With our attention focused on the emerging conflict between the White House and the Congress on executive privilege, it's not surprising that there was little or no news attention to the re-introduction yesterday of the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act.
But, I hope YOU will pay attention. As my regular readers know, the U.S. government has spent nearly $1.5 million to support abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to teach young people among other things that having sex before marriage is likely to cause grave psychological and physical harm. And that are prohibited from teaching anything about contraception and condoms except their failure rates.
As people of faith we know that these programs violate our commitment to truth telling. As I told Phyllis Schafley on a PBS debate program more than twenty years ago, "it is immoral to say to the young people of America 'just say no or die'." I feel that even more strongly today.
On Monday, the Unitarian Universalist Association, the United Church of Christ, and Advocates for Youth -- an organization I worked for from 1984 - 1988 -- are bringing young people of faith to meet with their Senators about the need for comprehensive sexuality education. They are asking the rest of us to join them by calling our Senators to express our support of the REAL Act. So, take a minute and make yourself a note to call your Senators on Monday.
Let's stand up for real family values.
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