Condoms

[mranderson]

My political affiliation has nothing to do with this discussion. PERIOD!

[Midtowner]

My political affiliation has nothing to do with this discussion. PERIOD!

Strange COMMA! I was not aware that "Conservative" was a political affiliation.

Please point me to their website.

So I guess you agree that the rest of your "facts" were made up and wrong again? Please respond to the arguments and don't try to get these threads off track. I agree, your political philosophy is not conservative in this case.

[Midtowner]

"I never attack other members and make it a point to destroy every piece of their opinion."

"Like some members do on this board."

If you're going to contradict yourself, put some filler in between the sentences where you do it.

[Jay]

Hmmm Okla75,

What a CAn Of Worms!I agree with Midtowner.I have a 18 year old son and I am sorry It is called reality.Im guessing you do not remember what it was to be a horny teenage boy.Anyways you are really starting something with the wrong person here.I was a Teen Mom.I became a mother at 15 years old I won't get into what I was lacking in my life that I needed attention from a boy att such a young age.But the fact is it happened and I do NOT want that to happen to my son,I want him to be able to have fun and experience life and get his education.By God if that means handing him a condom to be safe ,I will do it!Over and out its not condoning but he is almost 19 he IS a man.

DD

DD first of all the topic was in regards to schools handing out condoms. A parent has the right to due what they wish. You have done the right things in raising your son. I’m sure in many ways you are a perfect roll model for him.



I am sure you have shared the sacrifices you have made and the lessons you have learned throughout your life.

Through your experiences he has seen first hand the need to make the right decisions in life.

This is the point of my post. I never intended to start a fire with any member nor did intend to insult you or anyone.

What I post is my opinion. I never claim that my opinions are right. Its just how I feel its nothing personal.



I never attack other members and make it a point to destroy every piece of their opinion. Like some members do on this board. I simply post my opinion in support or against the post. I try my best to be respectful to everyone.



My apologies to you DD if this post offended you



.

[Jay]

Guess what midtowner I'm going to make your day. I'm leaving the board.


I'm tired of dealing with you.....

[Midtowner]

Guess what midtowner I'm going to make your day. I'm leaving the board.


I'm tired of dealing with you.....

Actually, that doesn't "make my day". I'm sorry that you feel that way. Rereading this thread, I cannot find any examples of me doing anything but attacking the ideas of other people (i.e., not the people) -- especially the ones that were just factually wrong. I'm sorry that you take offense to that.

Often, when two or more people discuss something, there will be differing opinions, you know that. I'm saddened that you can't be tolerant of my opinion, nor do you seem to want to re-explain yours in such a light that it makes sense.

Perhaps I was off base in pointing out your veiled personal attack on me (that's what it was, I don't think there's any argument there). Two wrongs don't make a right. If I could delete the post, I probably would. So for that, I'm sorry, I may have been out of line.

As for lines like "Say hi to the tooth fairy for me", those were intended purely to be humorous, as well as to help to drive a point home. I try to add a little humor to an otherwise potentially unpleasant post. If you misinterpreted my intent as trying to make you 'look stupid', again, sorry.

But seriously, take the body of my posts into account. I do not 'attack' you or your ideas in most threads, in fact, I'm genuinely complimentary of even the people that send me threatening and crass private messages. I genuinely respect what they are doing and their wish to improve the city. While sometimes, we may differ on our individual ideas, we all share a passion for this fine city. I do respect you and everyone else here for that, but please don't think that means I have to agree with you all of the time, or even most of the time

As for stating my opinion and being insistant about why I am right and you are wrong, I have the facts on my side here, please don't get angry if I bring them up.

[Midtowner]

Back to topic:

From CNN:

Report: Children's well-being improving
Teens committing fewer crimes, having fewer babies

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 Posted: 9:36 AM EST (1436 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In many ways, children today are doing better than their parents did. They take fewer drugs, commit fewer crimes and have fewer babies.

If they would just lay off the chips and soda.

A huge increase in obesity and increases in young people living in poverty and in single-parent homes have held back even greater progress in children's overall well-being during the past three decades, according to the Foundation for Child Development.

The Child Well-Being Index, which tracks 28 separate measures, shows that since 1993 children have been engaging in less risky behavior. And while all is not rosy, the report says the overall well being of children is improving.

Among the findings:

# The adolescent and teen birth rate has dropped from 20 births per 1,000 girls in 1992 to an estimated 10.9 births per 1,000 girls in 2004.

# Binge drinking among high school seniors has fallen from 36.9 percent in 1975 to about 29.2 percent in 2004. Binge drinking is the consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks in one setting, and respondents were asked whether they had consumed such amounts within the past two weeks.

# The number of youth offenders -- and victims -- has fallen dramatically since 1993. The number of youths age 12-17 who were victims of crime in 1994 stood at 120 per 1,000 children. The number of crime victims in that same age group is projected at about 45 per 1,000 in 2004.

Jeffrey Butts, director of the youth justice program at the Urban Institute, said the report speaks well of today's teens.

"Maybe we have the next 'greatest generation' coming along here," Butts said.

Kenneth Land, a professor at Duke University and author of the report, said a number of factors contributed to the improvement.

For example, the declining crime rate could be attributed to a better economy, the waning of the crack cocaine epidemic and an expansion of community policing, including more officers in schools.

Parents, too, have played a role in the gains.

Parents who grew up in the 1970s and early '80s saw or experienced the effect of drug use and have been more assertive about controlling their own children's behavior, he said.

But Butts cautioned against linking trends to specific policy changes without further study. For example, he said that linking lower juvenile crime rates to funding police officers during the Clinton years sounded more like political speculation to him.

Butts also said improvements in such diverse categories as drug use, teen pregnancy and crime are hard to explain through government initiatives.
start quoteMaybe we have the next 'greatest generation' coming along here.end quote
-- Jeffrey Butts of the Urban Institute


"I think it's not so much a sign of policy-making as it is a fundamental cultural shift," Butts said.

The study was based on a series of statistical reports from the Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics and other government agencies. The section on smoking, drinking and drugs used data from University of Michigan research.

In some categories, particularly health, America's children aren't doing so well. The obesity rate among children 6 to 17 has tripled since 1975 -- from about 5 percent to nearly 16 percent.

Test scores measuring academic achievement have remained stagnant during the three decades studied -- despite increases in per-pupil spending.

Also, the number of children 18 and under in single-parent households has increased over the past three decades. In 1975, about 17 percent of children lived in single-parent households. By 2003, that number had increased to 27.5 percent, with most of the increase occurring in the 1980s.

"We can do better and we are doing better, but not better enough," said Fasaha Traylor, senior program officer at the foundation.

The Foundation for Child Development is a national philanthropy dedicated to helping children, particularly the disadvantaged. It is funded through an endowment provided in 1944 from the estate of Milo Belding, who was a silk merchant.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/paren....ap/index.html

[Midtowner]

For those of you too lazy to read the article, several times, kids today in this article are referred to as the "Next greatest generation".

Health (obesity) is the one area where we've gotten worse.

and (on subject now) birth rate has decreased.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

How does this have to do with Oklacity75 attacking you? Do you want him to where a rubber while attacking you? I don't get it...

I must have missed this.

[Midtowner]

How does this have to do with Oklacity75 attacking you? Do you want him to where a rubber while attacking you? I don't get it...

I must have missed this.

What are you talking about? Please read the thread before making foolish remarks.