A scathing report that reviews the curricula of thirteen abstinence-only based projects is the latest critique of the Bush Administration’s disregard for science.
In releasing the report, Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Government Reform Committee, said "The curricula seems to be driven by an ideology. And to further their ideological goals, they're making factual statements that are not correct."
The Washington Post reports:
"Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon."
Earlier this year, a report released by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that this administration has manipulated and suppressed scientific research for the sake of politics in a manner unprecedented in US history, resulting in a misinformed public citizenry who lack the proper facts to make informed decisions.
Last year, Representative Waxman released a more general report on Politics and Science in the Bush Administration and launched a website, www.politicsandscience.org, as an ongoing record of interference with science by the Bush Administration.
This most recent analysis comes in response to five years of political and fiscal promotion of abstinence-only sex education by the Bush administration. Federal funding for such programs has more than doubled during the last four years, and Congress has appropriated nearly $170 million for next year, up from $80 million in 2001.
The report concludes that two of the curricula were accurate but the 11 others, used by 69 organizations in 25 states, contain unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, gender traits and when life begins.http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17499Our money is being used to teach kids:
that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide
that half of gay male teenagers in the US have tested positive for the virus causing AIDS
that touching a person's genitals can cause pregnancy
that a 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person"
that the virus causing AIDS can be spread via sweat and tears
that evidence doesn’t confirm that condoms help prevent the spread of STDs
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