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GOP Congressman: Human Beings Don’t Need Sex Ed

Doug Mataconis
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Congressman Louie Gohmert thinks he has a great argument against educating kids about sex and reproduction:

Rep. Louie Gohmert says he doesn’t see the value of sex education, noting that “mankind has existed” just fine without for a long time.

On Monday, the Texas Republican was discussing indoctrination through education on a conservative radio show “Wallbuilders Live,” and decrying what he said was a liberal agenda to push homosexuality and sexuality on children too young.

“Actually, mankind has existed for a pretty long time without anyone ever having to give a sex ed lesson to anybody. And now we feel like, oh gosh people are too stupid unless we force them to sit and listen to instructions. It is just incredible,” Gohmert said. “For heaven’s sake, let the kids be innocent.”

Does Gohmert also believe that human beings don’t need to learn English since we’ve been talking for a long time?

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42 responses to “GOP Congressman: Human Beings Don’t Need Sex Ed”

  1. michael reynolds Avatar
    michael reynolds

    Let’s hear from Mrs. Gohmert.

  2. Sam Malone Avatar
    Sam Malone

    Even in a party of ignoramuses…Gohmert’s stupidity stands out.

  3. Caj Avatar
    Caj

    They certainly do. If his parents had had more of it that jerk may not have been born! Texas is one crazy state. Who wants to mess with Texas, it’s full of fools??

  4. OzarkHillbilly Avatar
    OzarkHillbilly

    Has anybody pointed out to the distinguished (cough! cough!) gentleman from Texas that black and brown people have sex and that if they are not educated about it at an early age they are likely to have even more black and brown babies accelerating the decline and fall of the great white race even more?

    Somebody should tell him.

  5. rudderpedals Avatar
    rudderpedals

    Jodie “Rape Kit Cleanout” Laubenberg approves

  6. greg Avatar
    greg

    How this man got elected is a mystery.
    Does he really think sex-ed is only about ‘how’ to have sex?

  7. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Well, mankind used to exist living in mud huts too. The conservative worship of ignorance seems to know no bounds.

  8. stonetools Avatar
    stonetools

    If there is a singularity of stupid, Texas must be close to achieving it.

  9. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    I strongly approve of the Republican Party’s ongoing effort to rebrand itself.

  10. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    The other day I thought about setting up a “Republican says something stupid” Google News feed, but the only purpose would be to predict what story Doug will find worthy of comment next.

  11. John Peabody Avatar
    John Peabody

    Don’t forget- he is speaking for his voters. It’s quite likely he knows better himself, but he’s got a lot of community fund-raisers coming up, and, well, you know….

  12. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    @Jenos Idanian:

    The other day I thought about setting up a “Republican says something stupid” Google News feed, but the only purpose would be to predict what story Doug will find worthy of comment next.

    With respect to “Republican says something stupid” stories, I have to admit, Republicans have melded both quantity and quality superbly. Frankly, Democrats simply cannot compete with Republicans at this level.

  13. Rafer Janders Avatar
    Rafer Janders

    @Jenos Idanian:

    The other day I thought about setting up a “Republican says something stupid” Google News feed,

    Eh, I’ve already set up a “Republican says something” Google News feed. It’s practically the same thing.

  14. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    That reminds me, Doug — my Google Calendar says you’re about a day and a half overdue for another assertion that you really are a libertarian/conservative, and you think that the Democrats and liberals’ ideas are awful, too — you just don’t feel the need to go over them in such loving detail as you lavish on the conservatives.

  15. Facebones Avatar
    Facebones

    Does Gohmert also believe that human beings don’t need to learn English since we’ve been talking for a long time?

    Do you really want to ask that?

  16. Mu Avatar
    Mu

    Somehow he doesn’t seem to get the message that sex ed is not about having sex but about what happens afterwards. But I guess he likes Sunday school full of pregnant 12 year olds finding out for themselves.

  17. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    @Jenos Idanian:

    Democrats and liberals’ ideas are awful, too

    Well okay then: Which liberal “idea” is as awful as, say, “legitimate rape”?

  18. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    @al-Ameda: How about Nancy Pelosi saying that Catholicism is pro-choice and that abortion is “sacred ground?”

    The “legitimate rape” was a mangled expression. Pelosi, though, meant exactly what she said. And her prominence in the Democratic Party is worth a whole lot of bonus points.

  19. Rafer Janders Avatar
    Rafer Janders

    @Jenos Idanian:

    The “legitimate rape” was a mangled expression.

