived at Browns office, a young lady introduced herself as Tara, a freelance journalist working for the Times and Democrat, writing an article on the ACLU demonstration and how one of Congressman Browns constituents felt about the issue.

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The New Math

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You know in your head and heart that most citizens of this state and nation are not as deluded and cold-hearted as the Right would have you believe. Recent research bears that out (see Pew report link below.)

Unfortunately, the SC Democratic Party has bought into the mythology of a conservative majority. Party leadership has for years felt that they had to move to the right to capture two percent of the Independent or Republican votes. Ditto with the pundits in the mainstream media.

Part of the puzzle of Republican dominance in SC is that a majority of citizens here don’t bother to vote (see www.scpronet.com). They figure they are going to get screwed by whoever wins, so they don’t even bother.

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Keeping the Faith

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Charleston activist Ron Kaz (left) tracks the body count.

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And the numbers keep growing.

Last January, Ron and Anna Shockley, longtime Network members, were arrested along with 15 others on the steps of the US Supreme Court. A brief video of the arrests is posted at Charleston Peace’s Web site.

Seminar to Challenge Nuclear Policy

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The public is invited to a seminar exploring the dangers of nuclear fuel reprocessing on Wednesday, July 18, at 3pm at USC. For more information, see details in flyer.

Come hear Bob Alvarez (Institute for Policy Studies) and Brent Blackwelder (Friends of the Earth), two of the country’s most respected environmental activists.

Taking a Bite Outta Hate Crime

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Network Director Brett Bursey was invited to be part of a panel discussion on hate crime legislation at AFFA’s program meeting last night at the Renaissance Hotel in Charleston. Also on the panel were the primary sponsors of South Carolina hate crime bills – Charleston Democrats Sen. Robert Ford and Rep. Seth Whipper – and Elke Kennedy, whose son died in May after being beaten, apparently for being gay. An 18-year-old is being held on murder charges in a Greenville jail.

Kennedy talked about her son and described him as a leader who, had he lived, would have worked to advance civil rights. She is now doing that work on his behalf, speaking out about hate crimes and pushing for just legal protection. See more at Sean’s Last Wish www.seanslastwish.com.

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