To have Sex or not to have Sex

Oprah is so dangerous. But why are people not smarter?

Recently, Oprah interviewed Sarah Palin; Sarah was starting her new career on Fox and her daughter/teenage mother (while holding her bastard son) was promoting abstinence.

Oprah questioned the daughter like this: “You are promoting abstinence but statistics show more than a third of teens have premarital sex by 18. Is abstinence realistic?”

Now, why does the daughter say abstain? Because experience taught abstaining from premarital sex is not just a moral, but a practical matter. But how did she respond to Oprah?

Oprah represents and legitimates mainstream, quasi-spiritual America. What she was asking is what everyone wonders when they talk about sexual abstinence.

The daughter responded (actually Sarah jumped in to save her) that “Abstinence is what is right for me, but other girls need to choose what is right for them.” Oh, brother.

Why is this “what is true for me isn’t true for everyone” talk tolerated? Safe sex advocates don’t say that – they want safe sex for everyone. Alas, the Palins are just more secular fodder.

You know what I would have said? You know what I would have wanted my daughters to have said? Man, if I could have only been the one Oprah was interviewing. Seriously.

I would say, “The US Department of Education estimates that 25% of all black high school students will drop out. Did you hear that? 25%! It’s not realistic to tell kids to stay in school anymore. We’ve already lost. We need to teach them how to thrive in poverty. We can’t call people to a higher standard, Oprah.”

I would like to see her apply her own logic there. Of course, she never would. It’s demonstrates how ridiculous it really is. But unmarried Oprah would have to answer some hard questions.

The double standard is pretty pathetic. Everyone knows that 75% of people misuse or make up statistics to prove their own opinions. The other half just don’t know how to count.