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=== Transcript ===
=== Transcript ===
We've been told that Human Rights is the very heart of our foreign policy. If that is true, it explains the inconsistency of that policy.
I'll be right back.


By coincidence, three situations dealing with our policy on Human Rights became news items almost simultaneously in recent weeks and they pointed up our government's inconsistency with regard to this subject. In fact, it is an inconsistency that perhaps should be called hypocrisy.
Not too long ago in talking about sex education in our schools I mentioned (if
I remember correctly) that someone had recommended lowering the age of consent to
13 years. Let me correct that statement. Someone didn't just suggest it. It's a
part of the 212 page criminal code signed into law last August in the state of New
Jersey. It has just been discovered by a New Jersey police officer who sounded the
alarm.


The first news item was that our State Department has decided that violation of Human Rights is no longer a barrier to normalizing relations with Castro's Cuba. We still have two other unresolved matters standing in the way: Cuba's forces in Africa and a lack of compensation for private property seized by Castro during the revolution, but the slate is clean on Human Rights, because a few hundred of Castro's thousands of political prisoners have been freed and allowed to join their families in the United States.
The new law reads that age of consent for sexual intercourse is lowered to 13
and even lower if there is less than 4 years difference in age between children
having sex.


The second item had to do with a cutback at economic aid in Nicaragua and the withdrawal of American personnel. This we're doing because, according to the State Department, President Samosa is in violation of our standards of Human Rights. He may be, I don't know. I do know, because it's a matter of record, that the revolutionary forces who are fighting against his regime are Marxists for the most part and many were trained and armed by Castro's Cuba. so it's one off and one on our Human Rights blacklist.
The purpose of the change was to exempt consenting youngsters from statutory
rape charges while strengthening protections for actual rape victims according to
the two feminist groups who drafted the legislation. Spokespersons for the groups
said, "A rape prosecution is too high a price to pay for adolescent sexuality."
They also said this brought the law up to date with the sexual habits of teenagers;
that "many parents don't know or want to admit it, but the number of sexually
active teenagers is increasing rapidly."


Item number three is the release of a report that has been in the making for about a year and a half. It was in September 1977 that Panama invited the Organization of American States to send its Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to visit Panama and investigate what were called unfounded, unjust and irresponsible charges of violations of Human Rights. These charges had been made in the discussion and debate over the Panama Canal treaties. The results of that investigation have just been made public and they confirmed the charges which the government of Panama had declared were unfounded and unjust. The commission concludes that between 1968 and 1972, political activity was practically suppressed by the military regime. From '72 to '77, Panamaians were deported in violation of the constitution.
In fairness let me say these spokepersons evidently were not representative
of many in the feminist groups who were not aware they were sponsoring such a law.
Remember it was in a 212 page bill -- Chapter 14 section 2C: 14-2.


Restrictions were imposed on freedom of assembly, expression and association and there was interference in the judicial process. All of that is only for openers. The commission reported on torture tactics engaged in with the Panama National Guard, electric shocks to the vital and most sensitive parts of the body, physical beatings of male and female prisoners usually with a hoses, the insulting fondling of female prisoners and threat of rape and long interrogation of prisoners while denying them food, water and sleep.
In fact it had slipped by many of the legislators who had voted yes and who
now have introduced a bill to repeal the provision.


The commission also reported a written statement from Leopoldo Aragon, who was a political prisoner for two years and then exiled to Sweden where he burned himself to death in a protest against our turning over the canal to Panama. Here is some of what he wrote, "Prisoners were running like cattle under the whippings and savage cries of the guards who were hitting them clubs." In addition to this he told of prisoners being hung from tree limbs by their wrists, chaining them to thorn trees and tying them on top of ant tunnels.
But it was the parents, the clergy, the NAACP and other groups who manned the
ramparts. One father said, "I look at my 13 year old and other youngsters and I
just can't see that they can handle sex emotionally."


This October 1st we begin the turnover of the canal to Panama.
Ironically this slipped through a legislature that is considering raising the
drinking age from 18 to 19 or 20.
 
But in all of the furor and understandable distress of parents one thing should
warm the hearts of all of us. God bless the wisdom that often goes with youth.
An 8th grader said, "I'm against the law. A lot of kids who didn't do it before
are going to try it now -- it's like giving them permission. And if they get
pregnant, who's going to marry a 13 year old?"
 
A teacher held a discussion of the law in her class when the publicity about it
had made it a subject of general conversation. "The kids said they weren't ready
for that kind of responsibility," she reported and then added this wonderful line.
"And they were surprised there were adults who thought they were."
 
Well, as someone once said, "some people grow up and some people just grow
older."


This is Ronald Reagan.
This is Ronald Reagan.


Thanks for listening.
Thanks for listening.
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<TD>Production Date</TD><TD>05/29/[[Radio1979|1979]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Production Date</TD><TD>05/29/[[Radio1979|1979]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Book/Page</TD><TD>[[Radio_Commentary_Books#Reagan.27s_Path_to_Victory|RPtV-446]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Book/Page</TD><TD>[[Radio_Commentary_Books#Reagan.27s_Path_to_Victory|RPtV-446]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Audio</TD><TD>Yes</TD></TR>
<TD>Audio</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
<TD>Youtube?</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
<TD>Youtube?</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
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Latest revision as of 17:23, 20 March 2026

- Main Page \ Reagan Radio Commentaries \ 1979

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Sex Education[edit]

Transcript[edit]

Not too long ago in talking about sex education in our schools I mentioned (if I remember correctly) that someone had recommended lowering the age of consent to 13 years. Let me correct that statement. Someone didn't just suggest it. It's a part of the 212 page criminal code signed into law last August in the state of New Jersey. It has just been discovered by a New Jersey police officer who sounded the alarm.

The new law reads that age of consent for sexual intercourse is lowered to 13 and even lower if there is less than 4 years difference in age between children having sex.

The purpose of the change was to exempt consenting youngsters from statutory rape charges while strengthening protections for actual rape victims according to the two feminist groups who drafted the legislation. Spokespersons for the groups said, "A rape prosecution is too high a price to pay for adolescent sexuality." They also said this brought the law up to date with the sexual habits of teenagers; that "many parents don't know or want to admit it, but the number of sexually active teenagers is increasing rapidly."

In fairness let me say these spokepersons evidently were not representative of many in the feminist groups who were not aware they were sponsoring such a law. Remember it was in a 212 page bill -- Chapter 14 section 2C: 14-2.

In fact it had slipped by many of the legislators who had voted yes and who now have introduced a bill to repeal the provision.

But it was the parents, the clergy, the NAACP and other groups who manned the ramparts. One father said, "I look at my 13 year old and other youngsters and I just can't see that they can handle sex emotionally."

Ironically this slipped through a legislature that is considering raising the drinking age from 18 to 19 or 20.

But in all of the furor and understandable distress of parents one thing should warm the hearts of all of us. God bless the wisdom that often goes with youth. An 8th grader said, "I'm against the law. A lot of kids who didn't do it before are going to try it now -- it's like giving them permission. And if they get pregnant, who's going to marry a 13 year old?"

A teacher held a discussion of the law in her class when the publicity about it had made it a subject of general conversation. "The kids said they weren't ready for that kind of responsibility," she reported and then added this wonderful line. "And they were surprised there were adults who thought they were."

Well, as someone once said, "some people grow up and some people just grow older."

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.

 

Details[edit]

Batch Number79-08-A3
Production Date05/29/1979
Book/PageRPtV-446
AudioNo
Youtube?No

Added Notes[edit]

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