    Mangled expression of what, exactly?

  20. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    @Jenos Idanian:
    Pelosi also said: her colleagues who seek to limit late-term abortions are “reprehensible” for “disrespecting the judgment a woman makes about her reproductive health.” She added that, she is a “practicing and respectful Catholic” but that abortion, in her opinion, is “sacred ground” and it “shouldn’t have anything to do with politics.”

  21. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    @ al-Ameda

    “disrespecting the judgment a woman makes about her reproductive health.”

    This is exactly what Jenos is looking to do. Guys like him are a dime a dozen. Typically, they are serial failures with women looking for an outlet for their anger/rage.

  22. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    @al-Ameda: Pelosi also said: her colleagues who seek to limit late-term abortions are “reprehensible” for “disrespecting the judgment a woman makes about her reproductive health.” She added that, she is a “practicing and respectful Catholic” but that abortion, in her opinion, is “sacred ground” and it “shouldn’t have anything to do with politics.”

    Except, of course, when one needs politics to advance it. Meaning public funding and requiring medical providers and insurers to support it. And with all due respect to Pope Nancy, I’ll defer to actual authority figures within the Church to define its doctrine.

    As far as other examples, I recall then-candidate Obama saying that there were doctors performing unnecessary amputations on diabetics just for the money, and Joe Biden saying… well, hell, almost anything he’s ever said in public qualifies as stultifyingly stupid.

  23. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    I’ll defer to actual authority figures within the Church to define its doctrine.

    Sure. Telling women what they can and can’t do with their own bodies will give them something to do when they are not busy enabling pedophiles.

  24. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    @Rafer Janders: “Legitimate rape” as opposed to “false or fraudulent claims of rape.” Which never happens, of course. Except with Tawanda Brawley. And the Duke Lacrosse team. And Brian Banks.

    It’s a rare phenomenon, but should the right to abortion be constrained to cases of rape, incest, and life of the mother, any reasonable person should expect the numbers of false claims of rape to increase.

    We saw a similar phenomenon when support for single parents (almost always mothers) was ramped up. The number of birth certificates that listed the father as “unknown” shot through the roof. Now either there was a rash of inconceivable (sorry) promiscuity, or women chose to shelter the fathers from the financial burden of state-imposed child support.

    But seriously, Doug — show a little bipartisan variety. You could do a regular feature of Bidenisms that are far, far more consequential than hunting high and low for some GOP guy of little import saying something stupid.

  25. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Hmm. What do Tawana Brawley and Joe Biden have to do with the topic at hand? Oh yea – nothing at all…

    Say Jenos, whats with “Tawanda” Brawley? Does that sound a little blacker to you?

  26. Rob in CT Avatar
    Rob in CT

    GOP Figures “of little import” seem to abound.

    What you don’t seem to understand about this is that Doug sees himself, as a libertarian, as probably more of a Righty than a Lefty and his people keep embarrassing him

    I get this: I hate it when liberals say dumb stuff too. It’s embarrassing. You have the “you’re on MY side? Gosh, thanks!” reaction.

  27. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    @anjin-san: I seem to see a lot more stories about teachers abusing children than priests. Maybe you ought to shift at least a little of your hatred for the NRA…

  28. Jr Avatar
    Jr

    But seriously, Doug — show a little bipartisan variety. You could do a regular feature of Bidenisms that are far, far more consequential than hunting high and low for some GOP guy of little import saying something stupid.

    Oh please, Biden makes his fair shares of gaffes……but they aren’t on the level of the stupidity that comes out of the mouths of the GOP on a daily bases.

  29. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    @ Jenos

    your hatred for the NRA…

    Ah, Skippy? I have been shooting longer than you have been alive. I don’t care for the NRA, but you are basically lying about my position on guns here. Par for the course for you.

    I seem to see a lot more stories about teachers abusing children than priests.

    Some of the recent comments you have made leave none of us surprised that you would lay down cover for pedophiles…

  30. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    @Jenos Idanian:

    As far as other examples, I recall then-candidate Obama saying that there were doctors performing unnecessary amputations on diabetics just for the money, and Joe Biden saying… well, hell, almost anything he’s ever said in public qualifies as stultifyingly stupid.

    None of that “rises” to the level of stupidity that we’ve recently witnessed on a regular basis from prominent non-RINO politicians like Palin, Bachmann, Santorum, West, as well as non-prominent non-RINOs like Gohmert, Akin, Steve King and many others.

