A letter to Republicans in Power

[GenuineRisk]

Originally Posted by Bababooyee

Is the problem legislating morality in general or legislating sexual morality only? If the former, your party has just as many problems. If the later, you still need to demonstrate why legislating morality in one realm is ok but not in another. And "Because people do it anyway," is not a good reason...as we can use that reason to knock down just about every criminal law and a plethora of other things.

And, FWIW, the Repubs are not my party, thank you very much. As far as I am concerned, the Repubs get all the "bad press" they deserve.

B, I think in the evolution of any nation, one every so often has to look at where one is. In the case of sexual "morality," I think it's a fine time, and in the wake of the AIDS virus, long past time. Yes, virtually any behavior one can think of can be probably found being done by someone. But I think, in the case of sex, the numbers are so overwhelming, and always have been, of people having sex outside the bonds of matrimony, that attempting to limit access to information about preventing pregnancy and disease becomes not only silly, but also, again in the wake of AIDS, irresponsible and dangerous on the part of the lawmakers. Especially because so many of them seem so utterly incapable of following the rules they say everyone should be following.

If I were to ask these questions to the Derby Trail crew:
Have you ever shoplifted?
Have you ever used illegal drugs?
Have you ever had sex with anyone besides your current spouse, or with your spouse before you were married?

Which do you think would get the highest response of "yes" (assuming everyone would answer honestly)? And if I were to ask our lawmakers, what do you think would have the most (assuming honest) "yes"es? And what percentage do you think it would be? I can think of only one DT member whom I might think would be able to honestly answer "no" to the third question (put your hand down, Kev; we all know it's not you. ).

So the current incarnation of the Republican party seems bound and determined to push a course of personal behavior (no sex outside of marriage) that 90 percent percent of the population doesn't adhere to and has never adhered to- see article below:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16287113/

And my point is, not only do they again and again look ridiculous doing it (remember how, in the wake of the Clinton BJ impeachment, Larry Flynt offered money to any woman who had proof of an affair with a current Republican congressman and the first one brought down was the Speaker?) but by denying appropriate sex-ed to kids in our public schools, they are sending these same kids out into the world as sexually ignorant adults. I mean, the kids will figure out what goes where- that's instinct- but I don't think instinct will tell them how to protect themselves when and if they decide to have sex. And eventually, most people are going to have sex. In my many acquaintances, I know of one confirmed virgin. Just one.

My point is, people are going to have sex and having unprotected sex carries the possibility of killing you, depending on with whom you have it. So, you have a risky behavior that most of the population will eventually do. Seems to me the reasonable response is to educate thoroughly and completely about said behavior, not to tell kids it's a behavior they should not indulge in until marriage and leave it at that. Especially when the people spouting that kind of claptrap can't follow the advice themselves.

Yes, hypocrisies can be found in all people, of any political stripe, or even of none whatsoever- we're all human and fallible. But this level of overt deception on an almost universal behavior goes a bit beyond the pale. It's dangerous and irresponsible. Makes for vastly entertaining weekend reading (note how the Bush camp always releases bad news on a Friday evening when reporters have gone home?) but does the American people no favors.

Apologies for assuming you're a 'Publican- you leap to defend their positions so often I got confused. Though I think the excellent "petard/******" bon mot of some months ago was yours so how could I have forgotten?