September 1, 2008
Palin vs. Obama: Unplanned Pregnancy
I got a text message during class just a little while ago informing me that Sarah Palin’s daughter, Bristol was pregnant. I was obviously pretty surprised, but quickly wondered what she was going to do. However, knowing how pro-life Sarah Palin is, I knew Bristol would keep the baby. Indeed, she will, and will be marrying the father. This statement released by the Palins only deepens my respect for them, and I think that is going to be the reaction of the vast majority of social conservatives.
Pro-Lifers do not freak out about unplanned pregnancies. In fact, they are nothing but fully supportive, and do everything they can to help the mother prepare to have her child. It is a quite joyful experience that I have seen in my own life. Do social conservatives condone premarital sex? Of course not. But you can’t change the past, you can only focus on now and the future. The media is going to try and spin it differently, saying that this is going to hurt Palin’s standing with traditional Catholics and Evangelicals. It will not.
Furthermore, I don’t know if it has been reported here, but most social conservatives fell in love with Palin earlier this year because of the way she reacted when given the news that her child would have Down-syndrome:
The 44-year-old governor waited a few days before telling her husband, Todd, who was out of town, so she could understand what was ahead for them.
Once her husband got the news, he told her: “We shouldn’t be asking, ‘Why us?’ We should be saying, ‘Well, why not us?’”
There was never any doubt the Palins would have the child, and on April 18 she gave birth to Trig Paxon Van Palin.
“We’ve both been very vocal about being pro-life,” Palin said. “We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential.”
Down syndrome is caused by the presence of an extra chromosome in the fetus’ cells. It’s a genetic abnormality that impedes physical, intellectual and language development.
“I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection,” Palin said. “Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?”
The way the Palin family reacted to the news of their pregnant daughter and the news that they would have a child with Down-snydrome is truly amazing and uplifting. Now, compare that to what Obama has said about unplanned pregnancy:
“Punished with a baby?”
Obama needs to talk to Sarah Palin, the proud mother of five, the loving mother of a child with Down-syndrome, the supportive mother of a daughter with an unplanned pregnancy, about babies ever being a “punishment.”
http://race42008.com/2008/09/01/palin-vs-obama-unplanned-pregnancy/trackback/
September 1st, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I’m with Obama on this.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Good defense even if we needed one.
From here it seems the social libertarian branch is the only group with a problem.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Thank you, Billy. I was just going over to the first thread about this news to blast all of those that are saying we should “dump” Sarah Palin because of this. It’s heartening to know that there are some on this site that understand how this just strengthens her appeal to many of us.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Our wonderful open-minded, tolerant, non-judgmental, liberal friends think this is something to attack Palin on.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Gallups out: 49-43
September 1st, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Metro,
You should be thankful that your mother didn’t view you as a punishment. For crying out loud, that’s the kind of nonsense I’d expect from a bunch of whining libs. There is more to being a conservative than lowering taxes. The base of the Republican party is still made of social conservatives who believe every life is precious. Get over it or get out. I think you’re about to find out that we’re not just going to sit back while our party gets destroyed by RINOs. And yes, I mean those that pretend to be Republicans but obviously have never read the dang platform! The term doesn’t just apply to those that don’t fall in lockstep with the ficons. Either you accept the party’s beliefs are you don’t. The social conservative aspect of the platform is huge. If that scares you, I’m sure Obama has room in his camp for you.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm
#2, bingo. It’s odd how so many *Republicans* on this site are now regurgitating Democratic talking points.
As usual Billy Valentine says it better than the rest of us could.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm
#6: I’d never have wanted to be brought up by a mother who did not want me.
I don’t understand you people.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Thanks Billy for this post. The contrast speaks for itself.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:47 pm
#8, Metro what do you mean “you people”?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Either you accept the party’s beliefs are you don’t.
