Character, not Condoms

Write the DC Council about the South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act

2011-10-26T20:10:00.001-07:00

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.
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.
Also, with a budget shortfall, how can this monstrous bureaucracy be funded?
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.

Use the ULTRA Teen Choice email tool to contact all DC Councilmembers, key staff, and Mayor Gray.

The South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act of 2011 is bad legislation

2011-08-26T16:18:00.001-07:00

Through the promotion of same sex marriage and sexual exploration of all kinds through the David Catania sponsored sexual health report , 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.

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 Catanias sexual health report.

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 reported in the Washington Times. 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.

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.

This means children also need to be taught to abstain from sex before marriage. Yet Catania’s sexual health report promotes sexual exploration, and under Catania oversight, the department of Health pushes condoms but does not spend anything to encourage abstinence.

Call and emal your Councilmembers now (click here for phone numbers and emails) and tell them that you will parent your children, not the DC government and Mr. Catania.

Mayor Gray denies responsibility for South Capitol Street Murders

2011-06-24T10:26:00.001-07:00

Mayor Gray, through a spokesperson as reported in the Washington Times 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.

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.

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.

Remembering on Memorial Day

2011-05-30T10:49:00.001-07:00

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.

Freedom is Not Free 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.

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?

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.

View my Picutres of the Memorials on Flickr

The Rubber Revolution?

2011-04-18T12:56:00.001-07:00

Last November, the DC Department of Health (DOH) launched the Rubber Revolution website. According to the site:

We want condoms in the hands of the men and women of DC to use for responsible and good sex.

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.

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)

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.

The vision of ULTRA Teen Choice is that

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.
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:
Middle school youth will be STAR (Students Teaching Abstinence & Responsibility) Guides for upper elementary.
High school youth will be STAR Guides for Middle School.
College Youth will be STAR Guides for High School.
This will greatly reduce the rate of HIV, STDs, out of wedlock births, and heartbreak.

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?

A Surprising Prevention Success: Why Did the HIV Epidemic Decline in Zimbabwe?

2011-02-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

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

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.

http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000414;jsessionid=52D9029E44F1876D3BC759B4F634CC8D.ambra01

HIV/AIDs epidemic continues to spread

2010-03-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

The 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.
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.
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.

New Study Shows Abstinence Programs Work

2010-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Sex 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.

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.

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.

"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. Read More
Source: The Washington Post Feb. 2, 2010 with additional content by Richard Urban

HIV can be stopped

2009-12-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Washington Post wrote an editorial on December 16 titled HIV/AIDS: The incurable epidemic. 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.
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.
Sexual abstinence outside of a mutually faithful monogamous relationship and partner reduction must become the main focus of preventing HIV/AIDS.

Challenging the Scientific "Priesthood" on World AIDS Day

2009-12-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Today'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The CDC refuses to release the underlying statistics for public scrutiny by other scientists. Sound familiar?

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.

Richard Panzer, Ph.D.
Moderator and Director
Free Teens USA
(http://www.freeteensusa.org)
(http://www.freeteensyouth.com)
(http://culturemachine.com)
(http://thewaronintimacy.com/twoi/?e=freeteensusa)
************

HPV vaccine requirement in Washington DC should be repealed

2009-11-30T22:59:00.000-08:00

Over 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)
Study Reveals Serious HPV Vaccine Problems: Fainting, Blood Clots, Death Among Risks
by S. L. Baker, features writer

(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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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..."

For more information:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009...
http://www.indiana.edu/~health/hpv.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/025613_c...

Michelle Rhee should resign over sexual misconduct cover up

2009-11-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

The 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 The Washington Examiner, The Washington Times 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.
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.
Ms. Rhee has politicized DC Public Schools. All the while, she claims that she is acting in the best interests of children.
In 2007, Ms Rhee told the character based abstinence education program that I founded, ULTRA Teen Choice 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 falsely claimed 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 here.
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.
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.

Murder at 14th & H St. NE

2009-11-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

Twenty 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.
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.
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.
However, instead we find Councilmember David Catania spending thousands of dollars on a report that actually encouragessexual experimentation.
And school Chancellor Michelle Rhee eliminates numerous community based programs form DC public schools that encourage sexual abstinence and help youth to build strong character.
And the only response to the HIV/AIDS crisis is to hand out ever more condoms.
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 illegal to teach that in public schools What does this say to our youth about the value of striving to form a family where they can raise and nurture their children?

Sexual Health means more sexual exploration?

2009-10-27T23:41:00.001-07:00

Washington DC at large City Councilmember David Catania's Youth Sexual Health Project has just released a 140 page report.
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".

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.

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.

Is it discriminatory to promote abstinence in preparation for marriage?

2009-07-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

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.
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 choice to remain SSAD, that could be changed.
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.
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.
Promoting abstinence in preparation for marriage does not discriminate against anyone. Many people can and do change their sexual orientation.
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.

