tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-214912612023-11-16T03:21:26.045-08:00Character, not CondomsDedicated to raising youth leaders to develop good character and to model and teach about the benefits of sexual abstinence, in preparation for marriage and successful family formation.
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<a href="https://www.urbanlifetraining.org/index.php/richard-s-blog">New Blog</a>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-37734072161492386802013-03-25T05:23:00.001-07:002013-03-25T05:59:10.746-07:00Two bolts does not equal a bolt and a nutThe Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments about whether California’s Proposition 8 that defines marriage as only being between a man and a woman is constitutional. Allowing two men or two women to “marry” has been coined “marriage equality” by proponents of the concept.<br />
Let's think about this logically for a moment. Can two bolts or two nuts perform the same function as a bolt and a nut? Would you be able to assemble, say, a car, with only bolts or only nuts? Of course not. Is a banana the same as an orange. Can we have fruit equality. Is that not unfair. After all, all fruits should be in the shape of a banana, or should it be an orange?<br />
God created males and females to reproduce when the penis and vagina come together through a loving union in marriage. Two penises cannot come together in such a loving union to create new life no matter how hard one may try. Two vaginas cannot come together to create new life either. If you don’t believe in the Creator, you can call this fact natural law or any other name.<br />
“Marriage equality” is not about marriage. It is about compelling people who do not accept homosexuality as the norm to accept it on some level through government compulsion. It is a violation of freedom of thought, speech and religion. This violation of freedom of thought has already occurred as Catholic adoption agencies have been forced to shut down to avoid having to provide adoption services for homosexual couples.<br />
If the Supreme Courts decides to make same sex “marriage” legal, than freedom of speech will be curtailed, as those who believe in marriage between only a man and a woman will be unwelcome in public schools and other public venues, effectively curtailing freedom of speech for millions. They may also be subject to penalties or even legal action for speaking out against homosexuality. Read about intolerance and persecution of those who believe in marriage between only a a man and a woman <a href="http://ultrateenchoice.blogspot.com/2012/10/angela-mccaskill-warning.html">here</a>. There is hope in the fact that the Supreme Court will make a rational decision, and not a politicized decision. As reported by the High Impact Leadership Coalition:<br />
<blockquote>
Last November, a federal appeals court in Nevada pointed out homosexuals are not, in fact, being denied the right to marry, as the term “marriage” has been long understood. A lesbian couple had sued the state, seeking to overturn Nevada’s ban on gay marriage under the Fourteenth Amendment. Wrote Judge Robert Jones, <br />
Like heterosexual persons, they [homosexuals] may not marry members of the same sex. <b>A homosexual man may marry anyone a heterosexual man may marry, and a homosexual woman may marry anyone a heterosexual woman may marry. </b> <br />
Judge Jones went on to point out that homosexuals have little cause to identify with historically oppressed minorities in the United States, observing that, “Homosexuals have not historically been denied the right to vote, the right to serve on juries, or the right to own property.” Judge Jones starts with the assumption, as we all should, that “marriage” means what it has always meant in America: the union of one man and one woman. If we begin with that reality, the notion that homosexuals are being denied equal protection under the law becomes absurd.<br />
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Tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26th, thousands will rally on the National Mall for the March for Marriage. They will march to the Supreme Court and hear from well known speakers. I urge you to join me in taking a stand for marriage and the well being of our society, our children and all future generations. Meet on the mall at 10th St.and Madison Drive by the Museum of Natural History before 9:30 a.m. You can find more details here: <a href="https://www.marriagemarch.org/about/" title="https://www.marriagemarch.org/about/">https://www.marriagemarch.org/about/</a>. See you there!<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-59293237642285536182012-12-03T13:00:00.001-08:002012-12-03T13:00:26.697-08:00Ban K2 and Spice?<p>So let me get this right. Synthetic marijuana is bad and should be banned in the District of Columbia. OK, fair enough, I agree (<a title="http://washingtonexaminer.com/designer-drugs-are-kids-latest-craze/article/2504599#.UL0PDnf5Vn0" href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/designer-drugs-are-kids-latest-craze/article/2504599#.UL0PDnf5Vn0">http://washingtonexaminer.com/designer-drugs-are-kids-latest-craze/article/2504599#.UL0PDnf5Vn0</a>).</p> <p>But, in that case, why have we made the sale of (medical) marijuana legal. Is anyone under the impression that well to do DC residents will not be able to (legally) purchase marijuana by getting a “prescription” from a dubious doctor. We are giving a totally mixed message to our young people.</p> <p>It reminds me of the message about sex that the District government and Health Department gives, which basically is, you should abstain, but since you are not going to, be sure to “be responsible” and use a condom. The correct message is to tell youth clearly the consequences of sexual activity before marriage and that they should abstain from sex before marriage.</p> <p>Similarly, it would seem that it is now considered OK to use “medical” marijuana, which of course no one will use except those with dire medical conditions (not!). Yet it is irresponsible to use synthetic marijuana. </p> <p>No wonder young people in Washington DC are confused. The adults making these laws and regulations should get their own act together, first. Let’s make things clear. For health, safety and success, there should be no sex before marriage. Likewise, there should be no illicit drug use of any kind, whether “medical” or not.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-75682007121893644182012-11-15T08:45:00.001-08:002012-11-15T08:46:27.180-08:00One More Day<p>A Reflection on Life <p>On Monday, November 12<sup>th</sup>, my wife Stacey suddenly collapsed while doing very gentle exercise. She stopped breathing for about 30 seconds, her eyeballs rolled back, and she was motionless. I touched her gently a few times on her face, but there was no response. Suddenly, she gasped two times and came to, and then sat up. She was just that close to losing her “lifeline”. <p>Fortunately, I was there holding her hands (she doesn’t like mini trampolines) so she didn’t hit her head, and our son Michael Karioki helped lift her to the nearby bed, as Sarah dialed 911 <p>We just don’t know. We all expect and hope to live a long life, but that is not always the case. I was talking to my precious yobo, and then in about 90 seconds, she was almost gone. The ambulance was cancelled, but after calling Stacey’s doctor, he told us to take her to the emergency room, which we did, at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She was checked, and they decided to admit her to the hospital, due to a very low heart rate of only 40 beats per second (it usually should be 60 to 80 beats per second). The heart also had fibrillation, or irregular beating. I stayed with her until 10 p.m., and then she was taken upstairs to the cardiac intensive care unit. There was another serious time in the morning, when the heart stopped, and they did CPR and gave