Victoria:
The Republican Party isn’t a religion. It’s beliefs are the products of its members, not dictates from a deity. If everyone who disagreed with, say, the call for a Human Life Amendment in the platform were to leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party would cease to be a major party and would be replaced with something else. Perhaps it’s time for the Republican platform to reflect the views of the broader Republican electorate, and not just the few who eat, live, and breathe politics.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
#11: “The Republican party isn’t a religion.”
Thank God.
Now, if this becomes a culture war and you SoCons try to pretend it is a religion, many of us will be leaving.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
If you consider yourself a social libertarian — which I would myself — wouldn’t you respect individuals’ decisions about their own lives and that these decisions are based on deeply held beliefs? What’s the controversy?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
#13: No problem with THAT.
My problem is if this campaign ends up being a culture war because Palin’s opposed to SexEd and there’s been 2 unplanned pregnancies in her family in 1 year.
It’s politics not personal.
I don’t want to be rooting for the other side on the main theme of the campaign.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Metro what did you mean “you people” in #8?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Thank God she had the child. Now, let me see if a child with Down’s Syndrome needs any extra support and care from his Mother ? If so, what is she running for the VP for ? She won’t be around much in Alaska will she ?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Isn’t it fortunate for Obama that his single, teenage, unwed mother didn’t consider him to be a “punishment?”
September 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
bristol palin was wearing an engagement ring at her mom’s announcement in dayton. everyone knew. the left’s attacks will backfire.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Doug, SoCons. As if you had to ask.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
14- I don’t think this will be a major theme of the campaign. I will be shocked if we are still hearing about this by the weekend. I am more worried about what else is out there about the Palin family. If this is all there is, then we are ok.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
http://michellemalkin.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/pds.jpg
September 1st, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Palin can put the issue to rest by answering a few simple questions:
1) Does she believe that artificial contraception should remain legal?
2) If she were president, would she try to use the powers of the government to curtail access to artificial contraception?
If the answers to those questions are anything other than “Yes” and “No,” respectively, then she is just as far outside of the mainstream of American political thought as Barack Obama.
September 1st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
#22: That’s one thing. But being *personally* opposed to birth-control is still a problem. That’s still way out of the mainstream, and it causes teenage girls to get pregnant.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Feminists for life is pro-contraception. Palin’s membership may be her saving grace.
But if she says she is *personally* against contraception, and has a teenage daughter who got pregnant raised in that environment, we still have a problem.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Metro,
You said “I’d never have wanted to be brought up by a mother who did not want me.”
I want to emphasize the word “me” in your statement.
For two semesters, I did sidewalk counseling outside abortion clinics twice a week. I talked to young girls and young men going in to get abortions. The main thing I found out was that there is no “me” meaning the unborn child, involved. The mother always wants “me”, the person. What she doesn’t want is to have to drop out of college or not be able to go to college, what she doesn’t want is to have to somehow make ends meet financially, what she doesn’t want to do is have to tell her parents, etc. It is never that she doesn’t want the baby, she just doesn’t want to have to confront another major issue, whether it be financially as I described above or a major emotional task such as telling her parents.
I also learned that when these girls are going into the clinic, they have already emotionally and mentally aborted the baby. So when I would talk to these girls, I wouldn’t even mention the baby, just try to get to the root of the problem (financial or emotional) and work it out from there.
I hope this makes sense, it is hard to put into words.
The point is, girls that are in unplanned pregnancies that seek abortion are doing it not because they don’t want the baby, but because they can’t financially or emotionally (or both) handle it.
I am proud of Sarah Palin because she gave her daughter the emotional support she needs in order to keep the baby.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Michelle Malkin-
Bristol Palin chooses life. Now leave her alone.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
What disgusts me about Red America, is they can reject the greatest, most effective leader the GOP has ever had, due to his family problems.’
While they celebrate a philosophy that results in millions of teen pregnancies.
I’m freakin’ disgusted.
