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Tuesday, May 24, 2005
How much is that Silver Ring Thing in the window?
We know the religiously correct are not good at science. Turns out, they're not good at math, either:The lawsuit filed by the ACLU and the law firm of Jenner & Block LLP claims the federal government improperly used taxpayer dollars to fund Christian activities through an abstinence program called the "Silver Ring Thing" (SRT). In the past two years, that program has received more than a million dollars as part of the Bush administration's effort to expand abstinence-only education.
The Silver Ring Thing uses teen-oriented activities, including high-tech presentations, sketch comedy, club style lighting, and high-energy music videos -- along with a faith-based abstinence message -- to make its point. In the first five years of the ministry's operation, nearly 1,000 teenagers completed the two-hour program, received a silver ring, and signed an abstinence vow. SRT events have been held in Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among other states throughout the U.S.
According to the latest census there are 41.6 million 10-19 year olds in the United States. At a $1,000 a pop for a virginity pledge -- the results so far, based only on the Federal contribution to the project over 2 years, but pledges for 5 years -- it would cost $41.6 billion to put the fear of Jesus into the loins of every adolescent in America.
This would, according to The Silver Ring thing, save us $7 billion per year. Even assuming the program was 100% effective -- which it isn't -- this program makes no financial sense.
