Teen pregnancy, taxes and climate change: Evidence matters
It is one of the great under-reported success stories of our time.
Twenty years ago, roughly 62 out of every 1,000 teen-age American girls were giving birth. Here in Georgia, the numbers were much, much worse. At the time, we had the highest teen-age birth rate in the country, at 126 births per 1,000 teen-age girls, twice as high as the national average.
The good news is that by 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the national teen birth rate had fallen to 39.1 births per 1,000 females, a 37 percent decrease and the lowest rate ever recorded in this country. (It’s still among the highest in the Western world.) Here in Georgia, the decline was even more dramatic. By 2009, the rate of teenage births here had fallen to 47.7 per 1,000, still above the national average but a startling reduction of 62 percent.
That’s a lot of individual lives that have been saved and changed. It’s a lot of money saved for the taxpayer as well. Those improvements have been pretty broadly based as well. As the Centers for Disease Control reports, “During that period, the birth rate decreased 50 percent among black teens, 41 percent among white teens, and 33 percent among Hispanic teens.”
However, the problem has remained more persistent in some areas than others. Texas, for example, has the third-highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. At 60.7 pregnancies per 1,000 teen-aged girls, its rate is more than three times higher than that of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which have the lowest teen pregnancy rates in the country.
In Texas, that means three times more girls at risk of dropping out of high school and never attending college. It means a lot more abortions. It means a lot more children who are being raised by children, often without benefit of a nuclear family. It means premature babies, more low weight babies, more infant mortality and more dependence on government social programs.
In its sex-ed programs in public school, Texas relies upon a curriculum of abstinence-only, an approach that has been shown to be ineffective in multiple studies. Gov. Rick Perry was asked about that fact last year in a televised interview with Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune, who read Perry a question submitted by an audience member:
Here’s a transcript of the relevant exchange:
SMITH: Governor, why does Texas continue with abstinence education programs when they don’t seem to be working? In fact, I think we have the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the country.
PERRY: “Abstinence … works.”
(audience laughter)
SMITH: “But we have the third highest teen pregnancy rate among all states in the country. The questioner’s point is, it doesn’t seem to be working — abstinence education.”
PERRY: “It, it, it works. Maybe it’s the way it’s being taught, or the way it’s being applied out there, but the fact of the matter is it is the best form of — uh — to teach our children.”
SMITH: “Can you give a statistic telling me that it works?”
PERRY: “I’m just going to tell you from my own personal life, abstinence works …”
We’ve seen that attitude in a lot of policy areas. Tax cuts increase government revenue, even though repeated experiments have proved otherwise. Global warming has been revealed as a hoax, even though every investigation of the data has upheld its accuracy (the most recent is here).
And as Perry stubbornly insists, abstinence works.
This is faith and ideology that is immune to evidence. It is the assertion that belief should trump outcome. And as the teen-birth statistics demonstrate, the consequences of elevating faith over fact in the public policy sphere can be tragic.
(As an aside, it’s hard to watch that clip and not be struck by the uncanny similarity in body language and speaking cadence between Perry and former President George W. Bush. It’s actually kind of weird. My wife’s family is from Texas and my brother has lived there for 30 years — it’s not as if every male in the state has those mannerisms.)
– Jay Bookman
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849 comments Add your comment
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:16 am
Adam – that is what erroneously motivates liberals to push for a benevolent tyranny.
Stevie Ray
August 24th, 2011
11:17 am
Mighty Righty…I’m not sure what we will gain in Libya but just because it happened on Obamas watch doesn’t mean much credit is deserved. Most in US, especially all the pregnant teens in Alabama, have no idea where Libya is…..Obama didn’t exactly go to Pakistan and kill Osama himself. He agreed with recommendation of informed staff to take a risk.
I wish someone could explain to me what the return on our investment in foreign wars truly is…getting one guy cost us a trillion dollars “over 10 years” in DC’er math. Libya, S Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Afganistan, et al….why are we so evangelical about our democracy middle eastern counties that need to have tribal civil wars before a unified government can be established?
Jay
August 24th, 2011
11:17 am
“Well Adam, that’s because while the actual number of hispanics are more in CA they account for less of the population than they do in TX.”
