March 4

Events

1997 - Just say no ... or else! - The Missouri Senate passed legislation on this date that required teachers teaching sex education to actively promote abstinence as the only acceptable method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Senator Ken Jacob argued vigorously against the bill, and proposed that the entire sex education program should be scrapped rather than go ahead with a half-assed one. He lost the vote 21-11. The proposal also prohibited school districts from distributing condoms or other contraceptives and it prevented schools from referring a student to another organization or health clinic for help. Ironically, a touring school group was present to witness the debate. None of the kids looked impressed.

2002 - When is assault not assault? When the victim is a pedo, of course! - In Kentucky in December of 2001, Larry Howell was shot once in the groin and once in the side as he was being released on bail facing charges of sodomy with young boys. Nude photos of 25 boys were recovered from his home. An mother, whose son was not sodomized or photographed by Howell shot him because she was angry that he had spent time with her son. The shooting took place next to the police department and the woman was found with a 9mm revolver in her hand and arrested. She was charged with first-degree assault. On March 1, 2002, the grand jury declined to indict the woman on "first-degree assault, and assault under extreme emotional disturbance" charges. Prosecutors decided not to present the charges again, so she's was free. On this date, a poll asking people what they thought of the case was conducted. A full 45% said she should not have been charged or, if charged, acquitted. Long live justice.

2002 - Not the "Man of the Year" - On this date the pedo priest scandal was in full swing as Cardinal Bernard Law was pictured on the cover of Time magazine with the caption "Sex, shame and the Catholic church." The scandal of what priest did do was now fully a scandal of what higher-ups did not do about it. There were routine protests at church services that Cardinal Law oversaw calling for his resignation. For a long time he resisted, but eventually Law did step down.