Thursday, April 05, 2007
Videoblog: Spring break abstinence brigades
















(Click image to play video)
Posted By Joe Johns, CNN Correspondent: 2:24 PM ET
  13 Comments
I admire and applaud these kids who show more leadership and responsibillity than the "woo hoo" Spring Breakers. They are willing to say "I don't care if Im not as popular, I'm standing up for the values I believe in."
Posted By Anonymous Steve, peoria Illinois : 2:49 PM ET
Too each his own. Each young person has to figure out what path or personal life he or she will take. Every decision has a consequence and every person has a right to live how they see fit. At the end of the day, decisions made usually last a good long time. So all we can ask of anyone is to think things through, then good or bad you own the decision you've made. Take Care
Posted By Anonymous Lorie Ann, Buellton, Calif. : 3:11 PM ET
Hey Joe,
My ex-is an alcoholic. If I learned anything at all from that experience it was that there is no logic or reasoning with an intoxicated person. My obvious question is: How effective is this program where you have teens trying to preach the "word" to other intoxicated teens on spring break, during a short ride to a hotel? Maybe after I see the whole clip tonight on 360 I will get a better mental picture. Thanks for the video. Very interesting!
Posted By Anonymous Betty Ann, Nacogdoches TX : 3:20 PM ET
Kudos to those young adults who are taking a stand for their beliefs with which I agree. Whether others agree or not doesn't matter as long as they walk with integrity according to the standards they've set for themselves. It's refreshing to hear that this group does not "push" their beliefs on others but demonstrate it through actions in a spirit of openess and intelligent conversation. As a mother of college-aged young adults (21, 20, 18), I encourage other parents to engage in discourse with their college students about choices that they (students) "may" view as demeaning and perhaps shameful later in life.
Posted By Anonymous Carrie J., Laurel, MS : 3:28 PM ET
Great! More conservative hand-wringing over sex. Pull your heads out of your hymnals and get in step with the real world!
Posted By Anonymous Linda, San Francisco California : 3:38 PM ET
They should be talking to some of the young celebrities in Hollywood. :P
Posted By Anonymous Em, Toronto, Ontario, Canada : 3:51 PM ET
As to living in the real world.....what is the real world. A lot of kids talk big but if you really sat down and discussed this topic alot of them would tell you they believe it is a good decision. As a person myself who made this decision as a teenager and has still kept that promise to save myself for marriage, it is something I can be proud of because this is one promise that is easy not to keep in tact. I do not walk around ashamed because of the decision I made, nor do I disappove of those who decide not to wait. It is a PERSONAL decision that you must live with and as long as you can live with YOUR decision, more power to you!
Posted By Anonymous Megan O. Toronto, ON, Canada : 3:51 PM ET
To: Steve in IL,

I so agree with your post.

Leadership is standing up for what you believe in based on your values. Trust me as a mother somedays my leadership is tested more than others.

Do I believe in a total abstinence program? No, because statistically it does not work. As a community and society, we must education children on all aspects of life because I believe education is the only way to keep children and families out of poverty.

The CDC did an 87 question survey for 2,091 students in our community.
The results were mindboggling to me.

35% of the students in 9th grade have had sex;
11% said they had sex with 4 or more partners;
22% said they were sexually active;
32% said they had their first drink before age 13
28% said they had used pot.
14% said they had considered suicide.
19% said they had attempted suicide.

Times have changed so I commend these young people who like to have fun without all the sex, drugs and alcohol.

In 9th grade, I was dreaming about getting a driver's license and trying to figure out if I could win the essay contest so I could get a spot on the yearbook staff. My dad and I would head down to the YMCA and do swimming races, chat and on the way home when it was dark he would let me drive in the church parking lot.

As a parent, I am challenged to ask myself, how do I raise morally competent children in a world that may or may not respect the values we are teaching at home?
Posted By Anonymous Renee Bradenton, FL : 4:08 PM ET
I took solid advantage of Spring Break trips in college, as did my wife. Looking back on it now, it was the silliest, stupidest waste of time in my life. I watched as women, too inexperienced in life and way too intoxicated, bared all to cameraphones and small handheld videocameras (in some cases, they couldn't see where both guys AND girls had hidden the cameras)...effectively ending future political aspirations, promotions, and job interviews due to the power of search engines. Men, too, likely fell victim, unable to understand (or unwilling to care) about the risk to their futures posed by being photographed and taped doing ... well ... anything.

I personally watched as men (and women...again, blows my mind) dropped pills into unsuspecting drinks. I reported it to bouncers and bartenders. They did nothing.

There is a problem, yes there is, whether conservative or liberal. Christian or athiest. The problem is risk, insurance, health, future, STD, reputation.

