Powell’s stance on condoms refreshing

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For over a year, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has quietly
walked the line of the Bush administration. Last Thursday, Powell
appeared on MTV and veered sharply off course by advocating the use
of condoms to prevent the spread of disease among sexually active
teenagers, instead of promoting abstinence.

Powell should be commended for objecting to the Roman Catholic
Church’s traditional stance on condoms. Most conservative
Republican politicians, especially those close to President Bush,
stand by the abstinence-first philosophy. This summer, for example,
the White House approved $30 million to fund abstinence education
programs for 2002; the Bush administration’s goal is to
increase funding for abstinence education to $135 million a year,
about as much as family planning programs currently receive.

Powell’s stance on condoms serves as a refreshing change
of tone in the Bush administration. Powell, unlike many
conservative or religiously driven politicians, realizes that the
government’s ability to control a person does not extend to
their hormones. Teenagers will engage in sexual activity, even if
done surreptitiously. Educating them about condoms and other
contraceptives not only helps prevent the spread of harmful,
sometimes terminal diseases, it also helps prevent pregnancy and
helps make abortion more of a moot issue. The rest of the Bush
administration should realize that spending $135 million annually
to prevent the inevitable is ridiculous, especially when the
practice can be made safe for 10 cents worth of latex.