Well, Pat, that’s because you’re shamelessly inventing statistics needed to defend your weak argument, rather than building your argument around statistics. You demonstrate the same approach as Perry.
Facts:
Illegal immigrants in California as percentage of population: 6.9
Illegal immigrants in Texas as percentage of population: 6.5
Source: http://pewhispanic.org/unauthorized-immigration/
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:17 am
Paddy O: that is what erroneously motivates liberals to push for a benevolent tyranny.
What does?
godless heathen
August 24th, 2011
11:18 am
“Also godless heathen, the reason you can’t find “Obama” in relation to failure on this blog is because the people who hate him refuse to use his real name. Try searching “Bozo” or “Odumba””
The duplicity of your argument is laughable. Bosch starts with, you can’t go a page on here without someone saying “Obama=failure”. So I show him that we couldn’t get through the first page without Bosch taking a swipe at former President Bush. Bosch’s reply is, I never said “Bush=failure.” I point out that noone said “Obama=Failure” today. And your argument is that Obama bashers use other terms for him. OK. Search “Obozo=failure”, “Obummer=failure”, “Barry=failure”, “Big Ears=Failure”, “Odumba=failure” and let us know what you find.
Or just admit that your and Bosch’s bias has been exposed and move on.
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:18 am
Stevie Ray: but just because it happened on Obamas watch doesn’t mean much credit is deserved.
What a crap argument. If Libya had done everything on its own with the U.S. staying COMPLETELY OUT OF IT, you might have a point. Otherwise, no. Wow.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:19 am
“that’s because you’re shamelessly inventing statistics needed to defend your weak argument, rather than building your argument around statistics. ”
AKA “Number two in the core of wingnut logic” See earlier post for number one.
Jay
August 24th, 2011
11:19 am
Getalife, pls cease with the content-free insults or go elsewhere.
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:19 am
Stevie Ray: He agreed with recommendation of informed staff to take a risk.
That’s called Leadership
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:21 am
godless heathen: No, the bias is pretty clear. A lot of people on here have posted just how much of a failure Obama is. LESS have posted that Bush is a failure. Again, if I had access tot he database and this mythical “free time” you speak of, I’d prove it.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:21 am
gh,
“Bosch’s reply is, I never said “Bush=failure.””
And again, sir, if you’d care to show where I wrote that or even implied that GO AHEAD.
Again, YOUR PROJECTIONS DO NOT EQUATE TO ME WRITING THEM.
Do you understand that basic simple concept?
getalife
August 24th, 2011
11:21 am
Great.
I guess it is not okay.
Mighty Righty
August 24th, 2011
11:21 am
Adam-Jeez. I was at least expecting the cons to WAIT until Obama released his jobs plan to suddenly claim jobs weren’t important, it was something else (moving the goal posts). Guess they’re starting early.
You lefties are confusing me. For months you guys have been saying the president doesn’t have any control over jobs. Which is it? If he does, why hasn’t he done anything? If he doesn’t what are you talking about? BTW, we all know what his telprompter will say.
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:21 am
Oh look, Jay might ban a lib! But that NEVER happens right?
Jack
August 24th, 2011
11:22 am
You don’t have to be very bright to know that abstinence does work. If we quit rewarding teen pregnancy, abstinence would work even better. Of course, I’m only saying this because of a pre-existing bias. Right, Bookman?
Peter
August 24th, 2011
11:22 am
Gee if Rich Republican Men can’t say no to under aged girls..then what makes one think under age girls can say no to boys ?
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:22 am
Jay,
We had a possible namejacker yesterday who namejacked Paul and called getalife a retard.
Paulo977
August 24th, 2011
11:23 am
Debbie DR
“I mean when you think about it, without sex, why would a woman, who spent 25 hours in labor, EVER have sex again? ”
Ouch , ouch and ouch again….. you’re darn right!!!!
getalife
August 24th, 2011
11:23 am
Jay,
Somebody stole Paul’s name and called me the r word yesterday.
I do not use that word.
Thanks.
1811/0311
August 24th, 2011
11:23 am
Gasp ! Under Obama’s watch ???
“TO SERVE AND PROTECT”
“NYPD’s Secret CIA-Backed Anti-Terror Program Raises Murky Ethical Questions”
Jay
August 24th, 2011
11:23 am
Bosch, that’s been handled, I hope.
