Scarlett Johansson says, "We are supposed to be liberated in America but if our President had his way, we wouldn't be educated about sex at all. "Every woman would have six children and we wouldn't be able to have abortions."

Um....WHAT????

Ms. Johannson, who is twice yearly tested for HIV due to her "social awareness," has made this statement against President Bush and his ideas about teaching that abstinence is the only sure way to protect against sexually transmitted diseases and his belief that abortion is wrong.

So, her argument seems to be that if children are taught the very best method for avoiding disease, the only thing left for them to do is ignore the advice and have six dreadful children.

I know the argument is supposed to be that children who are taught abstinence is a good choice can't possibly be expected to abstain and so we do them a disservice by not teaching other methods of birth control (and disease control), but can we get real here? The truth of the matter is children can be taught about sex and barrier methods AND be taught about abstaining from sex.

I think what I find most disturbing, however, is the proposition that those of us who make prudent choices to keep sexual relations within marriage - and those of us who choose to have children - are somehow not liberated. Or educated. It seems to me I am living a life of freedom far greater than a woman who worries about HIV testing twice a year. I must be more educated than a woman who needs an abortion because she couldn't (or wouldn't) control herself.* Where is the freedom in the life of such a woman?

Honestly, I'm offended by Ms. Johannson's comments. She is a beautiful and talented woman, but I am now off the fan list.

* I am aware that circumstances that lead to abortion are sometimes more complicated than this, but because of Ms. Johansson's flip comments, I am assuming this is the sort of situation about which she speaks.