Time to register as an independent.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
I’m proud of the Palins and more supportive of Sarah than ever.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
The SoCons are going to be the death of the Republican party.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I don’t see how this has anything to do with Sarah Palin’s view of contraception. Lots of teens drink even though their parents are against underage drinking, and likewise many teens have unprotected sex even though their parents believe in contraception.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
What is so wrong with teen pregancy? I’ve known hundreds of women who have had happy, successful lives and been excellent mothers who had their first children as teenagers.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Palin = epic fail, worst VP choice ever as some people like me have said from the start.
McCain should try again and select a new VP candidate.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Why don’t my posts show up? Even when I try again and it says the comment is a duplicate? I’ve been having a lot of trouble with this lately; however, it’s not consistent.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
#31: Oh God, you people have become caricatures of yourselves. Now you’re FOR teen pregnancy?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Dear God Metro quit making assumptions. You’ve no evidence that the Palins oppose birth control.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Sarah Palin strongly supports access and education to birth control.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Joel,
The SoCons are going to be the death of the Republican party if the Republican party ever turns its back on the SoCons.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
#30: Because she’s on record as saying comprehensive sex-ed wouldn’t get any support from her. Seemed very vehement about it.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Uh oh. She’s on record saying she doesn’t favor sex-ed and prefers abstinence-only.
3. Will you support funding for abstinence-until-marriage education instead of for explicit sex-education programs, school-based clinics, and the distribution of contraceptives in schools?
JB: We should not exclude abstinence-until-marriage education programs.
SP: Yes, the explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support.
Argggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
September 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
And now it’s come to this: SoCons openly celebrating teen pregnancy while rejecting the greatest leader the GOP has ever had because he wasn’t a good enough father and husband.
I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU DAMN SOCONS. I won’t want to be tainted by you.
I will call myself an independent from now on.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Metro, as a libertarian you should understand that all individual liberty derives from our fundamental right to our own existence, it has nothing to do with religion or soCons or whatever, it’s a fundamental moral argument. Bristol Palin created a human existence, and she is not about to end it.
Good for her.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
For social conservatives, the contraception/birth-control issue is very complex, and mainly comes down to one’s religious beliefs. I know plenty of pro-lifers who oppose all forms of contraception and some who support some or most.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:07 pm
#34 – LOL, true – simply amazing.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Joel, my argument isnt that Bristol Palin should be having an abortion.
It’s that Sarah Palin is on record against Sex-Ed and has 2 unwanted pregnancies in her family in 1 year, which will cause this election to be about a culture war.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
The biggest problem I think here is that alot of folks still have no opinion on Palin; if this had hit a week or two after her convention speech, most of the general public would have rallied to her defense; now they’re basically judging a situation, and it’s not nearly so clear how that judgment will go.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
And for what it’s worth, I’m a social libertarian who has a personal opposition to contraception. I don’t see that it’s any concern of “America’s” whether or not the Palins’ support/non-support of contraception led to their daughter’s pregnancy.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
#37:
Very right Billy. What certain people don’t understand is that the Republican Party needs ALL three legs of conservatism if we are to win at all. We Republicans can’t start purging one wing of the party or another. If the socons throw out the economic conservatism or vice versa, then we will go the way of the Whig’s.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Metro, what is your problem? Palin is a Gingrich reformer? Why are you jumping on the liberal media bandwagon?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Plenty of kids go through comprehensive sex-ed in high school and still end up getting pregnant before they make it out of high school. I knew plenty of them when I was in school. I don’t see what it has to do with anything.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
#49: Ignorant post of the day award.
Might as well legalize murder too, since it doesn’t deter everyone.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
The SoCons are the life blood of the GOP. I find them perfectly easy to get along with, even if I don’t support all of their agendas — and there are several that occasionally contradict each other.