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:24 am
Mighty Righty: For months you guys have been saying the president doesn’t have any control over jobs. Which is it? If he does, why hasn’t he done anything? If he doesn’t what are you talking about?
Well, I was about to argue this, until I read your next sentence:
BTW, we all know what his telprompter will say.
I am done talking to the likes of you. The teleprompter nonsense is just that – nonsense. You obviously aren’t going to have an actual discussion about things so have a nice life.
Jefferson
August 24th, 2011
11:24 am
It is not the fact that the kids are getting knocked up that bugs the GOP — its the fact that people are actually having sex that pisses them off…..
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:24 am
Paulo977 and Debbie,
I remember after the first Boschlette was born, I thought, after seeing how that being came into this world, that I’d better love and appreciate this kid cause I was probably never going to have sex again.
Luckily…I was WRONG!!!
Kamchak
August 24th, 2011
11:25 am
Bosch, (ir)Rational
The final two spots for the UCL are being determined today. Drawing for the group stage is Thursday in Monaco.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:25 am
Jay,
K.
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:26 am
Scout: “NYPD’s Secret CIA-Backed Anti-Terror Program Raises Murky Ethical Questions”
I thought you guys liked that sort of stuff?
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 24th, 2011
11:26 am
Bosch, I read the piece on Beck. He’s been insane for some time. Which could account for his rise with a portion of the Republican Party.
Normal
August 24th, 2011
11:26 am
I remember my Mom telling me that as a teen, she used aspirin as birth control. She kept one pressed firmly between her knees….but she also told me that I was a descendant from a long line she fell for…
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:28 am
Remarkable that those who have utter failth in the scientific community to PROVE their theory of global warming (in the early 70’s it was global cooling, for those under 30), have no problem with a faulty track record on predicting a fairly stable and observable activity such as the weather. yet, the assertion/theory that the globe is warming solely due to human activity is accepted as bible. (those same people reject the bible in their narcissism)
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:28 am
Kamchak,
Saw that on my email this morning. Kewl.
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:29 am
Paddy O: Remarkable that those who have utter failth in the scientific community to PROVE their theory of global warming (in the early 70’s it was global cooling, for those under 30), have no problem with a faulty track record on predicting a fairly stable and observable activity such as the weather.
More armchair science, not understanding the scientific method or how one thing relates (or doesn’t) to another. Quit while you’re behind.
(ir)Rational
August 24th, 2011
11:29 am
Kam – is the Arsenal/Udinese game on TV, or do you know? Well, other than GolTV? Eh, what does it matter, I’m at work during it anyway.
Oh-well. Who is John Galt?
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:30 am
who would you rather have sex with, Ann Coulter or Helen Thomas (even 50 years ago)?
Adam
August 24th, 2011
11:31 am
who would you rather have sex with, Ann Coulter or Helen Thomas (even 50 years ago)?
I abstain
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 24th, 2011
11:32 am
yet, the assertion/theory that the globe is warming solely due to human activity is accepted as bible
Perhaps Paddy’s statement of the global warming theory is as accepted as the bible because of its misstatement and lack of evidence. The correct statement of global warming or global climate change is that there is a man-made COMPONENT which has an impact. Now do feel free to refudiate me with that dictionary definition that COMPONENT = SOLELY DUE.
Libertarian
August 24th, 2011
11:33 am
The GOP should be able to win the election but, with people like Perry talking about crap like this, they will shoot themselves in the foot. GOP needs to stop talking about social issues and start talking about what is important right now…jobs and the economy.
RB from Gwinnett
August 24th, 2011
11:34 am
I guess if your candidate is as utterly pathetic as Obama, you’ve got to do everything possible to make everybody else look bad in comparison…
Normal
August 24th, 2011
11:34 am
Normal Your comment is awaiting moderation.
August 24th, 2011
11:33 am
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:30 am
Either…
Just throw a flag over their faces and do it for Old Glory…
had to change the f….
Uncle Jed
August 24th, 2011
11:34 am
Wow, Jay. I know you didn’t want to expose Perry, but you do have to abide by your journalistic code of ethics, that being to tell all the truths on all the candidates, all the time, right?