one shock. Then she was taken for electro physiology testing, and a pacemaker was installed. She was discharged today, Wednesday, after just two days. Her doctor, who performed the procedure to install the pacemaker, was Dr. Edward Platia. He was a very kind, understanding, reassuring and competent person. <p>It turns out that the heart is otherwise healthy, but had a complete blockage, in which it stopped. It started back by itself when we were at home the first day, but if it had not…. <p>I am feeling overwhelmed with the love of God and my own love combined for my better half, or as they affectionately say in Korean, yobo. I am glad to have her here. I wish to be more supportive, more kind, more helpful, and more appreciative of each moment. I am glad to have One More Day to: <p>Say a kind word, <p>One More Day to:<br>Love someone, <p>One More Day to:<br>Share love in my family, <p>One More Day to:<br>Make a difference in this world. <p>Who is to say when the “lifeline” that God has given each of us will be “recalled”. God has given each of us a very special time here on earth as His objects. We are to completely fulfill love in our families, with our spouse and children. Just as God cannot be complete without on object, which is the God-centered love expressed in a family, we cannot be complete either without a family, including at least one child, through which we can share God’s love <p>The experience of my better half almost leaving the earth has increased my appreciation for her, and for life. I have a newfound appreciation for seeing the sun, having a wife and a daughter and a son. God incredibly loves each of us, just as I felt the love welling up for her in me. Who is to say how many more days each of us will live? Whether it is one day, one year, 10 years, 50 years or some other period, I will strive to live each day with newfound appreciation and love, being grateful to have One More Day. As long as I am alive there is One More Day to return appreciation to God and to make God happy by loving someone, and to give Heavenly Father a place to dwell by having a Blessed family. I am very grateful that I was able to be home with Stacey when she passed out, that I could take her to a hospital where they have a specialized heart care unit, and that we received the care of the best heart doctor, Dr. Platia. Reverend Sun Myung Moon says in his autobiography, <i>As a Peace Loving Global Citizen (p 234)</i>: (<a title="http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Books/PLGC-SunMyungMoon-091100.pdf" href="http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Books/PLGC-SunMyungMoon-091100.pdf">http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Books/PLGC-SunMyungMoon-091100.pdf</a>) <p>Human beings have always struggled to understand who we are and <p>why we must live. We must realize that, just as we were not born of our own <p>accord, so also we are not meant to live our lives for our own sakes. <p>So the answer to the question of how we should live our lives is simple. <p>We were born of love, so we must live by traveling the path of love. Our <p>lives were created by receiving the boundless love of our parents, so we <p>must live our entire lives repaying that love. In the course of our lives, <p>this is the only value we can choose on our own. The success or failure <p>of our lives depends on how much love we are able to pack into those <p>eighty years that are given to us. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-70475139921372762282012-11-15T08:40:00.001-08:002012-11-15T08:43:16.491-08:00Youths Choose Abstinence as the Path to Success<p>Over 20 community leaders attended the <i>Crossroads; A New Direction for Our Youth </i>private breakfast and reception at the Washington Times on Wednesday, November 7. The program, sponsored by Urban Life Training & Reality Assessment Teen Choice, addressed the issue of helping youth choose the path to success by raising youth leaders to develop good character and to model and teach about the benefits of sexual abstinence in preparation for marriage and successful family formation. <p>Co-founder Richard Urban explained that if he were in high school today, he would very likely be making wrong choices and getting sexually involved. He asked the audience if <i>they</i> were in high school today, would they be making right choices? <p>Mr. Urban challenged those present to consider two paths. One path will cause heartbreak, sexually transmitted disease and about a 50 50 chance of being caught up in baby mama and baby daddy drama. The other path will leave their lives unencumbered with heartache, disease, and baby mama and baby daddy drama. Even more importantly, it will help their children to prosper. Mr. Urban explained that if teenagers don’t graduate from high school and have a baby before marrying, there’s a 79% chance their child will live in poverty. This compares to only an 8 % chance of their children living in poverty for those who finished high school, had a child after marrying, and did not marry as a teenager. The District of Columbia Public Schools emphasize STD testing for 9<sup>th</sup> grader students, but parents are not notified of the results, and abstinence is not emphasized. <p>PowerPoint slides created by Urban Life Training alumnus and Penn State Harrisburg Junior Tierra Glymph were shared. Tierra explains how we need to support and empower young people to make right choices and not just push safe sex. <p>Eastern Senior High School Urban Life Training Alumnus Sharnetta Tyler shared” This program really allowed me to grow in = [character] so by the time I got to college I was ok to say no, that’s not me. … So I remember being that confident when I was your age saying this is going to be life for me, so transitioning over into college Like I held on to that same virtue. Like there was never something [else]that caught my attention, nothing else said well maybe I want to be a mom before I’m a wife, nothing, that was the same goal I have now; I am still holding on to that.” <p>Urban Life Training STAR Guide Alumnus and Howard University graduate Erica Smith shared: “Being abstinent has helped me stay focused on my goals, kept me safe from sexually transmitted diseases, prevented unwanted pregnancy and saved my from the heartache and humiliation that could have come from having sex with men who did not have my best interest in mind…I implore you all to join this mission because truly abstinence is the best choice for those who are not married.” <p>Breakfast participant and youth worker Ebony Brown shared “I <i>really</i> enjoyed myself at the breakfast this morning. It was truly inspirational and such an eye-opener! Never have I personally thought about teaching teens about abstinence and the benefits of it. Your organization's purpose is <i>awesome</i>! <p><a title="http://my.nowpublic.com/health/youths-choose-abstinence-path-success" href="http://my.nowpublic.com/health/youths-choose-abstinence-path-success">http://my.nowpublic.com/health/youths-choose-abstinence-path-success</a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-63708972465408203722012-10-25T11:41:00.003-07:002012-10-25T11:41:54.022-07:00Abby’s advice for sex at age 13? Use better birth control!<p>On Wednesday, October 24th, Dear Abby <a href="http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20121024">posted a letter</a> from a 15 year old girl who had a miscarriage. Abby advises:</p> <blockquote> <p>Because the birth control you were using didn't prevent your pregnancy, you should ask a health care provider for advice about avoiding another unplanned pregnancy in the future. A staff member at your local Planned Parenthood health center or other clinic, or your own physician, can discuss all of your options and help you get the birth control you need.</p></blockquote> <p>What kind of advice is that? Nowhere does she talk about the fact that 13 or 15 year olds should not be having sex, or admonish her at all for having sex outside of marriage, or even for having sex at such a young age. The proper advice is, yes, to grieve, but to seek to repair your relationship with your parents and to stop having sex until marriage in order to avoid the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, plus moral and spiritual consequences of sexual relationships outside of marriage.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-45012698287841831942012-10-17T14:08:00.000-07:002012-10-17T14:08:11.250-07:00Position of the Presidential Candidates on Social Issues:<table border="1" style="width: 500px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td><b>OBAMA</b></td>