The solution...there are too many possibles to name one. This article is about one solution that may help a few (but may equally cause more sex, as they remind people of the "societal restrictions" they are running from). The solution, I feel, lay in changing the perception of this practice, in High School and during college, to train our future leaders and workers that there is risk, it isn't worth it, and fun can be had in many other ways.
Posted By Anonymous John, Wichita, Kansas : 4:21 PM ET
The importance of proselytizing should always outweigh a person's individual right to live with his or her own decisions. After all, as Jesus says over and over in the New Testament, "The Kingdom of God is within the opinions and lifestyles of others."
Oh, wait....that's not it.
Posted By Anonymous Charles Fort, Fnord, New York : 4:31 PM ET
I can admire someone that doesn't go because it doesn't fit their values, but I have no admiration if your whole purpose is to try to convert those who have chosen to go to party. Why are we so obsessed with "converting" people instead of focusing on how to better ourselves? Those that are happy doing their own thing will always be more inspirational than those demanding attention who rarely live up to their own standards. Don't like the partying of Spring Break? Spend that week building homes for the needy, or tutoring inner city children. They need more help than those that have Mom and Dad paying for airfare, hotel, and bar money.
Posted By Anonymous Lawrence Frank, Evanston, IL : 4:41 PM ET
I am glad kids are being more responsible. I don't understand why or how it got so out of control in the first place.
Posted By Anonymous Jess, Paris, KY : 5:02 PM ET
Religious weirdos get over it! I would rather try to learn the harsh realities of sex and love and conveneince relationships when I'm young and an uncumbered than when I'm in my 30's with children and hating life, and the really twisted thing is ... I think sexual exploration helps the women more than the men. THEY have to learn that bad boys, sexy as they may be, don't usually make great husbands. They're the ones have libidos that peak later in life, and according to many numbers, they are also the ones who are pushing for the divorces. If this was the middle ages, and abstinence till marriage was great because we were all going to die by the time we were 50 anyways, it would make sense. Now, if we marry young, we could possibly spend almost 80s with someone. Perhaps many good times, but a lot time and a lot of baggage we can collect with one person, and as the numbers are showing, we really can't handle it.
Posted By Anonymous Matt, Eugene OR : 6:41 PM ET
ABOUT THE BLOG
A behind the scenes look at "Anderson Cooper 360°" and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper and the show's correspondents and producers.



ARCHIVES
• 01/29/2006 - 02/05/2006
• 02/05/2006 - 02/12/2006
• 02/12/2006 - 02/19/2006
• 02/19/2006 - 02/26/2006
• 02/26/2006 - 03/05/2006
• 03/05/2006 - 03/12/2006
• 03/12/2006 - 03/19/2006
• 03/19/2006 - 03/26/2006
• 03/26/2006 - 04/02/2006
• 04/02/2006 - 04/09/2006
• 04/09/2006 - 04/16/2006
• 04/16/2006 - 04/23/2006
• 04/23/2006 - 04/30/2006
• 04/30/2006 - 05/07/2006
• 05/07/2006 - 05/14/2006
• 05/14/2006 - 05/21/2006
• 05/21/2006 - 05/28/2006
• 05/28/2006 - 06/04/2006
• 06/04/2006 - 06/11/2006
• 06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006
• 06/18/2006 - 06/25/2006
• 06/25/2006 - 07/02/2006
• 07/02/2006 - 07/09/2006
• 07/09/2006 - 07/16/2006
• 07/16/2006 - 07/23/2006
• 07/23/2006 - 07/30/2006
• 07/30/2006 - 08/06/2006
• 08/06/2006 - 08/13/2006
• 08/13/2006 - 08/20/2006
• 08/20/2006 - 08/27/2006
• 08/27/2006 - 09/03/2006
• 09/03/2006 - 09/10/2006
• 09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006
• 09/17/2006 - 09/24/2006
• 09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006
• 10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006
• 10/08/2006 - 10/15/2006
• 10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006
• 10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006
• 10/29/2006 - 11/05/2006
• 11/05/2006 - 11/12/2006
• 11/12/2006 - 11/19/2006
• 11/19/2006 - 11/26/2006
• 11/26/2006 - 12/03/2006
• 12/03/2006 - 12/10/2006
• 12/10/2006 - 12/17/2006
• 12/17/2006 - 12/24/2006
• 12/24/2006 - 12/31/2006
• 12/31/2006 - 01/07/2007
• 01/07/2007 - 01/14/2007
• 01/14/2007 - 01/21/2007
• 01/21/2007 - 01/28/2007
• 01/28/2007 - 02/04/2007
• 02/04/2007 - 02/11/2007
• 02/11/2007 - 02/18/2007
• 02/18/2007 - 02/25/2007
• 02/25/2007 - 03/04/2007
• 03/04/2007 - 03/11/2007
• 03/11/2007 - 03/18/2007
• 03/18/2007 - 03/25/2007
• 03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007
• 04/01/2007 - 04/08/2007
• 04/08/2007 - 04/15/2007
• 04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007
• 04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007
• 04/29/2007 - 05/06/2007
• 05/06/2007 - 05/13/2007
• 05/13/2007 - 05/20/2007
• 05/20/2007 - 05/27/2007
• 05/27/2007 - 06/03/2007
• 06/03/2007 - 06/10/2007
• 06/10/2007 - 06/17/2007
• 06/17/2007 - 06/24/2007
• 06/24/2007 - 07/01/2007
• 07/01/2007 - 07/08/2007
• 07/08/2007 - 07/15/2007
• 07/15/2007 - 07/22/2007
• 07/22/2007 - 07/29/2007
• 07/29/2007 - 08/05/2007
• 08/05/2007 - 08/12/2007
• 08/12/2007 - 08/19/2007
• 08/19/2007 - 08/26/2007
• 08/26/2007 - 09/02/2007
• 09/02/2007 - 09/09/2007
• 09/09/2007 - 09/16/2007
• 09/16/2007 - 09/23/2007
• 09/23/2007 - 09/30/2007
• 09/30/2007 - 10/07/2007
• 10/07/2007 - 10/14/2007
• 10/14/2007 - 10/21/2007
• 10/21/2007 - 10/28/2007
• 10/28/2007 - 11/04/2007
• 11/04/2007 - 11/11/2007
• 11/11/2007 - 11/18/2007
• 11/18/2007 - 11/25/2007
• 11/25/2007 - 12/02/2007
• 12/02/2007 - 12/09/2007
• 12/09/2007 - 12/16/2007
• 12/16/2007 - 12/23/2007
• 12/23/2007 - 12/30/2007
• 12/30/2007 - 01/06/2008

SUBSCRIBE
    What's this?
CNN Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNN makes reasonable efforts to review all comments prior to posting and CNN may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statement.