Two Day Magazine

The Tea Partiers, who like to refer to themselves as “the true owners of the United States”, have unleashed upon us their latest candidate more consumed with banning normal, healthy sexual activity in the name of God than working to preserve our personal liberties and freedoms.

Christine O’Donnell, a Republican from Delaware, who by the way made a name for herself in the early 90s when she appeared on MTV to argue for a masturbation free youth, has decided to challenge Rep. Mike Castle in the state’s Senate primary.

At that time, O’Donnell was the president of SALT (Saviors Alliance for Lifting the Truth--whatever that means) which was a group that “focused on establishing conservative Christian values in college-aged kids.” They became a visible force of the pro-chastity movement. Sort of how the trendy “promise rings” of today became a tangible symbol of protecting one’s “purity”.

O’Donnell goes on to say, “Yes I am a Christian. Yes, I do seek to surrender my entire life to the will of our Father. That is precisely why I don’t talk about abstinence or secondary virginity when I am asked to speak about sex. Abstinence is a physical discipline, not a calling. It makes our physical condition the goal.”

Good. If she wants to surrender her life to her Father, she should go join a convent since she won’t be busy having sex.

However, not only did O’Donnell oppose the safest form of sex possible, masturbation, but she also argued that sex education would cause us to become indifferent to sexual predators. O’Donnell also argued against President Bush’s restrictions on stem-cell research...because the laws weren’t restrictive enough. Wow. She must be really fun at a party.

O’Donnell argued that masturbation is not a moral substitute for sex. “The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. So you can’t masturbate without lust.”

She goes on to say, “The reason that you don’t tell people that masturbation is the answer to AIDS and all these other problems that come with sex outside of marriage is because again it is not addressing the issues. You’re just going to create somebody who is, I was going to say, toying with sexuality. Pardon the pun.”

I’m not exactly sure how O’Donnell’s background will help her win a spot in Delaware’s state Senate race that is heating up. Unless masturbation is linked to a poor economy or something of that nature, I don’t see how her previous position as the president of SALT will do her much good. In fact, Castle’s camp decided on Thursday to launch a negative campaign against O’Donnell.

“We’re not just going to sit by and let her destroy Mike Castle,” states a Castle campaign source to Hotline On Call.

Other Republicans are also going after O’Donnell. The Delaware GOP has been releasing statements against her all week on their new website: www.RealChristine.com .

I find the tactics of the Tea Party very strange indeed. I don’t completely understand why they keep pushing these anti-sex, anti-humanity, anti-unifying candidates who promote nothing but unrealistic and unhealthy attitudes about the human condition.

Sex is not dirty. Masturbating is not dirty. Humans are complex creatures with needs and desires. Humans need touch, we need one another, we need love. To demand that we not only repress our completely natural sexual urges, but to also demand that we ignore our physical selves entirely, is very misanthropic and dangerous.

UPDATE ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2010:

The people have spoken! O’Donnell has won, which is a huge upset to the GOP. Castle had broad appeal to both independents and even some Democratic voters, which could mean that O’Donnell’s limited appeal to conservative Republicans may hurt her now in the upcoming election against Democratic candidate Chris Coons, who is favored to win in November.

According to CNN, a top Republican official stated that no one should expect national Republicans rallying around O’Donnell’s candidacy.

“Unless she demonstrates some viability in the polls, we are not going to have any money for her,” said the official, who spoke anonymously. “It is now incumbent on Sarah Palin, Jim DeMint and the Tea Party Express to help support her. They got her here. Now make it happen.”

Ouch! Should be an exciting election season!

I am tired of people equating sex with disease and death. Fear only worsens ones ignorance. Instead of preaching abstinence and chastity, why not give people the information they need about how to protect themselves, nurture themselves and love themselves, and let them make up their own minds.

The last thing we need is a sea of bitter, angry, sex-deprived O’Donnells running a-mok and trying to outlaw any facet of sexuality that doesn’t come in the pre-packaged neat and tidy form of marriage. O’Donnell is only perpetuating anger, hate, and fear around the most beautiful gift her God ever created: Ourselves.