Apparently, of the $900 million spent over the past five years by the Bush administration for the “abstinence only” programs, Alaska must not have gotten a dime, or the state of Alaska’s teens just don’t get the message, since Gov. Palin’s daughter is 17 and five months pregnant.

I’m am tired of the pro-life lobby getting all the attention. Pro-choice doesn’t necessarily mean pro-abortion, but it means preventing unwanted pregnancies, preventing STD and AIDS, and it means family planning.

The millions spent on programs such as abstinence only should instead be given to family planning programs, where a woman who cannot afford birth control medication could get it for free. Most of all, there would be no need for any abortions unless the mother’s life is threatened.

Abstinence should be part of any reproductive health and sex education program, but not from a program that presents misleading information and outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health.

Would I vote for a presidential ticket where both candidates are anti-choice? Not in my lifetime.

Heide E. Noel, Lisbon