<td><b>ROMNEY</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Abstinence-centered sex education</td>
<td>????*</td>
<td>FOR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Same Sex Marriage</td>
<td>FOR</td>
<td>AGAINST</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Taxpayer Funding of Abortion</td>
<td>FOR</td>
<td>AGAINST</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>School Choice and Vouchers</td>
<td>AGAINST</td>
<td>FOR</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>*President Obama cut all funding (Providing $0 of funding) for already-funded 5 yr grants for abstinence-centered programs totaling over $100 million. in fiscal 2010. Obama says<br />
'And what I have consistently talked about is to take a comprehensive approach where we focus on abstinence, where we are teaching the sacredness of sexuality to our children. But we also recognize the importance of good medical care for women, that we’re also recognizing the importance of age-appropriate education to reduce risks. I do believe that contraception has to be part of that education process.'<br />
Romney says: 'We have sex education in our schools. Let's also have abstinence education in our schools. Marriage and two parent families are fundamental to the development of children and to our success as a culture. We cannot afford to shrink from the timeless, priceless principles of human experience."<br />
</td>
<td></td>
<td></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-80787474679214854072012-10-17T14:00:00.002-07:002012-10-17T14:05:28.219-07:00Angela McCaskill warningMaryland voters will face the question of whether to vote for or against question 6 On Novmeber 6th, 2012. Voters will be well advised to pay attention to the case of Gallaudet University associate provost of diversity and inclusion, Angela McCaskill. Ms. McCaskill simply signed the petition to put Question 6 on the ballot in Maryland. For that she was put on administrative leave from her job. Two lesbian faculty members decided that it was inappropriate for her to serve as chief diversity officer and wrote a letter to Gallaudent Univesity president T. Alan Hurwitz.<br />
<br />
Here in Washington DC I have had a similar experience. In 2007, I was circulating a petition to remove the inclusion of language describing same sex relationships as normal in the revision of the DC Public Schools Health Education Standards. (find out more about this <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/c_SAVE_DC_Action_Page_629_English.htm">here</a> Former DC Public School officials Richard Nyankori and Chad Ferguson called me in for a private, off the record meeting. They stated that I was free to circulate the petition, but that if I did our HIV and pregnancy prevention and relationship intelligence program would not be welcome in DC Public Schools. Nyankori and Ferguson also asked me what my position is on Same Sex
Marriage. I refused to answer, stating that it had nothing to do with our program. However, Nyankori and Ferguson made it clear that those not in favor of same sex "marriage' would not be welcome in DC Public Schools. So much for "inclusion" and "diversity". <br />
<br />
Legalization of same sex "marriage" in Maryland will have far reaching consequences. Many of those who simply contributed to the campaign opposing legalization of same sex "marriage" in California were blacklisted and forced to resign from their jobs. Check <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/330097/new-blacklist-john-fund">this blog</a>. Those who think that the push to legalize same sex marriage is just about allowing same sex couples to be "married" would do well to learn from the examples above. Your personal and religious freedoms are at stake. Be sure to vote AGAINST Question 6 in order to preserve traditional marriage in Maryland as the union of one man and one woman. Do not be fooled. A FOR vote is a vote to legalize same-sex marriage so you will want to make sure you vote AGAINST Question 6.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-16289829628573987622012-03-12T20:06:00.000-07:002012-03-13T06:57:16.357-07:00DC’s value-less sex education<p>So today I pull my van up to a parking lot near 5th St. and D St. NE to make a grocery delivery for <a href="http://www.urbangrocery.com">Urban Grocery</a> at 3:30 p.m. There I see a group of two girls and three boys from Stuart-Hobson Middle School between the apartment building and a fence covered with ivy. “Pull up” says one boy. “We did that” says the other as they swagger off. One of the girls lingers while apparently pulling her pants up. </p> <p>This is the expected end result of Washington, DC’s value less sex education. Sex is good, just use a condom (although at least 30% do not). No values, no idea of when you are supposed to have sex (i.e., when you are married). Sexual exploration is good, per David Catania’s (in)famous <a href="http://www.davidcatania.com/files/FINAL%20MERGED%20YSHP%20REPORT.pdf">sex education report</a>.</p> <p>And there is the small pamphlet that ninth grade high school students receive from DCPS “Going to get it on? Gotta put it on”. <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/downloads/std test pamphlet.pdf">Click here</a> to see the pamphlet: (warning, it shows how to put a condom on.) Youth are tested for syphilis and gonorrhea after peeing in a cup. All this without any parental notification or consent. </p> <p>Wake up DC parents. If you want the best future for your children, get involved. Be aware of what your children are being taught in school. Ask and demand to see all sex education materials. Invite Urban Life Training to give a free parent presentation to your Parent-Teacher association. Urban Life Training raises youth leaders to develop good character and teach about healthy sexuality. <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/c_HIV-AIDS_Prevention_Services_706_English.htm">Click here</a> to see the school and community-based presentations that Urban Life Training gives.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-49782973773138287502011-10-26T20:10:00.001-07:002011-10-26T20:13:29.104-07:00Write the DC Council about the South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act<p> The South Capitol Street Memorial Act of 2011 will create an intrusive government bureaucracy and will ask teachers to take on an extra workload to do mental health evaluations. <br>We need more family strengthening and less government intrusion. The inability of the District's Youth and Rehabilitative Services Agency as well as the Child and Family Services Agency to properly care for those under their respective jurisdictions should give us pause in creating yet another government bureaucracy.<br> Also, with a budget shortfall, how can this monstrous bureaucracy be funded?<br>This bill should be killed now, and more effort given to supporting community based education to prevent risky behavior among our youth. Studies show that behaviors such as being suspended from school are related to other risky behaviors, such as sex outside of marriage. A character based, abstinence affirming sexual health education alternative to the condom based approach now used in DC would be a good place to start in reducing risky behavior among DC youth. </p> <p>Use the <a href="http://cart.urbangrocery.com/contactengine/index.a5w">ULTRA Teen Choice email tool</a> to contact all DC Councilmembers, key staff, and Mayor Gray.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-22374946633043454222011-08-26T16:18:00.001-07:002014-09-25T12:32:45.943-07:00The South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act of 2011 is bad legislationThrough the promotion of same sex marriage and sexual exploration of all kinds through the <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/downloads/Youth_Sexual_Health_Catania.pdf">David Catania sponsored sexual health report</a> , Catania promotes the weakening of families. Now Catania wants even early head start pre-schoolers up to 12th grade students evaluated for mental health issues (as if they don’t have enough to do already). School teachers and the DC Government should not be asked to step in to replace the role of parents.<br />
