To the editor:
When Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders said that "in regard to masturbation, I think that is something that is part of human sexuality, and it's a part of something that perhaps should be taught" in sex education classes, President Clinton rightly showed her the door.
But since then, the issue seems to have faded from the headlines and from public attention. Neither President Clinton nor his opponent in the upcoming election, Bob Dole, have publicly commented on the issue.
Meanwhile, the epidemic of youth masturbation continues unabated.
Statistics show that most children, by the time they graduate from high school, have been afflicted at some point by masturbation. The consequences are startling: sexual arousal, erotic fantasy, even ejaculation and orgasm can affect children who masturbate. And auto-erotic asphyxiation continues to take the lives of young masturbators every year.
President Clinton took a strong stand against masturbation early in his presidency, but has since been silent. Bob Dole could bring this issue to the forefront of his campaign, but he too has dropped the ball. Meanwhile children suffer in an orgy of self-abuse.
Where is our national leadership? And why have the media not challenged the candidates for federal office on this issue?
Sincerely,
Ishmael Gradsdovic
San Luis Obispo
email Ishmael