In a perfect world, I would agree with the millions of lobbying pro-life supporters. If every single woman in the world had enough money and time and was healthy enough to provide their child with the support that they need to survive then yes-abortions should be completely out of the question. Unfortunately, we don't live in a place like that. We live in a world full of rape, poverty and ironically...freedom. By telling a rape victim or a single teen mother that it is illegal to make a decision that could ultimately lead to a better life for the mother goes entirely against the basis of America. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions and no one has the right to judge them or ban them for doing so. For instance, if a woman is raped and knows that every time she looks at her child, she will see the man that raped her, why would anyone in their right mind tell her to go ahead and have the child? I'm sorry but I don't understand how the pro-life arguement would hold up against a situation such as that. I've a firm supporter of Roe vs. Wade because America is not a Utopia and everyone has the right to choice.

When asked about the sex education classes offered at my school, the typical answer of my fellow classmates is "We had a sex ed class?" The answer to their question can be easily broken down into two simple sentences: Technically, yes. Honestly, no.

My school's definition of sex education is a half semester of teaching us the process of child birth and that the only way to prevent it is to refrain from having sex. I find this a bit questionable judging by the fact that our school handbook says that comprehensive sex ed is to be implemented in my school.

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I went to school Monday expecting to hear everyone talking about worlds AIDS week. We had Drug Awareness week a few months ago and I had assumed that we would be discussing AIDS week just like we had all the other issues. I started asking people about it and they had no idea that it even existed. I was shocked. The few people that did know found out only because the google logo had changed and their knowledge on AIDS awareness stopped there. My aunt died of AIDS several years ago so I had known about the horrible impact of AIDS for a while. It was sad to see so many people that had no idea that so many people died from it each year. Georgia is in the top ten states reporting the highest number of AIDS rates. In 2006 alone, there were 1,605 reported cases.

After I explained exactly what AIDS awareness week was all about, I answered questions about it, provided links to Amplify and informed people where to get tested. Dalton State College, a college about 20 minutes away from my high school handed out condoms and even offered free AID's testing. A lot of my friends got tested and I was happy to see such a good turn out. As more and more people become aware of how to protect themselves against AIDS, the AIDS rate will go down and lives will be saved.