Abstinence-Only Held to a Higher Standard

There have been a lot of stories in the media recently about abstinence-only policies. Over and over the charge of "no proof of efficacy" is repeated. Fascinating.

Since when do we put a requirement of efficacy on any government policy? This is especially suspicious from the Left. Not that they push ineffective more frequently than the Right, but rather because they believe in Government solution to most problems.

Does spending more money on government-run schools correllate to better educated students? Should these schools be asked/required to present evidence? Not in the minds of most Democrats.

How about the local Believe campaign? The 90% Democrat City of Baltimore has spent millions of dollars on the program and to what measurable benefit. Mind you, the city has discovered a ~$80 million deficit in the city's school system. Was there any requirement before spending the money, creating city policy, that there be a proof of efficacy?

Which policy has been based on demonsterable efficacy? Social Security, Medicare, Taxes, Immigration, Drug interdiction, Prohibition, Gun Control? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for demonstrations of efficiency and efficacy but those things are almost the antithesis of government. There is nothing about government which moves it toward efficiency or efficacy especially when it comes to public policy. This is one of the key reasons Libertarians want to move the Government out of these policies.

Back to the topic... is it better to teach only-abstinence and deny kids the potentially life-saving information about condoms or is it ok for teachers to pull a condom over a banana giving kids the message that sex is an acceptible activity so long as you have a raincoat? How about this, why don't we get the government out of this decision and leave it up to parents. Can we not allow for the possibility that both of these two alternatives have appropriate applications and that there is, more than likely, a continuum between these two extremes which can only be fine tuned to the maturity level and social development of a child by his or her parents? Like most debates which are described in one dimensional terms of Left and Right there is a totally unmentioned dimension which is completely ignored by the media.