Social Conservatives

With the elections drawing ever closer, President Bush today decided to remind us all why a McCain or Obama presidency is going to be such a breath of fresh air.

Addressing Congress, he pandered once again to his socially conservative supporters by demanding that a full third of the AIDS busting relief package they're sending to HIV stricken Africa is used to support abstinence-only prevention programs.

Never mind that abstinence-only sex education has shown itself to be utterly inadequate closer to home, such as in Bush's home state of Texas. As far as the social conservatives go, actually preventing the spread of AIDS comes to a poor second to the more important issue of 'tellin' kids to keep their pants on.'

The conservative agenda is so wound up in narrow minded evangelical dogma that they have ceased entirely being a positive political force.

Forget the statistics - which shows that abstinence-only sexual education does not reduce the frequency that people have sex.

Forget the practicalities - like the fact that abstinence-only sexual education does not inform people about contraception or sexual protection and therefore promotes the spread of infection.

Forget even the humanity of the whole problem - that an abstinence-only sexual education program will lead to people becoming infected with HIV and AIDS and dying.

Forget everything, in fact, except following the conservative playbook page by page.

The aid bill to Africa will cost American taxpayers a whopping $30 BILLION. Now, thanks to the social conservatives and their political pig-ignorance, a full third of that money will be entirely wasted. Good job!

Roll on McCain or Obama - finally, an enlightened man in the White House.