The fact that the outside of marriage birth rate in DC is 55 per cent, and in Wards 7 and 8 is 85 per cent has a severe effect on crime and violence. Even in crime-ridden neighborhoods, 90 percent of youth who grow up in safe, stable two parent homes do not get involved in delinquent behavior. This statistic should inform us that we need to create policies that encourage parenting within two parent families. We should not attempt to supplant the role of parents with a mental health bureaucracy. And especially not with a bureaucracy that does not honor the role of parents, self control, and sexual abstinence, as evidenced by <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/downloads/Youth_Sexual_Health_Catania.pdf">Catanias sexual health report</a>.<br />
Anytime the government gets involved, there is a loss of personal freedom. Look at the absolute mess at the DC Child and Family Services Agency, which has been under Court ordered supervision for years. Also look at the mess at the Catania overseen department of health, where $5.8 million were funneled to convicted drug kingpin Cornell Jones who was supposedly renovating the property at 2127 Queens Chapel Rd. NE to be a job training center. However, at the same time a liquor license was reserved for the same property, which is now the Stadium (strip) Club, as <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/27/dc-strip-club-has-ties-to-gangster-legend/">reported in the Washington Times</a>. This is a great example of why we should not entrust the care of our children to the government bureaucracy set up by Mr. Catania.. This bill is a bad idea and needs to be killed NOW! Call your Councilmenber and all the at Large Councilmenbers as well as Catania’s office to tell them that you want programs funded that strengthen families by promoting childbearing within two parent families and sexual abstinence before marriage, and that you do not want the government to take over your role as a parent. Delinquency is clearly linked to family breakdown. Youth who grow up without a father in the home are much more likely to be involved in delinquent behavior. Yet Catania’s bill does not address the crucial issue of encouraging childbearing after marriage. The two parent family is the best structure to support the healthy growth and development of children. <br />
It is not surprising that Catania does not support the strengthening of the two parent family, since he is the one who introduced and promoted the same sex “marriage” bill in DC. The DC Council should promote what I call the Bill Cosby formula for success in life; 1) Graduate from high school, have children after you marry and don’t marry before age 20. Those who do all of these things have an eight percent chance of living in poverty. Those that do none of these things have a 79 percent chance of living in poverty. <br />
This means children also need to be taught to abstain from sex before marriage. Yet Catania’s <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/downloads/Youth_Sexual_Health_Catania.pdf">sexual health report</a> promotes sexual exploration, and under Catania oversight, the department of Health pushes condoms but does not spend anything to encourage abstinence.<br />
Call and emal your Councilmembers now (<a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/c_Contact_City_Council_592_English.htm">click here</a> for phone numbers and emails) and tell them that you will parent your children, not the DC government and Mr. Catania. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-64193922138786775752011-06-24T10:26:00.001-07:002011-06-24T10:29:04.091-07:00Mayor Gray denies responsibility for South Capitol Street Murders<p>Mayor Gray, through a spokesperson as <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jun/23/supervision-of-shooting-suspect-questioned/">reported in the Washington Times</a> on June 24, said the District Government “Bears no responsibility in her (Brishnell Jones) death. As such, the Office of the Attorney General, at the appropriate time, will move to dismiss this action”. This was in response to the lawsuit filed by Nardyne Jefferies, Brishnell’s mother.</p> <p>I think that the mayor has a lot of gall to have that position. The District routinely lets dangerous criminals out on the streets prematurely. Sanquan Carter, the person who started the chain of retribution, was wanted for armed carjacking. Why was he released? Why are violent youth routinely housed together with less serious offenders at DC facilities, such as the New Beginnings correction facility in Laurel. Frequently, youth there have been out of control as well, as evidenced by the recent guard beating and escape. </p> <p>Yes, the DC government has to take responsibility for its role in the death of Brishnell, and many other DC residents. Dangerous criminals need to be behind bars, regardless of their age. Those who wish to be reformed should have that chance. Unfortunately, the DC department of Youth and Rehabilitative Services has not sufficiently distinguished between different types of offenders, and DC law has frequently allowed criminals who commit serious crimes with weapons to go free. DC code needs to be tightened, and its enforcement increased, to protect all DC citizens. Criminals or ex convicts do not have any “right” to reek havoc and terror on our community. Ms. Jefferies is right to file her lawsuit, and her resounding victory will send a clear message to the DC Council and agencies to protect all citizens and to reevaluate and reform the practices of the DC juvenile justice system.</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-49556516966610872372011-05-30T10:49:00.001-07:002011-05-30T19:06:48.268-07:00Remembering on Memorial Day<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZclK3vBTodOVpkl_WyM123slQL0MiO_X40Wx9ghP9kfHE24QwyUhh7kaf7plpGZ5yngJAFbOhX5ecflZd5TOBJeXb6dXpRXLufG-AXD8MXXnpw0mVwZy_hecHDevfzRXxMey/s1600-h/Memorial%252520Day%2525202011%252520012%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Memorial Day 2011 012" border="0" alt="Memorial Day 2011 012" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc8jJS8M4TaQ3f6_L4DFoufx_U6V1YKLP6XXB2ki8K79ykdIUZCiYWaJ4sKSe7bvtErjwQAzjganWAAn78KD7qAyN0Jxpob1ENim-RL0lNyWd1n4vO6LkWQUciTMDaTD1uiPWL//?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244"></a>I visited the 2nd Division memorial, which is on the Ellipse, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War memorial today. I spoke with soldiers who fought in Korea and Vietnam, and my own father is a World War II veteran.</p> <p><em>Freedom is Not Free</em> is inscribed on the Korean War Memorial. More that 54,000 Americans and 628,000 United Nations troops lost their lives in that one conflict. I took pictures and reflected on some of the mementos left at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.