With the exit of the Bush administration, critics of abstinence-only sex education will be making an aggressive push to cut off federal funding for what they consider an ineffective, sometimes harmful program.It ain't over till it's over, but this is a sign of the kind of thing we should expect from an incoming Obama administration. In spite of our concerns about various issues, overall this change is a good thing. Let's just hope the white hats don't mess it up.
How quickly and completely they reach their goal is uncertain, however, as conservative supporters of abstinence education lobby Congress and President-elect Barack Obama to preserve at least some of the funding, which now totals $176 million a year.
And even if federal funding is halted, some states — such as Georgia — are determined to keep abstinence programs going on their own, ensuring that this front in the culture wars will remain active.
Oh, and if Georgia wants to waste its own money, in the middle of a nasty economy, God bless 'em.