Was this on the morning fax from the DNC or did you just happen upon this on your own?
You can’t possiblty be trying to say that abstinence does’t work as that would be a ridiculous statement. Statistics seem to indicate that relying solely on teaching the concept of abstinence, to the exclusion of other pregnancy avoidance techniques, is not achieving the desired results. I would agree with you on that point, wholeheartedly. I have no evidence, although it could probably be found, but have heard or read that in some school districts the students are “reminded” that among the alternatives to penis/vagina intercourse is oral sex. The boys are down with that lesson.
I can’t say that I find that lesson really addressing the issue of teen pregnancy in the best way. Look, teens will have sex, right? Personally, I think there is another component of the reduced number of unwanted teen pregnancies. I have no way of knowing the percentages, but some young folks have indicated that they are getting back to a more moral way of looking at things. I suspect some of all faiths have decided to simply wait, notwithstanding the pregnancy avoidance class.
A question in the interest of having a complete analysis of the data, please:
In the paragraph in your piece preceding the following, you cite percentages along racial lines. Do you have the data available for the states mentioned below as well?
However, the problem has remained more persistent in some areas than others. Texas, for example, has the third-highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. At 60.7 pregnancies per 1,000 teen-aged girls, its rate is more than three times higher than that of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which have the lowest teen pregnancy rates in the country.
poison pen
August 24th, 2011
11:36 am
Maybe if our Government learned to use condoms we would all be better off.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2011
11:37 am
Kamchack, next time you hear this nonsense, might want to borrow a short American history lesson for the Thick Family Robinsons that tend to show up when grown ups are talking about reproductive rights:
Slavery WAS legal. And then we criminalized it. One can say with a decent degree of confidence that it will never be made legal again.
Abortion (defined for these purposes as elective terminations of first-trimester pregnancies) WAS illegal. And then we de-criminalized it. One can say with a decent degree of confidence that it will never be made illegal again.
1811/0311
August 24th, 2011
11:37 am
Adam:
We do ………… but you miss the point.
Under Obama’s watch ???
AT
August 24th, 2011
11:37 am
As the saying goes, Abstinence works every time it is tried. Seems like you have a better chance teaching the method with 100% success rate. I guess I’m being unreasonable now…
md
August 24th, 2011
11:38 am
“Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 40th save in 45 opportunities, tying a mark set by Texas’ Neftali Feliz(notes) last season. He ran his scoreless streak to 31 2-3 innings as Atlanta won for the eighth time in nine games”
A round of applause from this Braves fan………………..can you imagine the bullpen we could of had had we not made the mistake of renting Teixeira?? And for those that don’t remember, Feliz was one of the too many given up in the trade……………
getalife
August 24th, 2011
11:39 am
I think the gop should stop regulating sex.
Small government and all that stuff.
(ir)Rational
August 24th, 2011
11:39 am
“Remember boys, flies spread disease. So keep yours closed.” – I remember that from Band of Brothers, but don’t know who actually said it.
Now, I must go and be productive (or a reasonable approximation of such).
Oh-well. Who is John
1811/0311
August 24th, 2011
11:39 am
stands for decibels :
It took almost 300 years to end slavery and we look back on those who supported it with disgust.
It may take that long to end abortion on demand and I submit future generations will feel the same way about those who supported it.
(ir)Rational
August 24th, 2011
11:40 am
Wow, how embarrassing for me. Can I pretend I was name jacked? I mean, I screwed up my copy and paste.
Oh-well. Who is John Galt?
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2011
11:42 am
It took almost 300 years to end slavery
Because conservatives like you stood in the way.
DebbieDoRight
August 24th, 2011
11:42 am
Granny G: DDR – I can understand how you an adult female could feel about Teen Mom…but think about it from the point of a teen girl….longing for her 15 minutes of fame and ending up with a lifetime or responsibility.
I agree that some teen may think that way, but if they really LOOKED at these girls’ lives, they’d see that it “ain’t no crystal stair”. (Langston Hughes).
ALSO, love for you to re-think motherhood – you’d be wonderful.
Although both sets of relatives wanna see that happen, I am soooo glad that I’m the second wife and my husband has kids already from his first wife. Every night I say a couple of “Hail Mary’s” for that blessing!
