John Doolittle: “In 1940 teachers named the top problems in public schools as talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise, and running…”

“In 1940 teachers named the top problems in public schools as talking out of turn, chewing gum, making noise, and running in halls. In 1990 teachers named the top problems as drug abuse, alcohol abuse, pregnancy, suicide, and rape. A recent Roper Starch Worldwide poll amongst 12- to 17-year-olds and parents found that pressure to have sex at too young an age tops the list of issues that both see as a threat to children. The pollsters found that 46 percent of the parents and 44 percent of the children ranked pressure for early sex as somewhat or extremely threatening to young people. AIDS was ranked as the next biggest threat to young people. Madam Chairman, my amendment will ensure that all public elementary and secondary school classes that teach sex education shall stress that abstinence is the only protection that is 100 percent effective. It is just that simple. I believe in local control, too, and I do not believe this in any way infringes on local control, but this goes right to the heart of the issue. By passing my amendment and defeating the Unsoeld amendment we are going to help young people help themselves. Madam Chairman, we know abstinence-based sex education works. It has been proven, so I ask my colleagues to vote no on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Washington [Mrs. Unsoeld] and yes on the Doolittle amendment.”