From: miller@hmsp04.wg3.waii.com (Griff Miller X7114)
Newsgroups: tx.politics
Subject: Re: What, Me Vote?
Date: 10 Nov 92 15:39:15 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: Western Geo. - Div of Western Atlas Intn'l Inc., Houston, TX

In article <1992Nov6.130713.25128@mksol.dseg.ti.com> mccall@mksol.dseg.ti.com (fred j mccall 575-3539) writes:
>In <1606@airgun.wg.waii.com> miller@hmsp04.wg3.waii.com (Griff Miller X7114) writes:
>
>>In article <1992Nov03.164255.2557@NeoSoft.com> hari@NeoSoft.com (Doug Andersen) writes:
>>> 
>>>And how to you reduce the behavior?  You educate people.  Yet, the
>>>Republicans have fought sex education (even for adults!) every step of the
>>>way.
>
>>I think many Republicans do want to educate people on this matter. However,
>>the curriculum is abstinence, not condoms. Many people don't want to even
>>consider abstinence, so they cry out "see, the Republicans don't
>care."
>
>I think you're interpretation here is just slightly off.  The problem
>is that the Republicans want to 'educate' toward *ONLY* abstinence,
>without teaching anything about anything else.  Sort of like drug
>education that consists of "Just say no."  

You say that like it's a bad thing :-). Seriously, these Republicans want to 
teach abstinence as the first line of defense, not as the only form of
defense. 

Like it or not, if you discontinue IV drug use and sex, or sex with all
but one person whom you know to be free of the AIDS virus, you have *sharply*
reduced your chances of contracting the disease. It's still possible, yes,
but much less so.

What can be done to almost certainly prevent your TV from catching your
house on fire while you are away? You can unplug it.

It's a matter of a difference of opinions as to priorities. Some say that we've
got to tell everyone to use condoms (and in the process we are giving
CHILDREN condoms) and use sterile needles (and to that end we are handing out
sterile needles - something for which you are supposed to have a
doctor's prescription), and oh, by the way, abstinence is also a way to avoid
contracting the disease. Others say that we need to impress upon everyone that
the best way to avoid the virus is not to engage in sex (or sex outside of 
the marriage or some other monogamous relationship) and not to engage in IV
drug use, but if you insist on doing these things then use condoms, sterile
needles, etc. and keep in mind that these are not as effective as abstinence.

>Other people want a broader
>approach because they recognize that abstinence alone just isn't going
>to stop people or keep those it doesn't stop safe.

??? I can't make sense out of this. Did you mean "...does stop safe." ?
If so, I disagree. Sure, you can get AIDS other ways, but it's not nearly as
likely as through sex and IV drug use.

>All too often the
>'Christian' argument winds up being "Well, if they didn't SIN like
>that they would be ok.  They got what they deserved."  

Yes, it is true that many people, including some Christians, have this
kind of attitude. Which is too bad, because it's not very constructive, is it?
However, if we are unforgiving of unforgiving people, do we have any room to
talk?

I know someone who is a Christian who is HIV+ . Do you suppose that you could
find some Christians who would say, "Well, too bad. He deserved it."? Sure
you could, even though it would be against their own kind. Do you think you
could also find some non-Christians who would say, "Ah-hah, the shoe is the
other foot!" ? My point: you can find such people everywhere, and furthermore,
we are ALL that way to some extent.

>Some people
>prefer to teach about consequences other than those involved in the
>current mysticicism.

Abstinence may be a bitter pill for some to swallow, but that is no reason to
dismiss it as mysticism.

>> 
>>If I'm not mistaken, abstinence is what Jim meant by reducing the behavior.
>
>Yes, but Jim is living on another planet.

Your opinion :-).
--
Griff Miller - miller@monarch.wg3.waii.com
My opinions are mine, not Western's.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but 
fools despise wisdom and discipline."   - Proverbs 1:7