Pat: Well Adam, that’s because while the actual number of hispanics are more in CA they account for less of the population than they do in TX. The numbers are clear. 58% of the teen pregnancies in TX are hispanics, most of which are here illegally. That is the fact…You remove that 58%, and TX acually has one of the lowest rates in the country. Illegal immigration has skwed the number in TX.
Pat – have you noticed that what you just wrote makes absolutely NO SENSE?
Do you really want talk about CA, with the 2nd highest unemploument in the nation, one of the highest taxest rates and the mass exodus of business from the state, really?
Oh great, a non-sense paragraph and a complete change of subject dodge! Way to go pat!
Bosch: My nieces grew up in a community where babies were like fashion accessories. I can not believe at least one of them did not get pregnant just because it was the thing to do. The problem I saw was that the parents did not make their daughter/son responsible for the upbringing, they took over the responsibilities themselves.
That is the BIGGEST problem. Parents think they are helping their children by taking on their responsibilities but what they’re really doing is hurting everyone involved.
Paddy O: feminism & moral relativism – key guides to young women fornicating
Well by your statement you suggest that the women are fornicating amongst themselves, (no men involved), if that were the case, then there would be NO teen pregnancies now would there?
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:42 am
stands,
Me guesses that Scout assumes abortion is a new thing?
Doggone/GA
August 24th, 2011
11:43 am
“If we quit rewarding teen pregnancy, abstinence would work even better. ”
How would you suggest we stop “rewarding” teen pregnancy?
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:43 am
I may have a better understanding of it than you. The simple fact is we can’t accurately predict tomorrow, but the same community wishes us to believe they can state for a fact that this is occurring. I am highly skeptical.
Kamchak
August 24th, 2011
11:44 am
(ir)Rational
Coverage of the Arsenal/Udinese game begins at 2:30 on Fox Soccer Channel replayed again on Fox Soccer Plus (free til the 28th for directv subscribers) at 5:00.
Or you can do like I do when The Blue Lions are playing when I can’t watch. You can read live text of the game here (I think)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14569531.stm
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2011
11:44 am
Also too: “Fornicate”?
really? Who since c. 1735 has used that term non-ironically?
md
August 24th, 2011
11:44 am
“One can say with a decent degree of confidence that it will never be made illegal again.”
The word “never” is a long time…………..laws change with the prevailing whims of the majority…………
jt
August 24th, 2011
11:44 am
I guess its turned into a narc-fest here on the blog…………sheeeesh.
.
Anyhow , the progressive solution is simple.
.
Everyone has to get permission from the government FIRST……….before getting preggers.
.
Yea, that’ll work.
DebbieDoRight
August 24th, 2011
11:45 am
K71: We can’t have the jobs plan yet….. Bozo is still on vacation. I’m sure that all of those unemployed out there understand.
You do realize that the President job is NOT to make the laws and/or do the Senate/Congress’ job right? Right????…………. [crickets chirping in the background]
Doggone/GA
August 24th, 2011
11:46 am
Bosch “Luckily…I was WRONG!!!”
I suspect a lot of people don’t know this, but nature has provided. Humans can’t recall pain. They can remember they HAD it, but they can’t recall it and feel it again. Pleasure we can, pain we can’t.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:47 am
debbie – the fact that the male can not get pregnant has always motivated men to act immorally. Women were at one time more virtuous than they are now. Yet, even with the profound burden placed on women, they are still recreationally fornicating with gusto. Does that indicate women are stupid? Weak? Spineless?
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:47 am
doggone – that is a nice piece of BS. I can remember the sprained ankle on the BB court quite well.
Doggone/GA
August 24th, 2011
11:48 am
“Women were at one time more virtuous than they are now”
You’re welcome to your illusions.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:49 am
debbie – you had that executive example with Perdue. The executive can not MAKE the law, but they can suggest initiatives and veto bad ideas. The House has done its job multiple times, but the Senate has thus far been a zombie.
getalife
August 24th, 2011
11:49 am
Abortion = slavery.
Yeah right.
Jefferson
August 24th, 2011
11:49 am
Laws are worthless if they don’t change behavior.
Doggone/GA
August 24th, 2011
11:49 am
“I can remember the sprained ankle on the BB court quite well.”
