As I briefly channel surfed, I stumbled upon a discussion with Janice Crouse of Concerned Women Of America on CNN.
Janice was talking - dissing - talk of one school district's proposal to give leave time to new moms, and to provide services to help them complete school.
According to Janice, these young women are a bad influence, and should be put in a separate school. She has 'seen' young women gather around a new mom and child, and this is a bad thing. Further, according to Janice, teen pregnancy is down, etc... because of abstinence only. Finally, she finished by slamming single moms, citing this as one of the huge issues of our society.
And to think the host went it alone in debating her, they should have had someone on to shoot this crap down.
My gosh it damn near made me ill. How we accomplish good things by adopting negative approaches is beyond me. It is obvious her view is to get back to stigmatising women who live with a partner and remain unmarried, or who are single moms. Her vision is hardly a feminist vision of the world, it is one of a woman being firmly rooted in place.
This is 2008... I cannot believe people still think in this tired and warn terms. I cringe at the thought of searching out her name, what comes up might be more than just links - my dinner might follow.
Sometimes, sometimes I see right through the scenery The first place that's on my mind the last place I find each time Sometimes, I swim beyond the scenery The last place that's on my mind The first place I find each time ~ Beth Orton
I can't see anything negative with schools helping out young mothers. By securing their education these girls are making huge advances for their future. How can that be bad???
By allowing these girls time off to heal, mentally and physically from birth, is a step in the right direction. They can then return to school and truly concentrate on their studies.
The high school I went to, had a few young moms, who had access to a nursery in the school. These girls would come to school, drop the babies off at the nursery and head off to class. During lunch break they would be with their children. Then at the end of the day they packed up their bags, picked up the kids and headed home. Let me tell you it was not a situation the rest of us wanted to be in. These girls worked hard! I really respect them for juggling motherhood and school. It must have been overwhelming at times. But they did it.
By supporting these girls, we are allowing them a chance to continue their education. Which in turn allows them so many opportunities. I personally think more schools should also have daycare available.
Do women like the one they interviewed truly believe this will encourage other girls to get pregnant? It really is enough to make one want to vomit.
And I absolutely hate abstinence only programs. Abstinence should be part of a sex education program, but not the ONLY thing taught. It just doesn't work.
This is something that has bothered me for a long time - and which ties in with the abortion debate. People feel like they have the RIGHT to controol the sexuality of women (ONLY). This reminds me of a discussion I had with a pro-life teen - who hated abortion - but was quick to abuse any pregnant teenage girl JUST BECAUSE she was pregnant. Banishing, shaming, and degrading girls who are scared, possibly alone, and confused is sure not going to do anything possitive. The girl is already pregnant - shaming her isin't going to change that fact - and abusing her based on pregnancy isin't going to reduce the abortion rate either - sounds like a sure fire way (to me) to INCREASE the number of abortions for teenagers because they FEAR the abuse that will come should anyone find out about thier "dirty little secret".
It seems like people want women ONLY to stay virgins forever - or atleast until marriage. If a girl has sex once - shes a slut, a whore, a c***. Its biased. Where are the suggestions that any BOY who is herd bragging about having sex (or who is known to be sexually active) be KICKED OUT of school and banished to live in shame in some "secret" school so he doesn't have a "negative" effect on the other (pure) boys in the school? Oh wait that doesn't happen...because sex is only "immoral" when women have it. Boys will be boys and all that jazz.
And study after study has shown that in areas where AB ONLY education is present teen pregnancy rates RISE drastically. So I don't know what self deluded info she used to get that conclusion...but she sounds like a wack job.
Excellent post, hahasrescue... and completely agree.
And to think women are advocating such nonsense. I lived a life hating my body, it was all wrong, etc. And part of me wonders if those who advocate for this hate what is within them, what their bodies can do, not just pregnancy, but in terms of pleasure.
Sometimes, sometimes I see right through the scenery The first place that's on my mind the last place I find each time Sometimes, I swim beyond the scenery The last place that's on my mind The first place I find each time ~ Beth Orton
It would seem giving teen moms a means to better themselves is sound social policy, just as it is sound social policy to comprehensively address sex education, beyond abstinence only. This nation has a love hate relationship with sex... we love to be so engaged, and then try like hell to pretend it is evil, without properly instructing our young.
Sometimes, sometimes I see right through the scenery The first place that's on my mind the last place I find each time Sometimes, I swim beyond the scenery The last place that's on my mind The first place I find each time ~ Beth Orton
