3/4 Of A Hooray

by tristero

I’m still reeling from dday’s literally unbelievable post on “The Republican Stupid, It Burns! Act.” So it’s nice to have a little bit of good news and that’s exactly what this is: a little bit of good news.

{From the link} The 2010 Budget proposes a new Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative to support community-based and faith-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy using evidence-based and promising models. In addition, a new Strengthening Communities Fund will help build the capacity of non-profit organizations and State, Local and Tribal entities to better serve low-income and disadvantaged populations. This Budget also proposes funding for (1) a new child welfare initiative, and (2) a human services case management system for Federally-declared disasters. This Budget eliminates funding for Community-Based Abstinence Education, the mandatory Title V Abstinence Education program, the Compassion Capital Fund, and Rural Community Facilities.

What this means is not that abstinence-only sex ed, which flat-out doesn’t work and will never work,* has been defunded. It is still eligible for 25% of the funds available. And that’s nuts.

So is the continuation of government funding for “faith-based” sex-education, and what, I wonder could that be? I guess they teach you how to do the missionary position or something. Sorry for the snark, but the federal government has no fucking business funding “faith-based” anything, let alone sex-education.

Still it’s the beginning of a walkback to sanity on this issue, and that’s something; not much, but something.

* Some wag, I can’t remember who, said that you know your idea is batshit crazy when Levi Johnston can go on tv and sound like an intelligent person well-versed on the issues merely by opposing it.