You are actually proving my point. You remember the sprain. I already said you we remember HAVING pain, but we can’t call it back and FEEL it again. I remember my sprained ankle too…but it doesn’t HURT when I recall it.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:49 am
doggone – go back to 1920 – how many men had to request permission from the father to go on the date?
Stevie Ray
August 24th, 2011
11:50 am
Adam, thanks for your various emotional diatribes protecting Obama at all costs. You do realize that the more defensive you become, the less credibility your statements have…..name calling and voice raising are not valid debate points. How anyone blindly can support any politician suggests lack of independent analysis of all issues separately. 911 didn’t happen on Obama’s watch but he gets credit for pushing the ball over the goal line when starting in the redzone….
Liberal Larry
August 24th, 2011
11:50 am
So young girls getting pregnant is Rick Perry’s fault? I had a nagging suspicion he was behind it all along.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:50 am
getalife – which is worse?
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:50 am
” they are still recreationally fornicating with gusto”
Holy Sweet Mother of Jesus that made me laugh!
THEY BE A FORNICATING I SAY, WITH GUSTO!
Oh just damn. I can’t breathe. I can’t….breathe.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:51 am
I can relive the pain, if you are that pollyanna, good for you. it may be a gender thing – which would make sense regarding the act of giving birth.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:51 am
Doggone,
Yeah, thank the Gods for that!
md
August 24th, 2011
11:51 am
“They can remember they HAD it, but they can’t recall it and feel it again. Pleasure we can, pain we can’t.”
Hmm………I hurt just as much now when I see some ballplayer doubled over from a shot to the groin as I did when it happened to me……………………..
And aren’t we also “remembering” pleasure? Both have to be re-created………….
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
11:51 am
bosch – decent line, eh?
Kamchak
August 24th, 2011
11:51 am
dB
Just like the “50% pay NO TAXES” lie, the abortion = murder canard will be posted time and time again. The only thing to do is mock them, mercilessly.
getalife
August 24th, 2011
11:52 am
pad,
The comparison is laughable.
godless heathen
August 24th, 2011
11:52 am
Jay,
The large number of Asian / Pacific Islanders in California, who have a very low teenaged birth-rate (about 15 per 100,000 according to the CDC data linked earlier) , would skew the numbers in that state. About 13% of California is Asian compared to 3.6% of Texas. The CDC data indicates about 70 teenage births per 100,000 for Hispanics.
It appears that if you put a few million Asians in Texas, their teenage birth rate would drop dramatically.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:52 am
“So young girls getting pregnant is Rick Perry’s fault?”
No. This has been another episode of simple questions to stupid answers.
And, there are places you can go to help with that reading comprehension problem you have.
Doggone/GA
August 24th, 2011
11:52 am
“how many men had to request permission from the father to go on the date?”
Return question: how many girls went out without permission anyway?
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2011
11:53 am
The word “never” is a long time…
True; hence the phrase “high degree of confidence.”
If some effortless, utterly risk free procedure emerges to extricate embryonic life from an unwilling womb and have that embryo remain viable, then that could be a game changer, I guess.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:53 am
Paddy O,
“decent line, eh?”
Indeed yes, and you should add “AND GET OFF MY LAWN” right after it.
Liberal Larry
August 24th, 2011
11:54 am
“The numbers are clear. 58% of the teen pregnancies in TX are hispanics, most of which are here illegally. That is the fact…You remove that 58%, and TX acually has one of the lowest rates in the country. Illegal immigration has skwed the number in TX.”
I still prefer to blame Rick Perry. Can’t he just tell them in Spanish not to have so many anchor babies.
stands for decibels
August 24th, 2011
11:54 am
The only thing to do is mock them, mercilessly.
perhaps a few high-profile defamation suits that’d bankrupt Operation Rescue as well.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
August 24th, 2011
11:55 am
Hello, my name is Antonio Juan Gusto.
Bosch
August 24th, 2011
11:55 am
OH just damn again.
Make that:
No. This has been another episode of simple answers to stupid questions.
Return to normal programming.
Liberal Larry
August 24th, 2011
11:57 am
“The large number of Asian / Pacific Islanders in California, who have a very low teenaged birth-rate (about 15 per 100,000 according to the CDC data linked earlier) , would skew the numbers in that state. About 13% of California is Asian compared to 3.6% of Texas. The CDC data indicates about 70 teenage births per 100,000 for Hispanics.”