</p> <p>Why did these soldiers and warriors gave their lives? Was it just so we can live as we please and enjoy doing what we want. Along with freedom comes responsibility. When I think about the sexual abuse of children, sexual slavery and trafficking, and other abuses, I wonder, is this what these brave men and women died for? Responsibility means using our freedom in a way that benefits and honors others. There is nothing “free” or enlightened about licentious sex, meaning sex that is self seeking, gratuitous, and outside of a committed, loving, lifetime relationship. Where is the sense of dignity and of seeing each individual as a child of the creator, God? Where is the beauty and sacredness?</p> <p>I think of all those who suffer from sexual abuse and the effects of broken families. Let us protect children, youth, and all of God’s children of any age and honor the sacrifices of those who allow us to live in freedom by upholding the value and sacredness of of each person as a child of God and of their right to live free of sexual abuse and sexual licentiousness.</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/richardurban/sets/72157626844053356/">View my Picutres of the Memorials on Flickr</a></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-37364824139107731452011-04-18T12:56:00.001-07:002011-04-18T12:56:46.863-07:00The Rubber Revolution?<p>Last November, the DC Department of Health (DOH) launched the <a href="http://rubberrevolutiondc.com/"><em>Rubber Revolution website</em></a><em>. </em>According to the site:</p> <blockquote> <p>We want condoms in the hands of the men and women of DC to use for responsible and good sex. </p></blockquote> <p>Really? If condom distribution is working so well in DC, why have rates of HIV infection and sexually transmitted disease infection been increasing? Certainly not because there have not been enough condoms distributed.</p> <p>Condom distribution in the District increased from 600,0000 in 2007 to 3.2 million in 2009. Yet at the same time, the rate of HIV infection increased by 9.2 per cent. So it appears that there is a correlation between more condoms being distributed and higher HIV infection rates. Ed Green found the same effect in his research in Africa; using condoms seems to give a false sense of security. Countries with the highest rate of condom use also have the highest rates of HIV infection. Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa have the highest rate of condom distribution, and also the highest rate of HIV infection (20 percent to 35 percent among males ages 15 to 49) <p>Although 42 percent of DC high school students report never having had sex, and 69 percent have not had sex within the previous three months, the District does not spend any money to increase the number of youth who are abstaining from sex. <p>The vision of ULTRA Teen Choice is that</p> <blockquote> <p>Every DC youth from upper elementary through high school will receive education about the benefits of abstinence, and will have the opportunity to hear from peers who believe in abstinence. <br>Accountability relationships, in person or through others means, will be set up between older youth or adults of the same sex who believe in abstinence: <br>Middle school youth will be STAR (Students Teaching Abstinence & Responsibility) Guides for upper elementary. <br>High school youth will be STAR Guides for Middle School. <br>College Youth will be STAR Guides for High School.<br>This will greatly reduce the rate of HIV, STDs, out of wedlock births, and heartbreak.</p></blockquote> <p>A condom-centric approach to stopping HIV and STD infection in DC has been a dismal failure. It is time to form a youth HIV Prevention Corps that leverages the immense resource of youth who are abstinent or who have returned to abstinence. Why are we wasting more of taxpayers hard earned money funding programs that continue to promote the same old failed methods?</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-46348753637324700922011-02-09T21:29:00.000-08:002011-02-09T21:32:03.889-08:00A Surprising Prevention Success: Why Did the HIV Epidemic Decline in Zimbabwe?<p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="939032005-10022011">A major study cites behavioral change, i.e. abstinence and especially faithfulness in marriage,spurred on by a fear of death caused by HIV infection and information received from interpersonal relationships, like friends, family and churches for the remarkable decline of HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe from 29% in 1997 to 16% in 2007 </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><span class="939032005-10022011">This mirrors the research of Ed Green about Uganda. It is interesting to note that little credence is given to the protective ability of condoms, although that is still presented as an "evidence based" method, although there is no evidence to support increasing condom distribution as a prevention method.</span></span></p><span class="939032005-10022011"></span><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000414;jsessionid=52D9029E44F1876D3BC759B4F634CC8D.ambra01">http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000414;jsessionid=52D9029E44F1876D3BC759B4F634CC8D.ambra01</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-83204200472252405832010-03-22T19:58:00.000-07:002010-03-22T20:09:53.299-07:00HIV/AIDs epidemic continues to spreadThe 2009 DC Epidemiology report says that there was a nine percent increase in reported cases of HIV/AIDS in just one year. Although less people developed AIDS, the last stage of HIV disease, that does not address the main issue. <br />The main issue is education to prevent HIV/AIDS infection. A recent study has shown conclusively that programs that emphasize abstinence from sex, unlike so called "comprehensive" programs that mostly emphasize using condoms, reduce the number of teens having sex. Why then does Washington, DC continue to push ever more condoms, even now promoting female condoms, when no study has ever shown that so called "comprehensive" sex education programs increase the rate of consistent condom use among the general population.<br />We need to provide all youth beginning in 6th grade with abstinence centered education that clearly teaches the physical, social, and emotional consequences of sexual activity outside of a mutually faithful monogamous relationship, i.e. marriage. Nothing else will do justice for the next generation of our leaders. As your next At- Large Councilmember I will work diligently with my colleagues to fund abstinence centered programs for all DC youth.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-56105657131452810092010-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:002010-02-21T21:35:32.291-08:00New Study Shows Abstinence Programs WorkSex education classes that focus on encouraging children to remain abstinent can persuade a significant proportion to delay sexual activity, researchers reported Monday Feb. 1 in a landmark study that could have major implications for U.S. efforts to protect young people against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Currently, the District of Columbia does not allocate any funding for abstinence programs. <br /><br />Only about a third of sixth- and seventh-graders who completed an abstinence-focused program started having sex within the next two years, researchers found. Nearly half of the students who attended other classes, including ones that combined information about abstinence and contraception, became sexually active. <br /><br />The findings are the first clear evidence that an abstinence program could work, according to the Washington Post. However, several other studies have shown efficacy in reducing sexual activity, such as these, but this study is considered to be more definitive. <br /><br />"I think we've written off abstinence-only education without looking closely at the nature of the evidence," said John B. Jemmott III, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who led the federally funded study. "Our study shows this could be one approach that could be used. <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/Jermott_study.html">Read More</a><br />Source: The Washington Post Feb. 2, 2010 with additional content by Richard Urban<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-8740560647484979772009-12-19T09:03:00.000-08:002009-12-19T09:12:11.123-08:00HIV can be stoppedThe Washington Post wrote an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121504873.html">editorial</a> on December 16 titled <span style="font-style:italic;">HIV/AIDS: The incurable epidemic</span>. HIV can be stopped. If you have sex only with one person who is not infected, and they have sex only with you, you will never be infected, outside of the extremely remote possibility that you could receive a contaminated blood transfusion. Why is sexual abstinence and reduction of the number of sexual partners not emphasized in the Post article.