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Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Both of them
Agape is the news wing of the American Family Association, which stands for "traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media -- including pornography -- on our society." The AFA exists "to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth." Most of Agape's stories fit well within these mission statements. Occasionally, though, you get stories like this,Black Republicans Aim to Offset Dems' 'Disinformation' About GOP, which have nothing to do with television, media, or Biblical truth. It's naked partisanship. A chance to let Republicans talk directly to the mailing list.
I wonder, then, which is the cart and which is the horse? Surely the Republican Party better represents certain beliefs of many evangelicals. But if evangelicals drive Republican social policy, do they drive or follow Republican tax policy?
Back to the article. You read the headline, and sarcastically thought to yourself, "Both of them?" And you were wrong. The article quotes one person, Frances Rice, who heads an organization that is 2 days old.
Interestingly, Frances Rice has been accused of plagiarism. She blogs (Guess what? Republicans did a lot of great stuff for Black Americans 140 years ago! Martin Luther King was a Republican!) She heads the National Black Republicans Association which can't make it through a mission statement with lying:
All across this country, urban communities run by Democrats, who take the black vote for granted, have been turned into economic and social wastelands. Buildings are dilapidated, black children are trapped in failing public schools, teen pregnancy is at an all time high, and too many young black men have turned to a life of crime and drug abuse.
(Emphasis in original). Teen pregnancy is not at an all time high. Not even close. Here's one study (PDF):
| Teen pregnancies per 1,000 women | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group | 1986 | 1990 | 2000 |
| All 15-19 year olds | 106.7 | 116.9 | 83.6 |
| Nonwhite all | 180.7 | 189.4 | 128.2 |
| Black | no data | 223.8 | 153.3 |
Here's a handy chart:
I can't find any data more current than 2003. The National Center for Health Statistics has a 2003 report showing the teen birth rate declining through 2002, especially among African American teens. Maybe the NBRA has data more current than the CDC/NCHS, but I doubt it.
So, if teen pregnancy isn't at an all time high, what is? Visits to emergency rooms, for one: "'Emergency departments are a safety net and often the place of first resort for health care for America’s poor and uninsured,' said Linda McCaig of CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics and the report’s lead author." Maybe the NBRA would like to take on that issue?
