Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Representative Barbara Lee of California have introduced the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act, which would create a grant program for comprehensive sex education programs. By "comprehensive," they mean the opposite of the teachings of the abstinence clown. The content is supposed to be "age-appropriate," which makes me slightly nervous because our society holds a conservative view of what types of sex education are "appropriate" for what age groups. If I had things my way, we would be teaching about STDs and pregnancy by no later than elementary school.

Still though, I'm happy to see steps taken by our representatives to instill comprehensive sex education in more schools, replacing the ever-failing abstinence-only material. Be sure to contact your representatives and urge them to support REAL. You are more than welcome to copy the e-mail I sent to Steve Israel:

Dear [Representative],

I am writing to urge you to support the Responsible Education About Life Act, introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg and Representative Barbara Lee. Mounting evidence has proven that abstinence-only education fails to prevent teen pregnancies and lower STD rates. Therefore, it is crucial that schools instill age-appropriate comprehensive sex education programs to provide children and teenagers with the proper resources and information to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies and diseases. Supporting the REAL Act is truly the right thing to do when it comes to protecting the children of America.

Thank you very much,
[Your Name]