Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

letter to the editor:

Metro’s abstinence event is shocking

I am writing in response to the “Choose Purity” event sponsored by Metro Police. I am shocked that a public police department was involved with a program to teach our youths that abstinence is the only way not to end up dead.

The message — that sex trafficking, drug use, gang activity and prostitution are the only avenues available when one has premarital sex — is preposterous. I can understand if a private organization were putting on this event, but the fact that it was sponsored by Metro is a disgrace.

Countless studies have shown that abstinence-only education is a hindrance to the health and well-being of younger generations. Abstinence should be a part of sex education, not the only thing that is taught. Parents, counselors and doctors are the people who should be speaking to kids about sex, not the police force, and certainly not if they are going to do it with a misguided, outdated, one-sided ideology.

I understand that no money from Metro went toward this event, but as a public institution, just lending your name to an event is enough to make people think that it is an official, municipal event and that the things discussed are the official opinion of the community.

At what point did public policy become religious ideology — that if we don’t tell them about sex, they won’t do it?

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy