Is It All About the Money?

Abstinence leaders around the country have experienced true civics lessons in the last few months as the debate over government abstinence funding rages in Congress. We've written, called, emailed and "educated" our representatives and urged others to do so as well.

I am sure others have heard the same query I did "Is the debate only about money? Is that all that matters?" Absolutely not. The debate provided a forum for supporters and detractors of abstinence education to make their points. Most of what was in the press were the opinions of the detractors but judging from the votes in Congress this week, Congressmen and women were listening to abstinence supporters.

At the Abstinence Leadership Conference last week, time and again participants proclaimed that we taught abstinence before we had any federal money to do it and we did it as volunteers. In fact, the majority have always done it for free, using donations for programs not salaries. If need be, we'll do it that way again. Very few agencies are "making money" by promoting products and programs the rest of us purchase. So, the money has never been our motivation; the children have.

I have been to all kinds of conferences and lectures presenting a full range of viewpoints on sex education and what works. There is a radical difference in them -- the emphais they place on the well-being of our youth. The counterfeits are so easy to spot. One clue is their willingness to tell true stories about sexual experiences. The happy endings seem to come from those, both women and men, who ultimately choose abstinence.

Lakita Garth was positively giddy at the conference. See she waited for "Mr. Right". In her mid 30's, she married "Mr. Wright", who had been abstinent for 10 years prior to the wedding. This ex-beauty queen, who has inspired thousands of kids on the lecture circuit, radiated bliss in all her post-pregnancy glory as she talked about her baby, Justin, or as she refers to him "Just Right". She believed in the message and admits it was not easy to live it....but the payoff--Oooh Weee!

That's our motivation...the happy endings! The money is only a means to the end