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April 04, 2005

Controlling you

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid fired a salvo square into the heart of the "prolife" movement not long ago with his Prevention First Act.

Reid's bill (Reid is himself a prolifer) is aimed at providing preventative health care services to reduce unintended pregnancies, reduce abortions and improve access to women's health care. The key provision of the bill is a requirement for health insurance companies to cover the costs of contraceptives.

In contrast, "abstinence only" programs are receiving heavy funding from the federal government under the Bush Administration. The 2006 Presidential budget calls for $206 million in funds for abstinence only education in schools, an increase of $39 million.

Abstinence Only education isn't holding up well under the latest scrutiny. A study released by Texas A&M University shows that abstinence only education yields an increase in sexual activity among teens. Even more striking, a recently released Yale/Columbia University study shows students who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are more likely to participate in high risk sexual behaviors.

I've noted before that the "prolife" movement isn't in essence about saving anybody's life. It's about having control. These people want control over the intimate decisions people make about their bodies and their lives. Reid's bill proves that some in the prolife camp want to buck the trend of their peers and actually keep unwanted pregnancies from happening.

Rightwing Republicans don't want people to have better access to contraception, health services and education. You can't control an educated populace. Education is power. Ignorance yields control for them.

Posted by Carla at April 4, 2005 07:59 AM