    As for Church officials and promulgation of it’s Doctrine? Setting aside the 30 year period during which Church officials covered-up and thereby countenanced a child molestation scandal of biblical proportions … leaving that aside … They are a sterling group, aren’t they? Current Church Doctrine counsels women against the use of artificial contraception, yet the Church officials are aware that the vast majority of Catholic women, during their child bearing years, ignore Church teachings and use birth control, those same officials have nothing to say.

  31. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    @Rob in CT: What you don’t seem to understand about this is that Doug sees himself, as a libertarian, as probably more of a Righty than a Lefty and his people keep embarrassing him

    Dammit. Ace of Spades had a brilliant piece a few months ago talking about how people who spend nearly all their time bashing conservatives, and only under great duress will also add “but the liberals are bad, too” are not helping their purported agenda, but simply giving support to the left. Ace was speaking of the Establishment nominal conservatives like David Brooks, but it seems to apply to the authors here quite well.

    And I can’t find the link.

  32. Jenos Idanian Avatar
    Jenos Idanian

    @al-Ameda: If you don’t like the Catholic rules, there’s absolutely no reason why you should live by them. God knows I sure as hell don’t, and never would.

    But it’s the Church’s place to define its own doctrines and beliefs, not Nancy Pelosi’s.

  33. Pinky Avatar
    Pinky

    @Jenos Idanian: I think that “legitimate rape” and “sacred ground” were equally mangled expressions. The reality of the two politicians’ agendas are much different, though.

  34. Franklin Avatar
    Franklin

    @michael reynolds: I demand to know what downvoter doesn’t have a sense of humor. Perhaps Mrs. Gohmert herself?

  35. Pinky Avatar
    Pinky

    @al-Ameda:

    Which liberal “idea” is as awful as, say, “legitimate rape”?

    Well, there was Minnesota state rep Ryan Winkler today, calling Clarence Thomas an Uncle Tom, then saying he didn’t know that the term had racial connotations.

  36. bill Avatar
    bill

    well, he didn’t get the national memo that says schools are responsible for raising our kids….until something bad happens- then it’s the parents fault. sex ed in school was pretty lame, and several years too late. it is the parents responsibility, not the schools. when did the gov’t really become “responsible” for everything anyways?

  37. bill Avatar
    bill

    @Pinky: he’s a democrat, i believe he’s that stupid.

  38. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    @ bill

    Is the government responsible for the endless river of drivel that flows from your keyboard?

  39. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    @Pinky:

    Well, there was Minnesota state rep Ryan Winkler today, calling Clarence Thomas an Uncle Tom, then saying he didn’t know that the term had racial connotations.

    As appalling as Winkler’s denial was (he should own his comments) it is still not as ignorant as the idea of “legitimate rape.”

  40. Pinky Avatar
    Pinky

    @al-Ameda: Akin wasn’t talking about legitimate rape vs illegitimate rape, he was talking about abortions of fetuses created through rape versus abortion of fetuses created through consensual sex. So you’re wrong to talk about “the idea of ‘legitimate rape’”.

  41. Matt Bernius Avatar
    Matt Bernius

    @Pinky:
    Let me spell this out. What Akin said was fundamentally offensive and wrong headed for a few reasons.

    First, here’s the quote:

    Akin: Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.

    1. By coining the phrase “legitimate rape” he was inherently suggesting that often consensual sex becomes “rape” after the fact. That type of view immediate casts doubt on anyone who claims that they have been raped.

    2. He’s stating repeatedly and long disproven pseudoscience as fact.

    3. When you combine the two, he’s stating that if someone becomes pregnant, they cannot have been raped. In real “legitimate rape” the body “shuts that down.” But if the accuser becomes pregnant as a result of the intercourse, it cannot have been “legitimate rape” regardless of the circumstances.

    Seriously, this is not a particularly good comment to try and defend.

    Further, he later doubled down on the idea by saying that by “legitimate” he actually meant “forcible” — “Akin: I was talking about forcible rape…I used the wrong word” — but that isn’t any better, as if you apply this sort of thinking, then whether or not one becomes pregnant comes to determine whether a rape was forcible or not.

    You see the issue with this, right?

  42. bill Avatar
    bill

    @anjin-san: not yet, they monitor it though! i don’t really ramble on like some of you do- a few sentences is all i need. and if it weren’t for me and a few others you’d all get tired of sucking each other off…..well maybe not.

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