*Teen Pregnancy
"The basis of our destruction is very simply put, the lack of a family unit. Americans have somehow lost sight of how important the family is....In 1970 only 190.4 girls out of 1,000 between the ages of 15-19 became pregnant. In 1989 [that statistic rose to] 337.3 girls. It is true that these statistics can be affected by many circumstances, but the fact that teen pregnancies increased so greatly with the increase of divorce cannot be overlooked or ignored." Blythe Sullivan Demopolis High School, Demopolis, Alabama
*Teen pregnancy is the scape goat for almost everything that was not already laid at the doorstep of the broken family:
"In the mid-1980s, Leon Dash, a black reporter for the Washington Post, spent more than a year living in one of the city's poorest neighborhoods in an effort to understand why unmarried teens had babies. Initially, he believed that the big problems were ignorance about birth control and boys victimizing girls. After exhaustive interviews, he changed his mind. Teenagers knew about birth control. Girls were often 'equal-or-greater -actors than their boyfriends in exploring sexuality and becoming pregnant,' he wrote later in When Children Want Children. For many girls in poverty-stricken areas, having 'a baby is a tangible achievement in an otherwise dreary and empty future. It is one way of announcing: I am a woman. For many boys...the birth of a baby represents an identical rite of passage. The boy is saying: I am a man.'" Colleen Hofer, James Valley Christian, Huron, South Dakota
*We have just reviewed suggestions that violence can be traced to one-parent families and that one-parent families can be traced to teen-pregnancy. Let's turn to the following excerpts to explore some of the causes of teen- pregnancy:
"I think that adults often thought there was no use telling kids about abstinence because we were going to have sex anyway. [This] led to children acting the way they do. It's easier to do something you're expected to do than try to be different." Kendal Piatt, Kiona-Benton High School, Benton City, Washington
"The rate of teenage pregnancy is rapidly increasing, and yet society says that giving out contraceptives in schools is irresponsible." Jo Ellyn Cordes, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
"I have heard an argument pertaining to this subject that says if there are condom machine in school bathrooms then it will be just like saying that it is all right for kids to have sex. This is simply not true. If a condom machine will influence someone enough to think about having sex, then they must not be very sure about their decision not to do so. The protection that is needed should be there for kids when they need it so that we can help stop the spread of disease and unwanted pregnancies. It's up to [us] the younger generation, because soon we will be the older generation and will need to teach younger people from our experiences." Michelle Hathaway, LaCrosse High School LaCrosse, Washington
"At Benica High School in California, senior class officers handed out party favors which consisted of a gift-wrapped condom, a planned Parenthood pamphlet advocating abstinence, and a piece of candy. The administrators confiscated the 375 condoms, saying that a school sponsored event was no place for sex education. This action by the administration probably led to more teenagers getting pregnant, or even worse, contracting the HIV virus.... Condoms should be allowed to be distributed within schools. Since teens are going to have sex, Ð[they]will be protected and have a better chance at the future, even though their actions are risky." Chris Sanchez, David Crockett High School, Austin, Texas
"Distributing condoms at high schools throughout the nation would be a major accomplishment. I disagree with the argument that handing out condoms to teenagers will promote sex." Christina Schleicher, Hanover High School, New Hampshire
*Sara's position (below) represents the other side:
"Even though [condoms are] popular, statistics show they are not really ensuring safe sex...and often lead to the spread of disease." Sara Knoblich, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
*So far we have discussed the media, our court system, modern families and teen pregnancy and identified all of theses as contributors to our present social woes. In the excerpt that follows, Aaron covers most of these and adds some of his own:
"Maybe it is poverty that causes kids to steal and sell drugs, or maybe it is that kids have too much free time on their hands that causes them to rob stores late at night or beat people up. It may even be the lack of attention by the parents that causes kids to go and vandalize buildings or cars or houses. It could even be the violent television shows that depict that using violent means is an acceptable way to solve their problems." Aaron Bradley, Armwood High School, Seffner, Florida
*What Do Role Models Have To Do With Our Social Problems?