<br />The promotion of condom use throughout Africa and in the United States and right here in Washington, DC has been a dismal failure. It has not stopped the spread of HIV/AIDS. In fact, Washington DC has the highest rate of HIV infection in the United States. No program anywhere in the world has ever achieved a generalized high rate of condom use across the entire population. Yet programs that emphasize abstinence, such as that adopted in Uganda have been effective.<br />Sexual abstinence outside of a mutually faithful monogamous relationship and partner reduction must become the main focus of preventing HIV/AIDS.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-48297237096329273052009-12-01T20:53:00.000-08:002009-12-01T20:55:04.986-08:00Challenging the Scientific "Priesthood" on World AIDS DayToday's (12/1/09) New York Times article by John Tierney, "E-Mail Fracas Shows Peril of Trying to Spin Science," points to the self-serving efforts of British climate scientists to block perfectly legitimate requests by other scientists to see the raw climate data on which their public proclamations about man-made global warming were based as well as their "plotting revenge against those who question the dangers of global warming" and planning "retaliation against the journal and the editor" who dared to publish a skeptic's paper. <br /><br />As any 9th grade science student knows, silencing of other points of view and ad hominem attacks are the opposite of the open debate and access to raw data that is essential to true scientific debate and progress. <br /><br />But, on World AIDS Day, it's important for us to realize that man-made global warming is not the only sphere where official dogma reigns, or where suppression/misrepresentation of data and alternative viewpoints are practiced. <br /><br />Consider the suppression by leading journals and UNAIDS of reports and articles by researchers like Ted Green and Norman Hearst showing that the condom strategy for reducing the spread of AIDS in generalized epidemics such as exist in sub-Saharan Africa was failing and that the ABc approach emphasizing abstinence for youth and monogamy/partner reduction among the sexually active was having lifesaving success in reducing the prevalence of HIV infections in Uganda by two thirds (from 15% to 5%). The stubborn and blind refusal to consider a new approach because of political or ideological agendas in the U.S. and at the United Nations has contributed to the deaths of millions of Africans. <br /><br />The recent CDC report "Group-based Interventions to Prevent Adolescent Pregnancy, HIV, and Other STDs," which stated the effectiveness of programs that include condom instruction, is another example of agenda-driven science, released just in time to affect proposals in Congress to cut funding for abstinence education programs and to shift it to "evidence-based" programs that promote condom use. <br /><br />The CDC refuses to release the underlying statistics for public scrutiny by other scientists. Sound familiar? <br /><br />In the supposedly open and democratic West, which prides itself on basing public policy on evidence, reason and legitimate science, that shouldn't be acceptable, but most of the media docilely accepts pronouncements from experts whose proclamations we are supposed to accept on faith. Shame on the "scientific priesthood," shame on much of the media and shame on us for allowing unexamined claims and half-truths to endanger the physical and emotional health and lives of youth in this country and around the world. <br /><br />Richard Panzer, Ph.D.<br />Moderator and Director<br />Free Teens USA<br />(http://www.freeteensusa.org) <br />(http://www.freeteensyouth.com) <br />(http://culturemachine.com)<br />(http://thewaronintimacy.com/twoi/?e=freeteensusa)<br />************<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-69459057374267368052009-11-30T22:59:00.000-08:002009-11-30T23:02:40.736-08:00HPV vaccine requirement in Washington DC should be repealedOver 12,000 adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine have been reported, including 32 deaths and almost 1000 serious reactions, like blood clots, seizures, and heart attacks. This shot is unnecessary and dangerous. Since, HPV is only transmitted through sexual intercourse, why is Washington DC reqriing 6th grade girls to get this vaccine? This policy needs to be repealed by the city council NOW! (One note about the article below: condoms are not effective against preventing HPV)<br />Study Reveals Serious HPV Vaccine Problems: Fainting, Blood Clots, Death Among Risks<br />by S. L. Baker, features writer<br /><br />(NaturalNews) At first glance, a study just published in the August 19th edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is yet another whitewash job about the safety of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus recombinant vaccine --better known as Gardasil, the genital human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Licensed in June of 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for girls and young women between the ages of nine and 26, the enormously hyped and advertised vaccine is designed to prevent infection with four types of HPV: types 16 and 18 can cause cervical cancer and types 6 and 11 are the most common types of genital warts.<br /><br />The JAMA report says that the Gardasil adverse events reported have been mostly consistent with data gathered before the vaccine was considered safe enough to be widely administered to young girls. But a close reading shows some disturbing additional facts.<br /><br />Just as NaturalNews has consistently reported, the vaccine has caused an extraordinary number of adverse side effects (http://www.naturalnews.com/026722_G...). And now comes word from the JAMA report that the HPV vaccine has unexpectedly caused episodes of fainting and life-threatening blood clots. In fact, in a statement to the media, these events were called "disproportional" -- meaning these side effects are anything but rare. What's more, among the 12,424 adverse reaction reports about the HPV vaccine, 772 (6.2 percent) were serious and included 32 reports of death.<br /><br />Other problems caused by the vaccine include local site reactions, skin rashes, nausea, dizziness, headaches and even Guillain-Barre syndrome (a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system sometimes causing paralysis) and anaphylaxis (hypersensitivity reaction that can cause sudden death). As just reported by CBS news, the teenage daughter of physician Scott Ratner and his wife was one of the unfortunate girls who became severely ill with a chronic autoimmune disease, myofasciitis, after her first dose of Gardasil. Dr. Ratner told CBS his daughter was so ill with the neurological problem "..she'd have been better off getting cervical cancer than the vaccination."<br /><br />One the lead researchers for Gardasil has also gone public this week, telling CBS news there is no data showing that the vaccine even remains effective beyond five years. That means that if a ten year old girl is given the vaccine and subjected to possibly serious and even life-threatening side effects, the vaccine may offer her no protection at all when she hits her teens or young adulthood.