Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, October 08, 1991, Page 3, Image 3

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    EDITORIAL
Domestic Issued
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COMMENTARY
Modern mores greater threat than Iraq
By Michael Cross
Several months ago. count
loss American communi
ties celebrated the return
of our troops and their victory
over Iraq. That was well and
good, but greater issues
greater threats to our future
existed then, and now, than
Saddam Hussein. Regrettably,
few seem willing to admit to
the magnitude of the problem
facing our very biological sur
vival.
Two wars occurred in the
1960s and '70s One was Viet
nam: Wo didn't accomplish our
.illy transmitted diseases could
bn cured — eliminating another
barrier to realizing this "brave
new world." Some enthusiasti
cally predicted that the future
American would be so liberal
ed sexually that they'd even be
unconcerned with the issue of
gender for dating decisions But
now, biology seems to have
caught up, and it's taking its
loll on our people.
The prime casualties of the
Sexual Revolution have been
the young. As they were told
that traditional values were
outdated and boring, and par
ents neglected their responsi
nlty Health, Vol 44, No 4, p
35H, 1 990), and seems lo cuuse
.1 gre.it many women to become
unable to have children once
they decide they want them
[Chiht unil Family. Vol 4, p
305, 1988).
Unfortunately, while sex
messages bombard us daily (tel
evision, music, etc ), most
Americans are rather repressed
in dealing with the issue es
pecially with their children
Most parents want their chil
dren to abstain until marriage,
and regard abortion and "alter
native lifestyles" us unaccept
able. but fail to address issues
goals thtire
hut it is over.
1'he other was
a ‘'revolu
tion" that is
still haunting
us — the
"Sexual
R o v o I u -
lion." The
casualties as
sociateii with
The birth control pill allowed for
increased experimentation. Unintended
pregnancy, traditionally the prime
deterrent to sex outside the marriage,
became less of a concern. Later,
abortion served as a backup birth-control
method.
within their
families, thus
leaving sociu
ty, peers and
schools to fill
tilt! ^ap (loot!
luck!
Some i'x
p net t h (i i r
church to do
the job: For
r n I n fn
it will (iwurf -
Vietnam and Inn)
The Sexual Revolution in
volved conflict with two oppos
ing views: traditional and per
missive. The traditional view
held that sex outside the mar
riage was wrong. The permis
sive view was, "If it feels good,
do it."
The birth control pill allowed
for increased experimentation
Unintended pregnancy, tradi
tionally the prime deterrent to
sex outside the marriage, be
came less of a concern. Later,
abortion served us a backup
birth-control method, Forget
the "noblo" Madison Avenue
phrases of "liberation” und
"choice." The average Joe who
supports liberalized abortion
laws is concerned with conve
nience and protection from re
sponsibility.
For a while it seemed the
"new ethic" would evolve into
oven higher realms. Most sexu
bllity to adequately ti:.n:h their
(hi hi run uthurwi.su, millions ac
cepted this new "morality "
Now, up to St) pun unt of U S
tuuns, according to Mediiai /Vs
pet t.s uf Hum.in Sexuality (Vol
25. No. 2, p 26, 1991), uru sex
uully active! hy 1H And that's
oven with all thu huadlmus
about AIDS.
In 1987, sexually transmittud
diseases infected 2.5 million
teenagers (Clinical l’ediutrios,
Vol. 29, No. 11, p 626. 199(1).
Diseases like chlamydia cause
250,000 teens to develop pelvic
inflammatory disease, and ac
cording to Modical Aspects of
Human Sexuality, annually
cause 30,000 cases of perma
nent sterility and 10,000 ectop
ic pregnancies.
And as for abortion, 1.5 mil
lion lives are "terminated" an
nually. That's not all, either
Abortion may lx; a factor in in
creased risk of earn or {Journal
of Epidemiology and Commu
lIUMlt, that's
good, to it degree, bin mush
youth who iiro morn active In
church havo the least permis
sive attitudes and are less in
volved in premarital sex (/our
mil of Marring!) utui the Family,
August 1989, p 041). But par
ents still need to lx; directly in
volved in teaching desired val
ues.
Sex, reproduction and the
biological destiny of any peo
ple are inseparable issues. The
"values'’ of our so-called
"modern" era are clearly
maladaptive, anti-biological,
and threaten to destroy our civ
ilization's very foundation
which is probably more than
Saddam could currently ac
complish.
Michael Cross is u resident of
Springfield and holds degrees
in political science and history
and a master's in health.
~y PI ZZfl ^
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