The Secret Order of the Abstinence Clowns
Three weeks ago, we first introduced
you to Derek
Dye the Abstinence Clown.
Dye goes to middle schools in Ohio and juggles in between telling kids
that any type of pre-marital sex will destroy your life's dreams and
is just like juggling machetes. And the best part? He is just one beneficiary
of the $1.5 billion in federal funding that has gone towards the failure
that is abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education.
Within a week, Derek Dye was a blogosphere and YouTube star, getting linked at tons of blogs and getting almost 20,000 views on YouTube. But what happened next takes the cake...
One would think that having such invaluable free advertising would please Mr. Dye (viewing this unedited promo video on YouTube), but it appears that his act was for "friendly eyes" only. Derek petitioned YouTube to take down the video, citing "copyright violations." Apparently, Derek was spooked that the American public was actually seeing, first hand, the fraud that our tax dollars are going to.
Following the video's removal
from YouTube, I decided to directly embed this video into our site at Amplify, as the American public certainly
has the right to see what kind of ridiculous shenanigans our tax dollars
fund. The next day, we received an email from Kevin Freckman of the Elizabeth's New
Life Center, the
abstinence-only organization that received a $800,000 federal grant
in 2007, and employs Derek Dye. Freckman demanded that we take down
the video, and not use any images of Derek Dye on our site.
Holy purity ring, Batman!
Looks like somebody's really ashamed of the work they are doing with our tax dollars, doesn't it? Why the paranoia?
With a new president who has
stated his committed to comprehensive sex education, plus a strong Democratic
majority in Congress, groups like Elizabeth's New Life Center are
scared to death that their government funding is going to vanish. And
they know that videos like this, when viewed outside of the abstinence-only
crowd, will shine a light on all of the crazy stuff that they've been
doing with our tax dollars. To date, groups like the Elizabeth's New
Life Center have received $1.5 billion in tax dollars, despite study
after study showing what an absolute failure they have been.
Right after I wrote the first
post about Derek the Abstinence Clown, I decided to attend the National Abstinence
Education Association
conference, a gathering of all of the different groups that have fleeced
the government and endangered the sexual health of countless American
youth over the last decade. Two weeks after registering and submitting
my $150, I received this email from Rachel Turner at the NAEA:
Joe,
Thanks for your interest, but I don't think our organization is a good fit. All members must demonstrate support for abstinence until marriage education and it's evident that you'd have trouble with our mission.
Below this message was the
link to Pam's
House Blend, where
she cites my post about Derek the Abstinence Clown.
Oh well. If they don't want
my $150, that's fine. But considering the fact that they might not
have the government teat to feed off of very, very soon, maybe they
should take whatever money they can get... they'll need it.
But here's the critical part
for you, dear reader: we must make sure that abstinence-only until marriage
sex education funding is zeroed out in this year's budget.
Even if Barack Obama zeroes out their funding in his budget, there is always the chance that Congress will try to sneak the funding back in through appropriations. Democrats in Congress have caved on this before, even trying to add more abstinence-only funding, so we need to pressure them to make sure they do the right thing:
WRITE YOUR CONGRESSPERSON AND TELL THEM TO END ABSTINENCE ONLY FUNDING.
It's time to send out the clowns!
This piece is also posted at Amplify.
I couldn't find the video.I could use a good laugh.
Could you please post a link to the studies that have evaluated the abstinence programs.
Thanks
Hey, where's the video? I'm dying to see this.
Amie Newman
Managing Editor, RH Reality Check
The video was available on the clown's website (http://www.empoweredbytruth.org/Derek_page.html) up until this morning, but he has just taken it down from his own site, too. The scrubbing continues!
I can't believe they took it down. Just shows that they know what they are teaching the youth of America is all LIES.
Can't believe our money went to all these myths which influence people to make unhealthy choices.
Somebody else is hosting it, so check it out!
Really liked the machetes.Wish he had juggled them (without the child of course:>))
Amie Newman
Managing Editor, RH Reality Check
The video won't play. It would probably make me very angry anyways. That people are giving others the wrong information about such important matters.
I was able to watch it... I'm not surprised at this. They've been quietly filling the internet with this sort of shit for years. Document it where you see it!
The personal is political.
This is hilarious, and sad. Seems like perfect fodder for something on the Daily Show or Colbert Report -- maybe it's worth sending them the video and your story?
"Democrats in Congress have caved on this before, even trying to add more abstinence-only funding, so we need to pressure them to make sure they do the right thing:"
Personally, I am getting really sick of (and am about to get even more so I'd imagine) everyone always assuming that when Republicans do something like this they are just agents of the religious "right", but when democrats do it, they are "caving".
A. There is such a thing as the "religious left", and it's bigger than you'd imagine, I'd bet.
B. The Democrats do all kinds of awful shit with tax-payer money, from my vantage, their crimes in that department are probably significantly worse if you factor in the big spenders like FDR. Course... GW Bush gave even him a run for his drunken spending money.
Wake up man... the Democrats didn't cave. This is just part of the game they play.
Yes, Democrats are not perfect, but I would take them in a heartbeat over Republicans ANY DAY. Still, we need to let them hear our voices, and know that choice, and sex education that includes birth control, are an absolute MUST!!! No Negotiating!
Sign the letter to your Congressperson to end ab-only funding!
I am appalled! I really can't believe what they do with our money - I am writing my congressman - thanks for the insight.
The Bush Adminstration set up a real gravy train for all sorts of kooky religious conservative attempts at social engineering. Their approach to cutting down on welfare, for example, included trying to prevent divorce via unproven pro-marriage propaganda programs, set up and administrated with lavish piles of tax money.
"Abstinence clown"? More like plain ol' @$$ clown.
Its always interesting for me to read an article like yours whhich reports about an exact incident that goes to explain how funding is being used and exactly in what manner.
I wasnt able to find the video and watch it, but I dont find myself being that angry about the fact that the person teaching sex abstinence just so happpens to do it in a funny way.
How is that a bad thing? Email Advertising Marketing
For the record, It wasn't Derek that wanted to remove the video and he isn't ashamed. It's funny the comments on here. See how you feel when your 13 year old daughter starts having sex.
Barack Obama zeroes out their funding in his budget, there is always the chance that Congress will try to sneak the funding back in through appropriations. Democrats in Congress have caved on this before, even trying to add more abstinence-only funding, so we need to pressure them to make sure they do the right thing:
"Article on Barack Obama"
What makes these guys so paranoid?? If you are really sure that what you do is of no harm and is the right thing, then why be so afraid?? What you do is not worth the money from the taxpayers.
