First let me write a quick disclaimer: THE VIEW AND OPINIONS OF THIS BLOG BELONG TERRANCE THOMPSON AND TERRANCE THOMPSON ONLY. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED I AM NOT SORRY BECAUSE THIS IS HOW I FEEL! Now that we have that out of the way, LOL, let me tell you what’s on my mind. Recently I had the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill to end funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage program. Now if you don’t know I am from the great CONSERVATIVE, OLD SCHOOL, and TRADITIONAL state of South Carolina. So ending funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage program is not high on the list of priorities for my state. Why? Two words: CONSERVATIVE and TRADITIONAL! In certain areas of South Carolina if you mention the word sex people look at you like you are speaking a different language, even though sex is a normal human function. So you can imagine how people would react to end funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage program. They would probably think you were the devil! Lol!

TRADITION? Sometimes I wish we could throw that word out of the dictionary! I believe that people in this state take that word a little too far. I understand that mama, papa, auntie, uncle, and Cousin June have been doing it this way since 1828, but just because they do it that way does that make it right? For example abstinence is a big thing in South Carolina and it is promoted to the max. People actually expect EVERYONE to practice abstinence until they are married. Now last time I looked at a calendar it was 2010 and not 1828. Now while some people do practice abstinence until married the majority of the population does not. So what good does abstinence-only-until-marriage programs do, if people are already practicing sex? Now in my mind I would think we need to end funding to these programs and focus on continual education, but others choose to ignore the issue and believe that by increasing access to abstinence education we will decrease the percentage of the population having sex before marriage. Now that I do not understand and probably will never understand.

This is where traditional views become a problem. PEOPLE WHO ARE STUCK IN TRADITION ARE NOT RESPONSIVE TO THE CHANGE! Just think about it; traditional people are hard to change and it’s really not their fault, it’s just that what they have been taught is the only thing they know. So to tell them that change is on the way SCARES the HECK out of them. So what do they do? They try their best to block change! Now we have another problem. If they prevent change and things stay the same the issue becomes worst and we end up with bigger problems. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs issues.

Problem: Increase in STI and unplanned pregnancy among teens.

Solution: Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs

Evaluation: Studies have shown that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs have no impact on desired behavioral outcomes.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

Solution: Increase funding to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs to increase access to this type of education.

Evaluation: According to the CBC 3 out of 10 young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the of 20 and 8 of those 10 pregnancies are unintended.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

***HERE COMES CHANGE****

Change: Lets end funding to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs and redirect it continual education.

***HERE COMES TRADITION***

Tradition: No we don’t believe in that, time to fight to keep our “TRADITIONAL VALUES” safe

So in order to keep the “Traditional values” safe, traditional people put traditional or Conservative leaders in place to vow to keep and fight for their “traditional values.” Now while all of this political mess is going on the people who are affected are not being helped and the problem continues to grow. Now we end up with a problem that could have been handled if people would have opened their minds and thought outside of the box for once.

So think about your values, and if you are a “traditional values” type of person ask yourself “Am I helping to solve the problem or am I creating the problem”.