Condom Nation Gives Out Free Condoms in Jersey City

Let me cut to the chase…I never thought it was a bad thing to encourage the use of condoms by sexually active teens.

Some parents think it sends the wrong message to their little flowers that….uhh…well, it’s ok to cross the line into adulthood when they’re not ready for it.

You know as well as I do that many are already.

And while you may feel that abstinence isn’t stressed enough, still you have to come to grips with the fact that many teens have already experimented; and that the use of condoms, in my humble opinion, is better preventative medicine.

According to this article,

this past Saturday, Journal Square was bustling more than usual as a HIV-awareness group set up shop outside the Jersey City transportation hub to distribute free condoms and perform free HIV tests.

The group, Condom Nation plans to visit 40 cities and 25 states in an effort to promote safe sex and HIV-awareness.

Condom Nation, which travels with a 70-foot, cobalt-blue big rig filled with 1 million prophylactics, plans to make appearances at Asbury Park Pride in New Jersey and Brooklyn Pride in New York.

However, some residents received the group with animosity.

"Whoever allowed this should be fired," said Jersey City developer Tony DeLuca, who came across the big tractor trailer with his daughter.

"It sends the entire wrong message about Jersey City and the people of Jersey City," said DeLuca, arguing that the campaign negatively affects the image of a redeveloping area.
(Memo to Tony: What’s the message about Jersey City? Has he not ventured outside of his own little bubble of a neighborhood?)

His 14-year-old daughter Shannon DeLuca agrees.

"I understand what they're trying to do, but it's not the message I'd send out to people. To people my age, they would think it's OK to have sex," she said.

(Message to Shannon: perhaps mom and dad imparted the message to you that abstinence is the best policy. Kudos to them. However, not everyone sees it that way!)

Jersey City teacher Kathleen Hawkes, 56, offered an alternative solution.

"Why don't they educate people? That's what they need to do, not give out free condoms," Hawkes said.

Millions have already been spent in education. The free condoms probably cost a fraction of that!