More pretty thoughts

When it comes to matters of war and peace, The Star Tribune's Katherine Kersten insists that pretty thoughts don't work.

When it comes to matters of sex and policy, though, Kersten certainly likes pretty thoughts.

She likes to believe that you can convince large groups of people, including horny adolescents, not to have sex simply by telling them why they ought not to. Forget teaching teenagers about how to have safe sex if they choose to have it: according to Kersten, "young people"

"need to hear from us -- their parents, teachers and medical caregivers -- that self-restraint is not only possible, but desirable, and that real happiness comes from respecting your own dignity and that of others."

You know what? I agree. Self-restraint is possible and in many cases desirable. Respecting one's own dignity and the dignity of others should be a lesson we pass on to all young people. On this I agree with Kersten.

But I thought "pretty thoughts didn't work." According to Kersten, when it comes to peace and violence, "pretty thoughts" are ineffective and we have to be more realistic. When it comes to teens and sex, though, Kersten is quite the idealist. She wants to believe that we can address the problems of teen sex (such as STDs) by simply teaching teens not to have sex. In this case, perhaps a more realistic approach would be more helpful. Many human beings are going to have sex with each other no matter what you teach them. Perhaps, while teaching values such as self-restraint and self-dignity, we could also teach safe sex methods. Perhaps, as we inform teenagers of the pitfalls of unrestrained sex, we could teach them how not to get a venereal disease should they choose to have sex. Of course, in this column Kersten (the supposed* realist on matters of war) mocks those attempting to take a realistic attitude toward sex and teenagers.

But perhaps Kersten could extend her ethic of respecting the dignity of others. Kersten has defended torture (with some "ends justify the means" logic). Does the torturer respect the dignity of the person being tortured? I find that difficult to believe.

(*I say "supposed" because I don't believe advocating war to solve serious problems is a realistic approach. As John Howard Yoder says, "There is no more utopian institution than an idealistic war." But further explorations of the meaning of pacifism and the ineffectiveness of violence is a discussion for another blog).

(For a more amusing take on the issue, see Rich Goldsmith's piece in The Rake. I don't mean to discuss serious things at this blog--really. But I write about Minnesota media here, so sometimes I'll write serious things).