All About McCain

[Betty]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

With the cheerfully illustrated books my parents kept in my room from pretty much the moment I could read, I could have conducted the first one. Believe me, it was not my choice to attend those assemblies.

Was it the one I had - with the 2 overweight cartoon people? Can't remember the name of it though...

Ah - Here it is.

[Not Afraid]

lipstick.
Pig.
NPR.

[scaeagles]

I'm proud to say I got "the talk" before my school sex ed class.

[innerSpaceman]

I'm proud to say I got "the sex" before my school sex-ed class.

[scaeagles]

I can't really speak for Sleepy, but perhaps the kind promoted by Jocelyn Elders, who wanted masturbation taught in school to help prevent the spread of STDs. Now, I don't really know any young male that really needs to be taught it, but I think teaching masturbation (which I don't know, but in terms of stopping the spread of STDs might include mutual masturbation) might involve discussion of techniques or any other number of explicit issues.

"Oh, little Johnny, if you can't seem to excite yourself enough, you can surf the net for some porn or use any number of toys....".

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I can't really speak for Sleepy, but perhaps the kind promoted by Jocelyn Elders, who wanted masturbation taught in school to help prevent the spread of STDs. Now, I don't really know any young male that really needs to be taught it, but I think teaching masturbation (which I don't know, but in terms of stopping the spread of STDs might include mutual masturbation) might involve discussion of techniques or any other number of explicit issues.

Masturbation was discussed in my sex ed class. Nothing explicit, it was mentioned as, "It's a natural thing that people like to do and nothing to be embarassd about."

[Tenigma]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I can't really speak for Sleepy, but perhaps the kind promoted by Jocelyn Elders, who wanted masturbation taught in school to help prevent the spread of STDs. Now, I don't really know any young male that really needs to be taught it, but I think teaching masturbation (which I don't know, but in terms of stopping the spread of STDs might include mutual masturbation) might involve discussion of techniques or any other number of explicit issues.

Joycelyn Elders was a real champion for education, and I think she had some incredibly great ideas.

Unfortunately for her, she could never articulate things quite right. That masturbation thing was really the last straw; after that the White House never really supported her. But you know she did mean that "masturbation as a form of sexual pleasure/release should be taught as a viable alternative to direct-contact activities." Remember that she was in office in the early '90s during Clinton's first term. With Clinton in office we were finally looking at AIDS seriously, and we were trying to figure out a way to teach comprehensive sex education to kids within that context. Her suggestion would've helped prevent of a whole host of fluid-exchange problems, from pregnancy to HIV transmission.

...as it turns out, with Clinton's second term, that first problem kind of took care of itself in an unintended way, when Clinton swore up and down that "that" was *NOT* sex. Kind of sad... there's a whole generation of kids who think that's "not sex."

[scaeagles]

It may be a distinction without a difference, but I think "discussing" that it exists and is pretty common and "teaching" it are two different things.

Again, just theorizing.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Here's the thing. If you look just look a the rhetoric, you'd think that there are sex ed classes that somehow hide the concept of abstinence.

Originally Posted by Palin

But, yeah, abstinence is another alternative that should be discussed with kids.

That statement is ridiculous. It's a straw man. Complete straw man implying that people are not just teaching kids how to protect themselves should they make the choice, but are teaching them that not having sex isn't an option. What utter horsesh*t. And so yeah, I find it hard to take the same people's word on the implication that there are classes out there showing kids how to stroke it, teaching them the joys of "the stranger", or instructing girls on the most effective use of The Rabbit.

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

That statement is ridiculous. It's a straw man. Complete straw man implying that people are not just teaching kids how to protect themselves should they make the choice, but are teaching them that not having sex isn't an option. What utter horsesh*t.

Exactly. I remember in my 6th grade sex ed class being taught abstinence in addition to everything else. In fact, I remember them saying that abstinence was the only 100% sure way to avoid pregnancy, STDs, etc. But they also taught proper use of a condom, what masturbation was, etc. and didn't say that waiting for marriage is what Jesus wants you to do. It was a more clinical thing that our parents were involved in, homework-wise. And they certainly didn't talk about best methods to straddle your vibrator, how to control your gag reflex, or what those holes in the bathroom stalls were.