MTV, Teen Sex, and Spring Break
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

The April 26, article by Tamara Audi, Staff Writer, for the Detroit Free Press, titled her second article "Sun, sex and tequila": "for high schoolers in Cancun, drinking goes until dawn and dangers of alcohol poisoning and rape are not far behind"

"CANCUN, Mexico -- The party started at noon. The actual drinking started earlier, around 10 a.m., with beers by the pool and in the pool. By noon, high school boys and girls from Taylor, senior girls from St. Clair Shores, juniors and seniors from Fenton, 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds from Dearborn were ready for tequila, for vodka, for more Corona, more Dos Equis. And so they went to the party at Fat Tuesday's."

In three stunning articles, the Detroit Free Press exposed the travel agencies, resort owners, and MTV's exploitation of high school students with Caribbean spring break "vacations."

Each spring, more than 100,000 high school and college students travel to Cancun, Mexico for a week of wild parties, drunkenness, drugs, and sex. Similar activities also take place in Jamaica, Aruba, and other island retreats.

The lure is uninforced under age drinking laws.

In the first article, Detroit Free Press reporters interviewed numerous Detroit area high school students heading for Cancun, travel agencies, and helpless high school principals and parents. Some of the parents cried because they couldn't stop their children. Others traveled to near by hotels so they could pick up the pieces when their sons and daughters crashed. Some parents thought it was part of growing up. Others said they just prayed their children would come home safe.

Anyone who has seen the wild beach bikini beach parties filmed by MTV knows American youth are being lured to join the fun and then help make video tape to fill up MTV prime time which in turn attracts more students. MTV is making millions.

The trips are booked on the Internet for 700 to 900 dollars for the week. For an extra $40.00 or more the underage students buy drink bracelets that allow them to consume as much alcohol as they can drink 'till they pass out. Students seem to have little trouble raising the money.

The second article revealed photographs of high school boys and girls sharing hotel rooms, being arrested for public sex by Mexican authorities, doing shots, and ripping off their bathing suits while dancing.

There were numerous accounts of lewd behavior, promiscuity, public nudity, and drunkenness. Many of the students didn't have the sense not to give the Free Press their names and the names of their high schools.

In the third article, the Detroit Free Press, a liberal Democratic Paper, called for public accountability by parents, schools, and government official, and travel agencies who are all contributing to the delinquency of minors. One has to say, "Well done, Detroit Free Press." This was public service journalism at its best.

Every talk show in Detroit reacted to the articles, which caught the attention of Detroit more than any other investigative report in years.

On the radio, WJR, Detroit's most listened to station, interviewed a doctor who is expert on venereal disease on its morning show. The doctor reported the most teens are told in high school that condoms work. However, the truth is, they are only 85% effective in preventing pregnancy and/or diseases. The greatest risk is disease.

The doctor explained that 60 million Americans, about 22.5% of the country's 280 million people, have some form of venereal disease. Many of them are incurable. He said many are relieved when they learn they don't have AIDS but 5000 women die in America each year just from clamidia, not to mention the other 20 diseases for which they are at risk.

The most shocking part of the story is that these children are from middle class homes, have more money than they know what to do with, and are convinced by godless instruction, culture, and rap lyrics that all human behavior is governed by the laws of nature.

Reclaim News readers, my advice is don't let your high school or college age student go on spring break until you watch one of the MTV bikini beach parties on Cancun for yourself. Much of America resembles Babylon more than Jerusalem.

For the text of all three articles:

Next stop: Cancun

Sun, sex, and tequila

Cancun packages outside U.S. law


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

May 8, 2001