*Plenty, according to the papers we received:
"The problem [crime] isn't exactly the teenagers themselves, it is the role models or people they look up to." Aaron Bradley, Armwood High School, Seffner, Florida
"Role models are important in the life of a child, and if their role models do not display responsibility, what can be expected of the children?" Thomas King, Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania
"It is becoming more common to see someone doing only as little as possible to get by. Lowered standardized test scores, teenage pregnancies, and increased juvenile crime rate are just three examples of the irresponsible behavior taking place in our nation today. Our children of today are the future of tomorrow and without the help of role models we cannot bring a brighter future to America." Pam Courtney Demopolis High School, Demopolis, Alabama
"To Eugenia Harris, a 13-year-old bookworm, the high rising rap star Snoop Doggy Dogg is something of a role model. ...There is something different about this role model though. In November of this year he was indicted in Los Angeles Superior Court for murder...This is not Snoop Doggy Dogg's only offense. Just after graduation, he landed in jail for the first time, for possession of cocaine with the intent to sell. Many people ask why these young kids like role models like this." Justin Johnson, Concordia High School, Concordia, Kansas
"After seeing an irresponsible action, many people will repeat it. They think that it is okay since someone else is doing it. Youth are the main victims of irresponsible behavior. " Scott Knapp, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
"When society does not allow someone to duck his obligations, everybody wins. People setting examples for everyone else provides motivation. Responsibility cannot be implanted, but in today's society, it can be taught." Joe Garza, Hereford High School, Hereford, Texas
"We comment on how poorly America is being governed, but who is it that elects these people to run our nation? Individually each of us must be accountable to do our own part and stop [placing] the blame on others." Mike Waters, Walters High School, Walters, Oklahoma
*The lack of a societal moral code causes problems which politicians are expected to solve; problems such as abandoned or abused children, crime, illiteracy, unemployment and health problems. At the end of 1993 the British launched a program called Back to Basics with the intention of uplifting the nation's moral standards. Instead it demoralized the British by highlighting the personal lives and exposing politicians as hypocrites. In the summer of 1994 a large amusement park in northern California ran an advertisement vilifying U.S. Senators. In the ad a Senator wants to change a hearing because he has a coupon to attend the amusement park. The chairman suggests the coupon be used on Saturday. The Senator explains that Saturday is the day he meets with his parole officer, and other Senators chime in, "Me too." This ad counts on a lot of Americans agreeing that politicians are the worst kind of role model. If there is even a smidgen of truth to this supposition, rather than assume the role of moralists, our elected officials might do better to undo government policies that encourage deviant behavior.
"Our officials in Washington hold the responsibility of being a role model." Doug Zimmerman, Concordia High School, Concordia, Kansas
*Despite Doug's assertion (above), it is unlikely that many Americans actually expect politicians to be role models. Nevertheless, several students were disturbed by the misdeeds of public officials:
"The politicians are supposed to be people who will not end up in scandals and are responsible enough to stay in line while under all the pressures of the job." John Gesick, Marion High, Marion, South Dakota
"What about the Senator who, while intoxicated and entertaining an evening companion, stripped naked and swam in a public fountain?...Not only does this incident reflect badly on the person, it reflects on the entire Congress. This Senator should be more of a role model for others. He was elected to a position that supposedly should be respected. Such irresponsibility only diminishes the public's view of our nation's leaders." Michelle R. Gannon, Rock Hill High School, Ironton, Ohio
"In Oregon, Representative Mike Kopetski was found guilty of drunk drivingÒa charge that usually carries a mandatory one year license suspension. ...a judge, during sentencing, reduced the charge to reckless driving. The judge also fined him $250. Besides erasing the drunk driving conviction the judge let him keep his license. This tells people that drunk drivers are not really guilty of alcohol abuse and that it is not such a serious crime after all. This also makes me think that if you're important the laws don't apply to you." Troy Herlyn, Marion High School, Marion, South Dakota
*In the excerpt that follows John not only lashes out at politicians, but he adds lawyers to the "cause of our problems":
"We seem to have a culture that has lost its moral base. Without this base, politicians no longer do what they think is right, only what will get them the most votes. Lawyers no longer protect the rights of individuals, they only milk innocent victims of their money in ridiculous lawsuits. You have heard the advertisements, the ones stating that no money will be charged until your case is settled or won. There is nothing to lose, so why don't you jump in with all the other people out there and take a share of the spoils. This is one of the main reasons so many Americans are so irresponsible. It stems from the replacement of solid morals with greed, laziness, and self-righteousness." John Sander, Eureka High School, Eureka, Illinois
*As outrag