Why can't homosexual "marriage" work?

2009-04-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

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.
Same sex relationships are out of order with the natural world, as stated above. Additionally, a dutch study found that men in homosexual relationships on average have eight partners a year outside those relationships. In this aspect, these relationships are not what most people would 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.

"At the booth, Besen (former Human Rights Campaign spokesperson) stuck his finger in my face and called me a "fu*king fag*," "fu*king co*ksucker," "nellie 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."

A world of peace will come when we recognize God's 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 community 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 discarded in favor of banal, crass relationships, the very core of society is threatened. We must awaken to this fact and vigorously defend the institution of marriage between and man and a woman.

Sex and the Church

2009-04-19T09:07:00.001-07:00

I 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 YOUth 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 commitment will guide the younger ones and be their accountability partners regarding their commitment 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.

Sexting Scandal

2009-03-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

The "sexting" related suicide of Jessie Logan, 18 year old Sycamore High School (Cincinnatti, OH) senior from who became extemely depressed after her ex-boyfriend sent her nude picture to other girls shows one more dark example of how far away from a culture of healthy and repectful relationships we have come. Jessie was relentlessly harrassed by other girls at her school.
It goes to show it is not just about sex at all, but about what wholesome relationships look like. Sexual purity of mind and body can protect children (and adults, too) from the coarseness and ravages of lustful, unwholesome relationships.
One thing I have noticed is that those who promote any kind of sexual relationship at anytime often have a very crude and rude view of sexuality. It is often seen as a kind of mechanical process, where love, beauty and sacredness have no place.
I found this out when we put an image on ULTRAteenchoice.org that showed a diamond with a chain around it. Websites that often talk about sex as "sticking the bolt in the nut", such as Pandagon, thought that was just hilarious.
I think that is a major reason that those with an "any kind of sex at most any time" is OK attitude will always clash with those who see sex as something that involves the most sacred bonds of love that can create a life and a lineage. One view is carnal and self-centered, the other is unselfish and brings higher value to the relationship and recognizes the importance of a union that embodies love and can lead to life and lineage. One kind of relationship, when consummated in marriage, is constructive, while the other is often destructive, and can lead to devastation, heartbreak, and sometimes even death.

DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is biased

2009-03-07T17:20:00.000-08:00

I just sent this email to the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. They send out a weekly newsletter called "Spreading the News" about pregnancy prevention news and events. The problem is that it is ridiculously lopsided against any promotion of sexual abstinence. In fact, this is the third time I have sent something to be posted, and the third time it was not posted:

Dear Ms. Bissell,

You have once again (for the 3rd time and 2nd year) "forgotten" to post the announcement that I sent about the Abstinence Awareness Week youth forum. Your "news" is so lopsided toward condoms, etc. and against those promoting sexual abstinence that it would be laughable if it were not a matter of life and death. If you are serious about helping as many youth as possible, please send out this announcement on Monday, March 9, as a correction. Thank you.

Here is the announcement:

Abstinence Awareness Week Youth Forum is coming to Howard University School of Business Auditorium, Georgia Ave. & Fairmont St. NW on March 9 from 6 pm to 9 pm. The theme is "Marriage & Family Matter: Abstinence is a Core Strength of the Community". This forum will feature a youth panel, parent panel, speakers, recording artist Angelia Robinson and table space for community organizations and ministries. Register and get more information at www.ultrateenchoice.org, or call Richard at 202-558-5550.

Purposeful living

2008-09-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

Often there is confusion or controversy about what is right and wrong when it comes to teaching youth about sex, and about promoting abstinence until marriage as the expected standard for youth.
However, when you think about it from a God-centered perspective, it is clear. Genesis 1:28 says that one should "Be fruitful, and multiply, and ...have dominion". Many equate being "fruitful" and "multiplying" as being the same, but that is not the case. Being fruitful means fulfilling your God-given potential and purpose. This is the stage where youth and young adults should develop their heart and spiritual self, learning to love and serve others. It is good for youth to focus on causes greater than their own self-interest. Relationships between boys and girls should be brotherly and sisterly, and should not involve romantic relationships.
During the second phase, which is "multiply", each person should resemble God, who has both male and female attributes, by forming a family. Since this will enable that couple to resemble God's complete image, the sexual union within marriage is a sacred union. It is not an exaggeration to say that God wants to bless that union, and that under His blessing, He wants to dwell in that very relationship, where the couples' love will bear fruit and where life and lineage can be created.
Since a man and a woman are resembling God through the sexual relationship (or should be!), it is a sacred union, one that should not be consummated outside the confines of marriage.
With this understanding, we can realize that anything that keeps youth from moving toward the purpose for which God created us (to grow as individuals in our relationship with God, resemble Him in families, and take care of the Creation) is wrong.
So should we be giving HPV vaccine to 11 year old girls. Of course not!. Should we be promoting same sex relationships to the same age group. Of course not! Should we be telling youth that sexual relationships are normal, just use a condom! Of course not!
From the above spiritual perspective, it is no surprise that sex outsie of marriage carries serious physical, emotional and social, as well as spiritual consequences.

