(More) On Sarah Palin
Posted on September 2nd, 2008 – 2:06 PMBy May Chen
From Bodytalk blogger Josephine Marcotty…
The salient question about Gov. Sarah Palin’s pregnant 17-year-old daughter is not whether she should or shouldn’t have had an abortion. The salient question is why is she even pregnant in the first place.
In addition to being an unabashed member of the National Rifle Association and a supporter of the death penalty, Palin is an avid supporter of abstinence only sex education. That means her kids probably received little or no education about birth control — never mind emergency contraception.
Palin’s supporters shrug off the actual fact of the the girl’s pregnancy as “people make mistakes.” Those mistakes, however, have much bigger consequences if you’re a 17-year-old girl who doesn’t quite get how babies are made or how prevent them from being made.
Bristol Palin puts a face on the ample evidence, much of it provided through federally mandated research studies, that abstinence-only sex education does not work. Kids who just get the abstinence only message are just as likely to have sex. And they’re much more likely to get pregnant.
16 Responses to "(More) On Sarah Palin"
I’ve read where people think Bristol’s pregnancy will actually help her mother because she didn’t choose abortion. I don’t get the logic here, because as Josephine Marcotty points out, her pregnancy totally undermines abstinence only sex education. If this type of sex ed actually worked, she shouldn’t be pregnant.
One concern I do have about this whole situation is how they are saying Bristol plans to marry the father of her baby. Is this a decision the two of them are making, or is it being forced upon them because the McCain/Palin support base view this as “doing the right thing?” These kids are too young to be married, engaged, or even thinking about it, regardless of the fact that they are having a baby. Two wrongs do not make a right.
I don’t want to judge too harshly on the sex ed, since we really don’t know what the Palins teach their children at home - though I’m all for thorough science-based sex ed. I also hope that people who use teenage pregnancy as the example of what happens with lax parenting and bad families will tone down that rhetoric.
I have the same concern as Anna about the oft-touted upcoming marriage of Bristol and the father of her baby. She’s only 17. If the two of them are together and committed to making a life together, then I hope that they take the time to get to know each other and to really make it work - and not get married right away. I fear though, that they’re being pressured to get married because it’s the “right thing to do.” And I absolutely disagree that a rushed marriage at an early age is right (even if there are cases when it has worked, I think they’re the exceptions) - as Anna said, two wrongs don’t make a right.
I agree with the others that the concern I’m having is a 17 year old getting married (what I personally assume is them being forced to marry). Wow. That is truly horrifying.
I don’t like to use this situation as an example of the failure of abstinence only education, especially when large studies already exist showing that abstinence only education doesn’t work. The fact is that the situation is not that dire for this girl. She has a well off family, what I’m guessing will be opportunities for higher education, and so on. Most girls in her situation do not have that silver lining, and these girls are left behind by conservatives who want to cut and cut and cut social services programs designed to help people in situations that are less than ideal.
ok I just want to say you have no idea how much they had talked about sex. My kids will be taught abstinece over birth control. Not that we will not talk about it but I will not go for birth control. Our choice why is that so bad?
As for her marrying. They have not set a date. I am sure it makes it sound better and it lets you all know that her and the father are still together and tryingt o make the best of a situation they are in.
While teaching abstinence is ones choice, I think the long term negative consequences of abstinence only education make education on proper contraception all that much more important. Abstinence only education does not prevent teen pregnancies (or any really). If my son chooses to have sex, I can only hope, pray and teach him that he MUST use a condom. I can guide him, but I cannot decide for him… just as I guide him in other activities and life lessons. Eventually the child makes his/her own decision, and I want my child armed with factual information not school-aged rumblings from the playground or movie theater.
I feel for Bristol. She is in a tough situation, and then to be thrust in to the spot-light. I truly hope she is getting the support she needs in order to rise above these challenges.
While I agree that kids should be off limits in a campaign, I think everyone has brought up the valid part of it that should be discussed, which is the parenting. Because if she can’t parent her own kids, how is she going to keep the Russians in line?
The other part that bothers me is the criticism of unwed (because that somehow makes a difference) mothers that happens in conservative circles. Yet this one, with her privilege and family resources isn’t as big of a deal? Because she’s white? Because she’ll never need public assistance? How does that make it any less of a concern? So you can only be irresponsible if you have the money to pay for your mistakes?
So, if your kid gets pregnant, you’re a bad parent? I think parenting is much more complex than that. Good kids (with good parents) get pregnant. It’s not the “final grade” of one’s parenting ability. The real test of parenting happens in the difficult times — not when your kids are perfect angels.
Wonderfully said Julie.
Her ability to parent is not the issue here (nor can you make conclusions based on her daughter’s pregnancy).
