To prevent unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, family planning programs are needed, Elders says. We must educate our children so they can make good decisions. She makes no bones about the fact that she was fired because of her beliefs. Although she realizes the value of spreading the message of abstinence among teens, Elders says we also must be realistic. The vows of abstinence break far more easily than condoms.
Elders laments today's declining education standards.
Many kids with diplomas can't read. They have shoes that light up when they walk and a brain that goes dead when they talk. She advocates designing social programs that help children rather than making policies that punish them. She notes that the United States is the world's fastest jailer. Sixty percent of young people in jail are there for nonviolent crimes.