Advertising nude models in Civic Newsletter

2008-08-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

In the September issue of The Buzz, it is advertised that jewelry in an exhibit at Evolve Galleries will be displayed on nude models during the opening reception. While Evolve galleries is certainly free to hold this event, it is wrong to advertise it for free in "North Lincoln Park's Neighborhood Newsletter", which is distributed each month to over 1000 homes in the North Lincoln Park area.

This is another example of an "anything goes" attitude toward moral and family issues. It is interesting to note that Elizabeth Nelson of The Buzz editorial team is one of the persons who was on an Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC)6A committee that recommended that ULTRA Teen Choice, an organization that promotes sexual abstinence and preparation for marriage, not receive any funding from the ANC, except for xerox copies (that, too, was ultimately denied).

Loose Numbers

2008-08-25T12:52:00.000-07:00

According to a USA Today article , more than half of all high school girls have been exposed to the HPV virus before they graduate. This is supposed to justify giving 11 and 12 year old girls HPV vaccine shots manufactured by Merck. However, according tot he youth risk behavior surveillance system, 54% of high school females have never had sexual intercourse. So that means that more than 100% of all sexually active high school females have HPV. But the actual figure is 25 percent among 14 to 19 year old females. So much for medical accuracy.

More than half of girls have been exposed to HPV by the time they finish high
school, says Carol Baker, professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine
and a member of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

How did she come up with that figure? Could she have some connection to the Merck company?

Wouldn't it make more sense to strongly promote sexual abstinence for teenagers, especially 11 and 12 year olds. How about spending $375 per student (or most likely a lot less) to educate youth on the benefits of staying sexually abstinent? In Washington, DC, each child born to a mother 17 years old and younger costs tax payers $5791 per year, not including the costs associated with care for the mother, and that is a conservative estimate.

Michelle Rhee pushes agendas instead of helping youth

2008-08-07T02:02:00.001-07:00

The attempt to influence teachers to give up tenure by hiring some teachers to lobby is another example of how The Fenty/Rhee administration puts agendas before student, parent, teacher and citizen well being. In my role as the director of a nonprofit that was operating at Eastern Senior High School and several other DC Public Schools, I can attest to the pressure and manipulation that was put on teachers who have served the school system for many years. I personally know of four teachers who retired just this past year. One did not bother to finish the school year. After 25 years of teaching, he was fed up with unruly classrooms and lack of support from the school administration. Another teacher worked heroically to help 10th grade students who were reading at fifth grade level. She was subjected to repeated "evaluations", and has also retired. Another teacher had a stoke and recovered. She too had served students for over 25 years, and has also retired.
Why does Ms Rhee want to fire, retire or otherwise push out so many teachers. Could she be pushing other agendas than the welfare of the youth.
Yes, definitely. One such agenda is getting rid of older, tenured teachers to make way for younger teachers (read New Teacher Project, Ms. Rhee's former organization) who are more comfortable promoting "diversity" (read promotion of normalization of same sex relationships for youth starting in 6th grade). Could there also be a bias toward teachers who may display more inclination to partner with faith based organizations in the community? That is a possibility, too.
Ms. Rhee lied repeatedly in kicking the ULTRA Teen Choice program out of DC Public Schools, while her staff had stated back in December that the real reason was that they do not agree with programs that promote abstinence and waiting to have sex until marriage, but do not specifically include discussion of same sex relationships.

Why Abstinence?

2007-12-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

This evening I was attending a Kiwanis Club meeting. While at the cashier, I talked to a young lady at the cashier. who is a junior at a southeast Washington, DC high school. I explained about signing the petition to save abstinence education in Washington, DC. She said that she supports that because she has a sister who is 16 years old. When her sister was 13, she had an abortion. She is emotionally messed up because of that. The guy was 30 years old, and ended up getting jail time for statutory rape.
How many youth could literally be saved if we could get the message of abstinence out to more youth?
How does giving out a condom deal at all with the whole person? What about the emotional, social, moral as well as the physical consequences of having sex?
I will fight with all my heart and soul for the youth. No one has the right to stop those youth who want to choose sexual abstinence from having a program to support them.