Metro, I’m still a big Rudy fan, but there was no way he would have withstood a daily media barrage from our national NYC-based major news orgs — Rudy would have been a net drag on the GOP ticket.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Metro, do you not agree that we need to cut spending, cut government, and reduce taxes? Then support Palin.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I guess it’s ok to bash evangelicals here, as long as we leave religion out of it when it comes to Mitt Romney. He’s supposed to be a social conservative as well, by the way. I am amazed at the hatred that gets spewed on a conservative website toward one leg of the movement. Not too mention that most social conservatives are also fiscal conservatives and pro-strong defense. We just don’t choose to sacrifice our values for the sake of our bank accounts. As to me making this into a religion, puleeese. The term “beliefs” has more connotations than just religious. What would you call our platform? It is a set of ideas and beliefs about how government should affect our lives. That’s all I meant. I am all for the separation of church and state in that phrases original intent. Churches have enough trouble without the government mucking them up.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Kristofer, Palin was mostly known for being a Gingrich reformer.
But from now on, she’ll be known as a religious fundamentalist who’s against sex ed (and possibly personally against birth control), and has had two unwanted pregnancies in her home in one year… including a teenage daughter.
It’s just turned into a culture war. And the SoCons are already in this thread defending teen pregnancies!
And it makes me doubly mad they rejected the greatest leader our party has had in a century because of his family problems, but they’re all cool with teen girls getting knocked up in teh name of Jesus.
I feel filthy for calling myself a Republican when I’m associated with this.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
The issue is this. There’s lots of circumstantial evidence that Sarah Palin is opposed to artificial contraception. The number of unplanned pregnancies in her family and her adamant refusal to back sex-ed in schools is among that evidence. I don’t really give a crap about her personal views on the matter myself, but what I do give a crap about is what her policy views on the subject are.
Would a Palin Administration make it more difficult for individuals to access artificial contraception? That is the question.
This isn’t about abortion. You can convince suburban middle class types to support pro-life GOP candidates by assuring them that once RvW is overturned, their communities would never vote to ban abortion anyway so who cares. But take away their methods of family planning or even threaten to and you’ll lose them forever.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
42:
How many? Aside from the occassional Catholic I’ve rarely seen basic birth control opposed.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:14 pm
What I’m saying is that it doesn’t make sense to me to blame this on Sarah Palin’s views on sex-ed in high school.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
I’ve not heard any good reason for why teenage pregnancy is such a problem. The problem with teen pregnancy is not the pregnancies themselves but the assholes like Metro who make teen mothers feel worthless.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:17 pm
#57: Maybe you can’t see the connection, but the vast majority of voters can.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Being against Sex-Ed, doesn’t mean you are for unprotected sex. Just because you don’t think its the government’s job to teach about it doesn’t mean your against it. You’d think libertarian would understand that.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
“while rejecting the greatest leader the GOP has ever had because he wasn’t a good enough father and husband.”
And who might this be Metro? Surely you are not saying Rudy Guiliani is better than Ronald Reagan,Dwight Eisenhower or Abe Lincoln?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
One of the reasons I’m being so harsh today is I want the McCain campaign to make SURE she does not say she is for legal contraception while being personally opposed to it.
She must be 100% OK with contraception or we have a big problem.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Sean, he got more results than Reagan or Eisenhower. I later added “in a century.”
September 1st, 2008 at 1:20 pm
On key and in perfect pitch!
September 1st, 2008 at 1:20 pm
#55: DaveG – Bingo!! When we are voting for someone POLICY matters over PERSONAL. What she chooses for her family are none of my business – when she tries to force those personal beliefs into public policy is where I have a problem. Abstinence only education DOESN’T WORK – those kids have a higher rate of unplanned pregnancy. Will some kids who go through comprehensive sex ed still get pregnant? Of course, but it brings the numbers down.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Newsweek Exclusive: Top Clinton Supporter John Coale Endorses McCain
John Coale, a prominent Washington lawyer, husband of Fox TV host Greta Van Susteren and a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, announced today that he was supporting John McCain for president. Coale, who traveled with Sen. Clinton, President Clinton and her family through out the primary season, complained of sexism, and said the Democratic Party is “being taken over by the moveon.org types” in an exclusive interview with Newsweek.com’s Tammy Haddad. He said he tried to prevent Clinton’s brother, Tony Rodham, from attending an August 18th meeting in Scranton, Pa. with McCain campaign surrogate Carly Fiorina. “I urged him not to go and told him it would embarrass his sister, but he has a mind of his own.” Coale says Mr. Rodham asked Ms. Fiorina “about McCain’s Supreme Court picks.”
