redblueamerica.com

I read the article through for the red side. More conservative, but all it pointed out was we have a sex-based society.

Yes, we do. The article suggests that the ties for sex have been separated from love and commitment.

But that's the problem, you should never have tied them together. Sex is sex is sex is sex, and love and commitment are two totally different things.

You're confusing us. (I, being fourteen years of age myself.) Sex is expression of physical pleasure. Love is mental pleasure.

By throwing the old bagel-bag twistie-tie on those two terms, teens think that sex=love and commitment.

Teach them real sex ed., that if you don't protect yourself, more likely than not, you'll get hurt. Teach them that is SEX and not love in this. That sex requires to physically mature people, and that is all.

But most of all, show them that sex without feeling, is sucky-ass sex.

The End

It seems like other people know my generation much better than I do, to read that last comment. But comparing the "free love" culture of days past to today's kids, and coming to the conclusion that today's are sexually "freer," well that's a new one!

Kids today are talking less and less about sex, at least, in a manner that goes beyond the "dude. . . look at her ass. . . " and into the realm of intelligent conversation. If you think this isn't a by-product of abstinence-only sex education, consider the fact that classes today can't even discuss that you might need to inquire whether your partner has an STD. . . so people don't. It just isn't a conversation that occurs to a hormone-crazed person unless they've been taught that it's important.

The fact is, you're never going to stop teenagers from thinking about sex. It's called puberty, and actually, that's kind of the point. But my generation has stopped thinking intelligently about sex, because the subject is once again taboo. You're also never going to stop teenagers from having sex. In my experience, each and every youth is different, and makes up his or her own mind pretty well on the main subject well before sex ed comes along. The job of parents, mentors, and teachers is to go to the next step and teach kids to think these decisions ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Not just will I have sex, but why, and who with, and how to do it safely.

Abstinence education may only save a few but if you look at the statistics, sex ed isn't doing such a hot job either. Neither one alone will work, we need to focus on both and on the mindset that allows the kids to do what they do.

It's not like it was back in my time. Teens are having early, random sexual experiences on a regular basis (not all, but many). Sex ed. has made no difference or has made it worse.

We live in a sexualized, hedonistic society, and our kids are exposed to way too much way too early. The problem is much bigger than this debate.

Another problem is the lack of moral restraint. Years ago, you feared the consequences of your actions and it made you think twice. Now the taboos have been erased and the restraints are gone.

Helium.com Home Page