Despite having the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, Texas governor Rick Perry still believes that abstinence should be the only principle taught in a sex education class. In an interview that is now becoming famous, The Texas Tribune's Evan Smith discussed the issue with Rick Perry. Sex education programs taught in schools are funded by tax payer dollars and Evans challenged Perry on the wisdom of spending tax money on an ineffective program.
"From my own personal life, abstinence works," Rick Perry stated boldly. Audience reaction to this statement was muffled and embarrassed giggles. His wife may have something to say about that one.
In the interview, Smith further challenged Perry by asking him to identify statistics that prove abstinence education works better than pure safe sex education or a hybrid of safe sex and abstinence curriculum. Perry was unable to quantify any statistics. In defense of spending tax money to fund "abstinence only" sex education, Perry compared the spending to controversial and unproven programs centered on teen health.
For example, Perry stuttered that the government spent a significant amount of money to check kids for steroids but found only a couple of cases. Perry implied that any results make these expenditures a positive return on investment and compared it to the idea that abstinence education also had a positive return because it did prevent some pregnancies. Again, no factual data was provided by Rick Perry. Sex education, in Perry's eyes, should be restricted to teaching strictly abstinence.
This interview is yet another example of Perry restricting personal freedom and making judgements on how teens should manage their own health and bodies. A few weeks ago, Perry overturned his own controversial platform requiring HPV vaccines in girls entering the 6th grade. He conceded that he was uninformed in his decision-making. The Texas Tribune interview showcases that Perry also lacks information about sex education theories and statistics.
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Comments: 20
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He is pandering to the religiofascists.
Thats my guess.
On this one I think I'd have to agree with Ron Paul, though I'd never vote for him, all of these questions should be dumped, important questions of national import should be discussed seriously. like maybe someone ought to bring up the fact that our last two Presidents have been pathological liars when you go back and look at videos of their campaign speeches.
They do not care what they say to us, and they do not feel in the least bit responsible to do any of what they say will do that gets them elected.
This country is busted.
I am willing to bet that this is not the only subject in which he is uninformed.
This guy is supposed to be responsible for the Texas so-called miracle ... why is the media supporting the idea that there is a thing called the "Texas Miracle" anyway, when it in obviously a total lie ... there is no miracle state, there are a lot of problems that the Republicans just want to make worse for the average person while they play around with noise and stupidity on the TV.
These people are all morons, or that is the face they are most comfortable showing while they steal us blind and lead us into slavery and ruin.
Gov. Perry has said that he knows "from personal experience" that abstinence works. Personal experience with "total abstinence before marriage" "would not" make Perry "so passionate" about retaining abstinence-only education in Texas public schools despite our state's rising rate of teen pregnancy under the program.
Personal experience with "out of wedlock conception" "could" make him "that passionate" about the subject. The governor was an Eagle Scout. A core value of Eagle Scouts is honesty. So, Rick Perry, tell all of Texas what you know personally about how out-of-wedlock conception can affect a male and his family . A state governor "getting real" could make a difference in how Texas youths think about their sexuality, and about how they think about their sexual activity. If Perry prefers "not" "to get real," let him ask the Texas State Board of Education to change the program to Abstinence Plus.