September 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Go ahead MetroRepublican, as I will call myself MetroRepublican 2 and stand up for this party. The point I have trying to make is that people make mistakes. No-one in here is celebrating teen preqancies. We all have the rebel within us, remember. That’s what Human beings Human. However, I understand your concern about the Socons, look…they are important to us, respect them. I think we all need to look at this equally. Understand the concerns of our less conservative members but remember that Sarah Palin’s family is not running for VP, she is. Not everyone in a family can picture perfect, MetroRepublican
September 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Metro, who are you talking about? Who’s the greatest leader in a century who we rejected because of his family problems? I’m drawing a blank.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Sarah Palin said she wouldn’t support “explicit sex-ed programs.” The way the question was framed, it seemed to me that she was saying she would like to see some sort of focus on abstinence as well. Big whoop.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:22 pm
Re sex ed and government schools:
1. I believe it’s the job of schools to teach it because many families don’t. Especially religious ones. And so long as most schools are government run, they must do their job. But that’s not the main point…
2. The main point is the mixture of anti-sex-ed plus your own teen daughter getting pregnant is electoral poison. Politics isn’t always fair, and associations rule rather than logic, unfortunately.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:23 pm
He’s referring to Rudy, who couldn’t carry a single state on his own.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Metro do you know why the GOP went against Rudy? He gave up in the early states and attempted to rely on Florida(dumbest campaign strategy ever).
September 1st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
#67: You must’ve missed the comments above where Seth was celebrating teen pregnancy.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Perhaps Metro should go take a shower and then change his party affiliation before he catches something from a socon.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Another political angle that’s missed here, is “why” the Palin’s have released this info: because the lefty blogs have spent days smearing Palin and her daughter. Now that the situation is out in the open, maybe the McCain campaign points out the nature of these smears. The term “m*ngol*id” was thrown around an awful lot. This is a stark invasion of privacy and will come as a shock to much of America (we’ve been following the smears closely, so that aspect of the situation barely registers). I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the political effect is negligible.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I keep seeing people refer to this idea of “pushing your personal beliefs” on everybody else. Where’s the evidence that Sarah Palin has done that?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Test
September 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Palin should use her daughter’s experience as an excuse to clarify her positions that she is both politically AND personlly pro-SexEd and pro-contraception.
Anything short of that could make this campaign a joke.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Look Metro, the creation of life is good thing. That’s something everyone will celebrate. I think we two are looking at in different ways. Message to everyone else: Do not curse these people out just because their feathers have fluttered.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Romney and Pawlenty are SO ROFLTAO just about now.
Perhaps the others are too.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
70, This is only going to hurt her among the staunch social liberals who aren’t voting for McCain anyway. Nonone else is judgmental enough to hold Palin’s daughter’s pregnancy against her.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
All Seth did was say that he was glad the Palins had chosen not to abort the baby and that teen mothers aren’t inherently screw-ups. That’s hardly “Woohoo! Teen pregnancy rocks!”
September 1st, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Wait…mongoloid is no longer acceptable? I am 44. When I was growing up, Down’s babies were always called mongoloid babies. There was nothing pejorative about it – there is now? I’m serious.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:29 pm
#82: Did you read the first sentence of #31? “What’s so wrong with teen pregnancy?”