<br /><br />What makes the debate about Gardasil crazy to begin with is that studies have shown 70 to 90 percent of people with HPV naturally clear the virus from the body within two years of infection -- with no help from drugs or vaccines. So the most effective protection from problems caused by HPV is to avoid being infected by the multiple strains of HPV by not engaging in promiscuous, unprotected-by-condoms sex (the virus is transmitted sexually and condoms do not offer 100 percent protection) and by keeping your body's immune system strong and healthy through good nutrition, exercise and exposure to sunlight.<br /><br />In an editorial accompanying the JAMA study, Charlotte Haug, M.D., Ph.D., M.Sc., of The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association in Oslo expressed her concerns about the aggressively promoted Gardasil vaccine: "Whether a risk is worth taking depends not only on the absolute risk, but on the relationship between the potential risk and the potential benefit. If the potential benefits are substantial, most individuals would be willing to accept the risks. But the net benefit of the HPV vaccine to a woman is uncertain. Even if persistently infected with HPV, a woman most likely will not develop cancer if she is regularly screened..."<br /><br />For more information:<br />http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009...<br />http://www.indiana.edu/~health/hpv.html<br />http://www.naturalnews.com/025613_c...<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-78954817709373902152009-11-21T20:36:00.000-08:002009-12-01T21:14:19.774-08:00Michelle Rhee should resign over sexual misconduct cover upThe role of Michelle Rhee in covering up sexual misconduct by her fiancee, Sacramento California mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson has just been revealed in a congressional report. As reported in <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Exclusive-Congressional-Report-Rhee-did-damage-control-after-sex-charges-against-fiancee-Kevin-Johnson.html">The Washington Examiner</a>,<a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/nov/21/hill-report-names-dc-schools-chief/"> The Washington Times</a> and many other media, Ms. Rhee handled "damage control" as a member of the Board of Directors of St. Hope Academy, the school that Kevin Johnson founded.<br />The congressional report says that Johnson made inappropriate sexual advances toward three young women involved in the St Hope program. One AmeriCorps volunteer working there allegedly was offered $1000 per month to keep quiet. Michelle Rhee was informed of the sexual misconduct by a staff member.<br />Ms. Rhee has politicized DC Public Schools. All the while, she claims that she is acting in the best interests of children.<br />In 2007, Ms Rhee told the character based abstinence education program that I founded, <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org">ULTRA Teen Choice</a> to stop its programs in DC Public Schools. It was alleged, falsly, by her special assistant Richard Nyankori, that all outside health programs were being stopped. Nyankori and Deputy Chief for Youth Engagement Chad Ferguson, in a private meeting told me that since I did not express explicit personal support for same sex relationships, and since I testified against now adopted health standards that effectively promote same sex relationships as normal, that our program would not be welcome in DC Public Schools. Later, Ms. Rhee became personally involved in our case, and even <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/downloads/MRhee_June_08.PDF">falsely claimed </a>that I had held a meeting at a school without permission and changed a school's entry log (doesn't she have anything else to do)? Find our the details <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/default.asp?contentID=629">here</a>.<br />It is ironic that Ms Rhee refers to the "safety and security of children" in the letter. It is also ironic that she worked so diligently to block a character based program that helps children to abstain from sexual relationships, while she covered for her fiancee who made inappropriate sexual advances on those under his supervision. <br />The Washington DC City Council should open an investigation into Ms. Rhee's misconduct at the St. Hope Academy, as well as her misconduct in the termination of the ULTRA Teen Choice program. The council should also look into other ways in which Ms. Rhee has politicized the school system by bringing in programs that support her views in issues such as same sex relationships, while blocking or ousting programs that promote traditional values. At the same time, Ms. Rhee should tender her resignation effective immediately.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-64863301864603755002009-11-11T22:11:00.000-08:002009-11-11T22:36:31.823-08:00Murder at 14th & H St. NETwenty one year old George Rawlings was murdered on Veteran's day while boarding a Metro bus heading west at 14th St. NE and H St. NE around 11:40 a.m. In March, Crystal Washington was murdered about 200 feet away at 14th st. NE and Maryland Ave. NE at about 9 a.m.<br />So, what kind of things need to be done to help stop this type of violence? One study of adolescents charged with murder found that seventy-two percent grew up without their fathers.<br />So, you would think that there would be more public and private officials and organizations promoting the formation of stable families by encouraging youth to not have sex before marriage, or at least to wait to have sex. <br />However, instead we find Councilmember David Catania spending thousands of dollars on a <a href="http://www.davidcatania.com/files/FINAL%20MERGED%20YSHP%20REPORT.pdf">report</a> that actually <span style="font-style:italic;">encourages<span style="font-style:italic;">sexual experimentation</span></span>.<br />And school Chancellor Michelle Rhee <a href="http://www.ultrateenchoice.org/default.asp?contentID=629">eliminates numerous community based programs </a>form DC public schools that encourage sexual abstinence and help youth to build strong character.<br />And the only response to the HIV/AIDS crisis is to hand out ever more condoms.<br />And instead of giving a clear goal to youth of striving to have a successful family with a Mom and a Dad, the DC City Council wants to redefine marriage as any two people who live together. And if you believe that marriage is only between a man and a woman, it will actually be <span style="font-style:italic;">illegal<span style="font-style:italic;"> to teach that in public schools</span></span> What does this say to our youth about the value of striving to form a family where they can raise and nurture their children?<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-27117475668338834592009-10-27T23:41:00.001-07:002009-10-28T00:09:52.045-07:00Sexual Health means more sexual exploration?Washington DC at large City Councilmember David Catania's Youth Sexual Health Project has just released a <a href="http://www.davidcatania.com/files/FINAL%20MERGED%20YSHP%20REPORT.pdf">140 page report</a>.<br />Mr. Catania's brave new world will teach that "youth sexual health is the ability to understand, respect, and enjoy the different dimensions of sexuality". A sidebar in the introductions quotes from the Canadian Health Education Guidelines, 2008 "Sexuality encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expresssed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behavior, practices, roes and relationships". <br /><br />The word "abstinence" is mentioned only four times in the entire document. "Condoms" are mentioned about 50 times. The report includes a newly developed sexual health curriculum for 7th to 12th grade called "TRISH", for Teen Relationships, Identity, and Sexual Health. Two thirds of the curriculum deals with "Identity" (Sexual Orientation), and "Gender". There is a lot of very objectionable material in this curriculum, and I will be examining it in subsequent posts.