She believes that abstinence only education works, despite valid science showing that it doesn’t… and her daughter and future son-in-law paid for it.
I agree with Obama- her family is off limits. Her personal decisions are off limits. Whether we think she can balance family life and the VPship, or even a campaign, doesn’t matter.
Look at the issues. She’s as extreme as they come.
I agree with Julie, I don’t think this is a reflection of their parenting abilities. I think it proves that if you’re not careful, it can happen to anyone - even white, upper-class teenagers. We need to focus on her potential abilities as a leader, if they exist, and not the fact that her teen daughter (unfortunately like millions of other teens) is pregnant.
I think abstinence only education doesn’t work, and the statistics support that. Since the choice about what kind of an education your child gets about sex is a parenting choice (something that should be discussed outside the school setting), then yes, absolutely, I think her parenting is in question. I don’t think that is the only factor in teen pregnancy, but I think it definitely comes in to play. My issue is not so much specifically with her parenting, but how much of a double standard their is for their situation.
However, that is not why I don’t like her, I don’t like her because she’s extremely everything I don’t want that close to running the country.
I cannot let this one go. I really don’t care that her 17-yo daughter is pregnant (how many of us made it into our 20s thinking: Phew! We’re not pregnant!). She could be a great parent — and her daughter could be a great kid — human nature is what it is.
But there are some glaring ironies in all of this.
One is obviously that the abstinence-only advocates cannot use Sarah Palin or her family as poster children (apparently, Sarah and her husband eloped when she herself got pregnant, lo those many years ago). Unfortunately, if the teenage pregnant daughter had been an Obama, Clinton, Biden or other Democrat offspring, you better believe that the “family values” crew would have come out with guns blazing!
Also, given Palin’s very vocal positions on both abstinence-only education AND creationism, one can’t help but wonder whether we might, a year from now, yearn for the days of the Bush II administration’s “science” agenda. (I’m almost afraid to ask what Palin thinks about climate change.)
It chills me to think that this person could someday be setting national policy on issues of education and health care! And it chills me to think that John McCain — someone who has a reputation for thinking for himself — thought (for himself) that Palin would be a suitable vice president. My respect for him diminished substantially with this choice.
Tobi you are very close to the real issue. The whole Palin-McCain ticket is based on fearing what the Democrats will do. Raise taxes - we are already suffering greatly especially those of us who make less than $50,000 a year. More government - what about the billions spent on homeland security. National Debt - we went from a surplus to billions of dollars in debt in less than 7 years. Now they are holding Palin up for women to follow - it is scary. I hope we are not so foolish to continue listening to the fear message.
I won’t go so far as to say Palin’s are good or bad parents. I fear they have very full plates with a special needs child that will need many services and very hands on parents. (The best nanny in the world can’t replace the bond of parents)To the children they have already missed guiding and supporting with the knowledge and tools young teens need to make sound decisions in this world. Abstinence is only one form of birth control. Young women need all the tools of family planning, birth control and self respect to make sound desicions when faced with the choice to have sex. You don’t tell your children to not cross the street without teaching them to look both ways, cross at the cross walk etc. Why would we not want to teach our daughters and sons all that they need to know before they do choose to have sex. Protect them from STD’s as well as unplanned pregnancy. Maybe both Mr and Mrs Palin need to look at their lives and what they have thrown these five young children into (7 counting the baby Daddy and baby.) I think it would be very sad to see them all in Washington.
The first thought that came to me when I found out that Bristol was pregnant was if it was due to her abstinence only education. I agree with everyone that said we shouldn’t bring any candidate’s children into our debates on them, but it does make you wonder how Palin can continue to support abstinence only education in our schools when it is effecting her child’s life in this way. It is blatantly hypocritical and is very hard to ignore.
But like others have said, I completely disagree with Palin’s stance on so many issues and am insulted that McCain’s team seems to think that putting a woman out there will make women like us automatically vote for them. This is actually a step back for feminism in my opinion, not a step forward, when any candidate is anti-abortion with no exception for the health of the mother or rape or incest, when she is all abstinence education, wants creationism taught in schools, doesn’t care about equal wages for women…the list goes on and on. And when there is a blatant example in her own personal life of how one of her stances on the issues does not work, she cannot even see it. This is just not the type of person I can support as a candidate.
To those of you who are pointing to Bristol and chanting “See, see, abstinence only education doesn’t work!”:
You do realize that children of parents who teach about birth control also wind up pregnant, right? The truth is *neither* method of sex-ed (teaching about birth control options or teaching abstinence only) is 100% effective in preventing teen pregnancy. You can’t use *one* teenager as an example.
Please, point to the studies when you want to discredit it. Don’t drag Palin’s daughter into it as your example. Pointing and laughing at people is not an effective way to get others to listen to your viewpoints.