September 1st, 2008 at 1:29 pm
The new Gallup has been posted, 49-43 for Obama.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Evan: Like “retarded,” mongoloid is mostly used as a pejorative anymore. Trust me, the folks on the lefty blogs weren’t trying to be academic and respectful about it when they were throwing the word around.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
DaveG, what evidence? Unplanned pregnancies happen all the time amongst people who believe in birth control. I’d wager well over 90% of unplanned pregnancies fall into that catagory.
Heck, I’m not even sure if Trig wasn’t planned.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
“I believe it’s the job of schools to teach it because many families don’t.” Yeah the government should teach kids about sex, because individual families just aren’t as good at it – that’s SOOO libertarian.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Spam filters suck.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Rudy also got serious negative press attention tying him to overly aggressive use of police force in NYC — it wasn’t only his family story. And bringing up 9/11 today is countered by charges of “fear mongering” from the Dems. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the current CW.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:33 pm
John Mark, I also don’t believe in government roads, but so long as they remain public property, then I believe they should be maintained propertly.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
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September 1st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
#81 – you are missing the point. It’s not that her daughter got pregnant at 17 – most parents understand you can be very good parents and have this happen. She is dragging her daughter through the national spotlight during a time of personal crisis. And if you don’t understand that it’s a crisis then you just don’t get it. I also want a clear answer of when McCain learned of this – it’s starting to seem like she really wasn’t vetted, which I did not believe at first. And Metro is right – if she is personally and/or politically opposed to sex ed and/or contraception,
For everyone who thinks this will go away and they can hide it under the hurricane news, I have a little lesson for you about the human gestation period. She has 4 more months to go – the hurricane story is about over.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:40 pm
wow..what happened there? “If she is personally and/or politically opposed to sex ed and/or contraception, it’s over.”
September 1st, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Martha can we stop pretending 17 is like 13.
For her it likely stopped being a crisis months ago when her parents supported her and she decided to get married.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Metro,
She can simply say what Romney ultimately said in response to his initial support for sex ed, and then his later push for more abstinence intensive education; that she believes the curriculum should lean towards more abstinence oriented teachings. I don’t know the state of Alaskan law on this subject, but I assume there’s some level of comprehensive sdex education. She could just say it had been her opinion that schools focused too heavily on the “sex” part and not enough on the “abstinence part”. I don’t see anything in that position inconsistent with her statement.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
91, maintaining government roads doesn’t doing anything directly to increase government involvment in personal affairs – sexd-ed obviously does. What you are proposing is akin to the government tightening rules about what can go on the road. But what’s amazing is your statement that you think the government would do a better job teaching kids than individuals – certainly you see the irony in that statement.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
And no one has said what’s wrong with teen pregnancy. What is? I hate people who say, “Women have a right to decide what to do with their bodies” and then if a woman makes a decision they don’t approve of it’s suddenly a problem. There’s nothing wrong with Bristol being pregnant. It doesn’t make her a bad person, it doesn’t make her parents bad parents, it doesn’t mean her child will have a bad life. You’re all a bunch of bigots who would drag this girl and her family through hell because they made a perfectly natural and moral decision about Bristol’s pregnancy. I think that’s far more disgusting than teen pregnancy.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
What words are being spammed. Some of my comments show up and others don’t. What’s up? Can anyone clue me in?
September 1st, 2008 at 1:49 pm
#97: It’s not amazing, because there are so many religious fundamentalists out there brainwashing their kids.
Someone has to educate them.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:50 pm
98:
Well, I don’t want to encourage teen pregnancy. I also don’t want it to become so taboo that these mothers feel shame. It’s a tricky, and perhaps contradictory, road, but I think it’s the only morally riteous one available.
September 1st, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Dammit Metro, get it through your head that most religious fundamentalists have no problem with contraception. There are only a few religions with direct prohibitions on contraception.
You’re just being a bigot at this point.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pm
100, It doesn’t matter why you think the government would do a better job teaching about sex than parents – the point is thinking the government would do a better job than individuals is not libertarian – I’m not a libertarian so that rule doesn’t matter to me, but don’t you claim to have a libertarian phiosophy?