<br /><br />How can a major document written by four supposed "experts" and six research assistants working in the city with the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the nation not even mention reducing the number of sexual partners as a goal for sexual health? Also how can there be almost no focus whatsoever on promoting sexual abstinence? This is because the report is based on the flawed view that all kinds of sexual exploration are healthy for youth and that you should not discourage sexual exploration.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-17679005031175198072009-07-07T10:32:00.000-07:002009-07-07T10:58:36.239-07:00Is it discriminatory to promote abstinence in preparation for marriage?One of the most common arguments against promoting abstinence until marriage is that same sex couples cannot marry. The argument goes that this is discriminatory against same sex couples.<br />But is it really? The premise is that same sex attraction disorder (SSAD)is something that you are born with. But there is absolutely no conclusive evidence that this is true. That is why those vehemently promoting SSAD normalization are so against those who provide guidance and counseling and services for those who wish to deal with their SSAD and change. It also follows that if people are not born SSAD, and that many, if not all, wish they could change, and many do change to heterosexual lifestyle, that is is a <span style="font-weight:bold;">choice</span> to remain SSAD, that <span style="font-weight:bold;">could be changed.</span><br />This idea totally undermines the argument for special privileges, rights to marry, etc for SSAD couples. That is why they insist that people can't change, yet SSAD people can and do change their sexual orientation.<br />If SSAD is recognized, then there is no basis for special privileges and rights, including the argument that it is wrong to talk about abstinence in preparation for marriage.<br />Promoting abstinence in preparation for marriage does not discriminate against anyone. Many people can and do change their sexual orientation. <br />Furthermore, if you eliminate the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman, then any type of relationship must be accepted, since there is no longer any definition. What about polygamous relationships or incestuous relationships? What would the basis be to deny these groupings "rights"? Ironically, giving special rights to those with SSAD leads to discrimination against those who hold religious, moral or social views that uphold the institution of marriage as being between only one man and one woman.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-6567165086923854692009-04-27T07:49:00.000-07:002009-04-27T09:02:31.632-07:00Why can't homosexual "marriage" work?<span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >Due to the principles through which God created the world, love requires an object. It is quite apparent in the natural and human world, that God created using the pair system, where male and female, men and women complement each other. Men and women come together, centered on love and the higher purpose of forming a family that will create children. It is also quite apparent that a man or a woman cannot create a child by themselves, no matter how long they may try. These basic relationships of family, including the parents and grandparents, form a nucleus for all relationships in the world, by extension, such as the brotherhood of all humanity centered upon our one common Creator.<br />Same sex relationships are out of order with the natural world, as stated above. Additionally, a dutch study found that men in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">homosexual</span> relationships on average have eight partners a year outside those relationships. In this aspect, these relationships are not what most people <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">would</span> consider "marriage". Also, there is a large degree of banality and crassness in many such relationships. Consider this post by ex gay Greg Quinlan, when confronted by a former Human Rights Campaign staff member.</span><blockquote><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >"At the booth, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Besen</span> (former Human Rights Campaign</span> spokesperson) stuck his finger in my face and called me a "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">fu</span><span style="font-size:100%;">*king fag*</span>," "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">fu</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">*king co*</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ksucker</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">," "</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nellie</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> fairy," etc. "You're still having gay sex," he yelled at me. We had to call security to remove him because we were scared for our safety."</span></blockquote><br /><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />A world of peace will come when we recognize <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" style="font-size:100%;">God's</span> principles and follow them. These principles are not a religion, but rather the same "inalienable rights" that the Founding Fathers recognized. At that time, they were a part of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" style="font-size:100%;">community</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> that was a given, although they were not always carried out completely, as in the case of slavery. Relationships of love come centered on higher values. When these universal principles are </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" style="font-size:100%;">discarded</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> in favor of banal, crass </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" style="font-size:100%;">relationships</span><span style="font-size:100%;">, the very core of society is threatened. We must awaken to this fact and vigorously defend the </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" style="font-size:100%;">institution</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> of marriage </span><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" style="font-size:100%;">between</span> and man and a woman.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21491261.post-11841322273541516452009-04-19T09:07:00.001-07:002009-04-27T09:06:04.696-07:00Sex and the ChurchI felt today that it is very important for every church to have a program that guides young adults toward healthy relationships in preparation for marriage. Sexual abstinence before marriage is especially important. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">YOUth</span> Awakening REVOLUTION kick off today at 5 p.m. will address that issue. Each church or house of worship must have a ministry that guides youth and young adults to stay sexually pure. Youth and adults who have this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">commitment</span> will guide the younger ones and be their accountability partners regarding their <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">commitment</span> to abstinence. The ULTRA Teen Choice Chapter Start up Kit provides all of the know how and materials to start such a program at any church, worship place, organization, or home. Those of us who know this is the right way must act now to help, guide and protect our youth.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Richard Urban is a former At-large independent candidate for DC City Council</div>Richardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05987555807408754172noreply@blogger.com0