Those “model minority” Asians forgot to git the memo. They gonna ruin it for blacks and Hispanics.
Mighty Righty
August 24th, 2011
11:59 am
I have no objection to the president taking his family to Martha’s Vinyard, playing some golf, fishing, reading or whatever he want’s to do. The president has a difficult job and is entitled to some R and R such as it is for some one with a 24/7/365 responsibility. But, I have a big problem with 15 million people out of work and he doesn’t have a jobs program now! No hurry to come up with one either. While his administration continues to place regulatory obsticals to job growth while he enjoys his R and R without a peep of objection from him.
Dave R. - 3k/4k/5k
August 24th, 2011
11:59 am
Technically, abstinence is 100% effective when practiced properly.
But when poor parenting, alcohol and hormones get mixed together, the failure isn’t the policy, but the people involved.
1811/0311
August 24th, 2011
12:00 pm
stands for decibels:
“It took almost 300 years to end slavery
Because conservatives like you stood in the way.”
Democrats ! It took a Republican to change it.
Dusty
August 24th, 2011
12:00 pm
Well, I’m certainly learning a lot today.
Abstinence does not work. Women get pregnant ANYWAY!!! Miracle!!!
Bosch loves Bush and has never said an unkind word against him. Who’s next? Cheney?
Bookman INSINUATES that Perry is responsible for high birth rate in Texas. All I can say is, what a man!!.
A blog is a good place to teach teens about sex so you can talk about your great knowledge of said subject and vast experience in said subject even though you never had children and are about eighty years old.
Keep at it, folks. I’m waiting for some “scientist” here to mention that sex is spontaneous combution that causes global warming as proven in Texas because Perry is governor.
LIke I said, you really learn a lot here!
AmVet
August 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
I suspect that Perry’s economic successes are hugely overblown, but there is no doubt at all that his social policies are a total deal breaker. Another morality legislator that lives in the 1950s.
I thought the idea of civilized societies was to push ahead, not drag it backwards to already failed notions.
Liberal Larry
August 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
“Return question: how many girls went out without permission anyway?”
I loves my excuses. We all knows parents has no influence whatsoever on their daughters. None. Specially Hispanic fathers. They aint the final word in they households like all the sociologists say they are. Its still Rick Perry’s fault. Just like it was Ws.
1811/0311
August 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
Bosch @ 11:42
“stands,
Me guesses that Scout assumes abortion is a new thing?”
If you will notice …….. the point was its “legality” and yes ……… its
legality in the U.S. is a relatively new thing.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
12:01 pm
Question from previous post: If parents think sex education is so important (seem similar to me to DARE – which appears to be an absolute failure) – why are THEY not doing it themself?
1811/0311
August 24th, 2011
12:02 pm
getalife:
I see since Jay’s admonition the other night that you are doing much better in your respect of other posters.
I commend you.
DebbieDoRight
August 24th, 2011
12:03 pm
Paddy O: debbie – the fact that the male can not get pregnant has always motivated men to act immorally. Women were at one time more virtuous than they are now. Yet, even with the profound burden placed on women, they are still recreationally fornicating with gusto. Does that indicate women are stupid? Weak? Spineless?
I don’t get it. Why is it ALWAYS blame the girl game? So, women like sex, lots of sex, lots of frequent sex what of it? Just because women like sex we are automatically Jezebels and harlots? Think for a minute PaddyO, if women DIDN’T like sex, 2/3 of us wouldn’t be here. We were made, by our maker, TO LIKE SEX.
it may be a gender thing
PaddyO do you LIKE girls? I’m not questioning your sexuality, what I’m suggesting is that maybe you are one of those people that feel that everything evil comes from between a woman’s legs.
Paddy O
August 24th, 2011
12:03 pm
doggone – probably about 20%, which were the general # of bimbo sluts in the community. If you farther back in the 1880’s, you had very, very few out of wedlock pregnancies, at least in rural areas.
Liberal Larry
August 24th, 2011
12:03 pm
Godless Heathen,
Enough with you and yer pesky facts. Be off!