September 1st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
John Mark, I’m against public schools.
But so long as we have them, they should teach appropriately.
I’m against the Post Office.
But so long as we have it, we should see to it that it does its job correctly.
Get it?
September 1st, 2008 at 2:35 pm
104, Why are you against public schools – you think the government does better than parents in teaching about sex, why not about everythingelse.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Metro’s against government but as long as we have one it should enforce his every whim.
I wonder why the liberal Republicans on the site don’t go over to Kos or MyDD.
They’ll be more tolerant of your unrealistic economic fantasies than we’ll tolerate your anti-family social liberalism.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Metro,
That’s a nonsensical argument. There’s no particularly obvious reason why schools should discuss sex education in the first place. You might as well say “well, I’m against public schools, but as long they exist, they should teach sharecropping well”.
September 1st, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Metro said’
“John Mark, I’m against public schools. But so long as we have them, they should teach appropriately.
I’m against the Post Office. But so long as we have it, we should see to it that it does its job correctly.
Get it?”
Metro, you sound just like Palin in Mo yesterday! Less Government, and make it work.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Here is what we are going to hear, and it may or may not be fair. Palin has five kids, and she is not around to raise them the way most conservative mothers of that many children are. The sentiment we are going to hear is that, “Shouldn’t she really be with her own family more. She is obviously needed there.”
September 1st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
#109 – Greg, I agree that there will be many who legitimately take this view. SoCons often emphasize the importance of the mother’s role in raising a family. Palin’s absense these past few years have certainly come at some cost to her family. However, those that might hold this view are not those in the middle or on the left–they will most certainly be voting for McCain (with a very small percentage staying at home). I don’t see this having any significant effect on the outcome of the election.
September 1st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I do not blame Bristol, but I think this calls into question Sarah’s judgement in not supporting Sexual Education outside of Abstinence-only education. This shows that abstinence-only sexual education is unrealistic and simply dangerous!
Also, I DO NOT have “more respect” for Sarah Palin and her family because they are pushing Bristol, a 17-year-old, into a shotgun wedding with a man who I’m sure she had no intention of marrying yet.
September 1st, 2008 at 6:08 pm
#111 – I agree with you last point–how many 17-year-olds are prepared to decide who their life-long mate should be. If I was Bristol’s parent, I’d likely make a strong case for adoption.
However, the “personal responsibility” mantra with the “adult decisions, adult consequences” line does send an important message.
September 1st, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Did Sarah Palin use her position as governor to make any changes in the way sex ed is taught in Alaska?
September 1st, 2008 at 6:55 pm
What else is out there about Gov Palin that we don’t yet know? Surely McCain has done a proper job of vetting a gamechanging pick?
September 1st, 2008 at 7:42 pm
alright america get ready for a future filled with unwanted teenage pregnancies. Why? Because the republicans dont see nothing wrong with it. Because our future vp thinks its cool. Bravo!
September 1st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Sorry did i forget to mention that we are now happily entering a future of a nation of happy
fatherless children. Come on, give me a break. We know whats right so stand up for it.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:55 pm
I found McCain’s pick puzzling from its announcement. An ultra-conservative Governor of a large state with little population, who previously was the Mayor of a town with a population under 10,000??? A former beauty queen, NRA member? The mother of five with an infant with special needs? How does one reconcile the role of a mother of an infant with special needs with one at the ready to campaign daily for the vice presidency? It’s mind boggling. Now we’re told that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. What mother would propel her pregnant 17-year-old daughter to the international stage? Family values? I don’t see them….never mind all the stands she takes that won’t likely win female voters! It’s all sad, all sad indeed. Truly reflects poorly on McCain’s ability to make choices and decisions!
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Obama’s own mother was unmarried and pregnant at 17 …was she punished with an unplanned pregnancy ? Where would his followers be if his Mother had aborted him?