Mandatory HPV Vaccine is the Wrong Focus for our Youth

2007-02-22T12:42:00.000-08:00

Today I realized once again why I am doing this work with youth. I was at the ULTRA Teen Choice Service Club meeting at Eastern High School. One of the Club Members indicated that they would like to attend one of the events that are occurring during Abstinence Awareness. That in itself is not unusual. But what I felt behind it is the sincere desire to respond to the caring that our staff is expressing by having the ULTRA Teen Choice program for the youth. Another youth stopped me a few meetings ago, and asked if I had her new phone number. She knows that sometimes staff will call to update parents and students on current activities.

What if there were Clubs for all of the youth who want to make right choices and practice abstinence from sex before marriage and other healthy behaviors? For a very nominal cost we can encourage youth to make right choices.

Many youth in DC have difficult home situations. They may have moved several times between different relatives, and a significant percentage are not living with either their mom or their dad. Clubs that promote abstinence and avoidance of other risk behaviors, and that give participating youth a chance to speak out to other students, are a good investment, indeed.

There has been talk about requiring all 6th grade girls in DC to get a three part inoculation for Human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that is the primary cause of cervical cancer. This will cost $360 per student, and will last no more that five years. Side effects of the drug for children this young are unknown, and the drug will wear off before the peak age when most girls would be exposed to the virus.

How about "inoculating" youth with an injection of Clubs that promote abstinence from sex before marriage for middle school students, and also continuing support for high school youth, staffed by caring and well trained adults, including mentor "STAR Guides from local universities?. For about the same cost per student as this vaccination, we can provide clubs for thirty 7th and 8th grade students for five years at every middle school. Also, these students will reach out to all of the other 7th and 8th grade youth, and additionally, parents will receive education, too. For a very nominal cost, we can also provide classroom education on the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy that emphasizes the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social benefits of abstaining from sex before marriage.

How can we not support these precious youth who sincerely want to better their lives? Giving vaccinations has its place, but isn't the real issue one of addressing the whole person, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially? Let's give our youth a brighter future by promoting self control, relationship skills, and preparation for healthy relationships with the opposite sex. Focusing on giving vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases to eleven year old girls is the wrong focus. Focusing on education and peer plus adult support for youth to stay abstinent is the right focus.

What do eleven year old girls in DC fear?

2006-12-06T19:39:00.000-08:00

Character, not condoms. That says a lot. Today, in a discussion session with middle school youth, led by college STAR guides (interns), I was touched and angry to hear that some girls in 6th grade in Washington, DC, have to worry about being raped or murdered. The discussion turned around a story about Wilbur the pig, from Charlotte's Web. Wilbur didn't quite know what to do with his new found "freedom" when he temporarily escaped from the barnyard. The connection was that the youth were asked "What are things young people your age might fear?" Some answers were, "being robbed" and "being raped or jacked up". Well, I remember being afraid of neighborhood bullies, but how about the fear of being raped and murdered?

What kind of world are we creating for our children. Does saying, "well, if you are going to have sex, use a condom" even begin to address the issues behind the kind of violent, disrespectful world that many children, (almost all children, if you consider the influence of media) have to grow up with.

Promoting abstinence for our youth is not just about pregnancy or disease, although those are very important issues. It is about promoting respect, kindness and concern for the well being of others. A world where youth wait until marriage to have sex is a vastly safer world for children, as well as for adults. Those learning to abstain from sex are practicing self control and respect for others. Youth who are abstaining from sex are much less likely to use drugs or alcohol, be arrested or suspended from school.

What kind of world do we want to create for our children; a world that says, "here, use a condom", or one that says "wait until marriage so that you can realize the full beauty and joy of a committed sexual relationship with someone you truly love". The answer to this question is directly related to whether we will see a more peaceful and respectful world in the future, or one where eleven year old girls have to literally fear being raped or killed.
Richard

Welcome to Character; Not Condoms

2006-01-25T06:02:00.000-08:00

I have had it on my mind for a while to create this blog.
Then, yesterday, while waiting in line at the Target store, where the lady in front of me was taking about 20 minutes, I asked a young couple behind me if they had heard of ULTRA Teen Choice. She said no, and when I explained about it, she and he were glad to hear that we are doing something positive for the youth.
Then I shared that we are working at two schools in DC. He said, that's a rough neighborhood (near RFK Stadium, and Union Station). Then he shared that he recently witnessed a homicide on the street beside Union Station. The person just ahead of him was shot and killed and his wallet stolen.
You might ask; what has that got to do with helping youth to be abstinent from sex before marriage. Plenty. Ninety per cent of youth who come from stable, two parent homes, even in high crime areas, will not become involved in any kind of delinquency. Do you get the connection?
By promoting abstinence, we are encouraging youth to aim for a brighter future. When they wait, and provide a stable, loving home for their future children, then the spate of lawlessness and juvenile crime that we see in Washington DC will decline dramatically.
It's really simple, when you think about it. Family break down leads to societal problems. By abstaining from sex before marriage, youth are not just preventing disease or unwanted pregnancy, they are helping to ensure a better future for themselves and for our city.