[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 110 (Friday, July 30, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PROTECT THE CHILDREN

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                            HON. DAVE WELDON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 29, 1999

  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor to comment on 
the remarks of my colleague from the other side of the aisle, who 
criticized Members for support of H. Con. Res. 107. This resolution 
rejected the conclusions of a recent article published by the American 
Psychological Association that suggests sexual relationships between 
adults and children might be positive for children. We passed that 
resolution 355-0 with 13 Members voting present.
  My colleague stated, ``I wonder how many of us read the study before 
we were willing to vote to say that the methodology was flawed. I 
wonder how many of us were technically competent to make that 
decision.''
  I am a medical doctor and I read the meta-analysis in question. This 
study is based on bad data, as well as, outdated and irrelevant 
information. The authors cast aside studies by highly respected child-
abuse researchers and instead relied heavily on non-published, non-peer 
reviewed studies. Sixty percent of the article relies on one study 
conducted in 1950 which did not even focus on physical sexual abuse.
  Two of the authors have advanced pro-pedophilia arguments in other 
forums. One author published an article titled, ``Male 
Intergenerational Intimacy'' which questioned the taboo against man-boy 
love. Another article by the author was published in Paidika--The 
Journal of Pedophilia which advocates the legalization of sex with 
``willing'' children.
  There is nothing untrue or unsubstantiated about these facts.
  Yes, the APA does a lot of good work with regard to child abuse. To 
their credit, the APA now recognizes the problem with publishing this 
article and they are making changes in the peer review process to 
ensure that future articles consider the social policy implications of 
articles on controversial topics.
  It is an interesting argument that my colleague makes about Members 
not having the technical expertise to vote on the legislative proposal. 
Using this reasoning, each Member of Congress would have to recuse 
themselves for 95 percent of all votes because they deal with matters 
outside their expertise. That is a ludicrous argument and I would 
suggest to my colleague that a Member does not need to be trained as a 
psychologist to understand that pedophilia is wrong.
  Pedophiles know that if society cannot demonstrate harm to victims of 
childhood sexual abuse they will be well on their way to 
``normalizing'' pedophilia.
  Hear what one pedophile wrote about the APA study. ``For several 
years now studies have been slowly chipping away at the harm myth. But 
this study is a major hammer-blow. It represents what is really known 
about sex with boys, and the conclusion couldn't be clearer: When a boy 
and a man consent to make love with one another, the experience is 
positive, or at the very least, neutral. There is, simply, no harm. . . 
. The genie is absolutely out of the bottle now and nothing in the 
world will be able to stuff it back in.''
  Frankly, I am surprised that anyone would defend this study. My 
colleague even quoted scripture and implied that those who condemned 
the article on pedophilia were guilty of lying.
  I think it is appropriate to remember what the Bible said about 
people who harm children.
  ``And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but 
whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in Me to stumble, 
it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, 
and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.''
  I applaud my colleagues who reached across party lines to protect 
children from those who would exploit them by normalizing pedophilia.

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