Sarah Palin’s daughter gives birth to son

[jundp 191]

Well, good for Bristol. She chose life.

LOL. Yeah, and it was such a difficult choice. Her parents are millionaires, she has access to the best private health care that money can buy, she and her partner are both white, and she has an extended family that will support her while she finishes school. She must have agonized over that decision for, like, minutes.

Yes, mox, I agree with you on that.

However, for all my liberal-tree-hugginess, I am very pro-life. So I do actually mean it when I say "good for her, she chose life." Because she could have chosen to have an abortion and her family has the money and the connections to cover it up.

Sorry.

I understand you want to find the positives in Bristol's decision. But applauding her for not aborting her child doesn't change the fact that her original decision to have unprotected sex was a really stupid one. She put her health and her future on the line in one moment of teenage hormonal overload.

That's giving such a profoundly incongruous message to teenagers. Really, really bad.

I agree with you, RJ, about the unprotected sex, and I'm not applauding it. I may not WANT my teenager to have sex (and if he is, Mommy shall live in a world of rainbows and unicorns where that possibility doesn't exist!), but we've discussed it and he's been taught that if you are going to, then FFS use protection, not just because of pregnancy either.

She did put her health and her future on the line for teenage hormonal overload....and I don't agree with that or applaud it. BUT I believe very strongly that abortion is wrong -- and I know many disagree with me and I'm certainly not judging those who choose this route --- so the outcome of her teenage hormone overload was pregnancy and I think at least choosing to have the baby is better than abortion. It's not the right choice for everyone, and she should have kept her legs closed to begin with or used a condom, but too many young women today use abortions as a form of birth control....

[Danno 1,228]

Thank god none of you all-knowing men ever had to have a D&C because of a miscarriage. God forbid it ruin your tiny little picture of how you think life should be.

Not sure how your case relates to anything talked about here but;

your opinion is noted for the record .

[rebeccajo 14]

Well, good for Bristol. She chose life.

LOL. Yeah, and it was such a difficult choice. Her parents are millionaires, she has access to the best private health care that money can buy, she and her partner are both white, and she has an extended family that will support her while she finishes school. She must have agonized over that decision for, like, minutes.

Yes, mox, I agree with you on that.

However, for all my liberal-tree-hugginess, I am very pro-life. So I do actually mean it when I say "good for her, she chose life." Because she could have chosen to have an abortion and her family has the money and the connections to cover it up.

Sorry.

I understand you want to find the positives in Bristol's decision. But applauding her for not aborting her child doesn't change the fact that her original decision to have unprotected sex was a really stupid one. She put her health and her future on the line in one moment of teenage hormonal overload.

That's giving such a profoundly incongruous message to teenagers. Really, really bad.

I agree with you, RJ, about the unprotected sex, and I'm not applauding it. I may not WANT my teenager to have sex (and if he is, Mommy shall live in a world of rainbows and unicorns where that possibility doesn't exist!), but we've discussed it and he's been taught that if you are going to, then FFS use protection, not just because of pregnancy either.

She did put her health and her future on the line for teenage hormonal overload....and I don't agree with that or applaud it. BUT I believe very strongly that abortion is wrong -- and I know many disagree with me and I'm certainly not judging those who choose this route --- so the outcome of her teenage hormone overload was pregnancy and I think at least choosing to have the baby is better than abortion. It's not the right choice for everyone, and she should have kept her legs closed to begin with or used a condom, but too many young women today use abortions as a form of birth control....

But all that yadda yadda yadda isn't put out there when the media heralds the birth. And it wasn't put out there on the stage at the RNC when Bristol and her deer-in-the-headlights boyfriend stood up there for all the world to see.

If Bristol had decided to give her baby up for adoption to a mature couple who desperately want a child, I'd give her chops. Otherwise I see the entire sideshow as just stupid and full of double standards. Not only did she not THINK when she decided to have unprotected sex, but now she's forever altered her own future by becoming a mother too soon. She's doomed the boyfriend into being responsible for a child he probably didn't want. And she's stuck her parents with helping her raise a baby. I'll just bet that wasn't what they bargained for when they were talking 'pro-life' at the supper table.

Not a role model, in my book. Not at all.

[jundp 191]

Oh, heck no, not a role model. But, IMHO anyway, I do respect the choice not to have an abortion, even if I don't agree with the circumstances before or after the pregnancy.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Do we know if she had unprotected sex? she may have used protection and it just failed (fairly common in the hands of inexperienced teenagers)

Saludos,

Caro

[Danno 1,228]

Well she is absolutely not, a roll model.

As for;

<<<I'll just bet that wasn't what they bargained for when they were talking 'pro-life' at the supper table.>>>

I completely disagree.

The lesson at the dinner table was to, value "life in the womb" above, whats expedient.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

She may have a support system that other teenage mothers/ parents don't have, but she had other challenges. Her mother was running for vicepresident and she was bringing the scandal of teenage pregnancy! not an easy decision. Like jundp, although I do not agree with the circumstances leading to the pregnancy, but killing the baby would not have made things right. And if she has the support system to keep and raise the baby, then lucky them and this is not an extreme situation that would demand she gives up the baby for its well being. It will be a big challenge for them, but looks like the baby will be loved, provided for, and have a strong support system.

Saludos,

Caro

[rebeccajo 14]

She may have a support system that other teenage mothers/ parents don't have, but she had other challenges. Her mother was running for vicepresident and she was bringing the scandal of teenage pregnancy! not an easy decision. Like jundp, although I do not agree with the circumstances leading to the pregnancy, but killing the baby would not have made things right. And if she has the support system to keep and raise the baby, then lucky them and this is not an extreme situation that would demand she gives up the baby for its well being. It will be a big challenge for them, but looks like the baby will be loved, provided for, and have a strong support system.

Saludos,

Caro

Soooooooooooo....since she has a good support system it's ok to make the choice to keep the child? Since it might not affect her AS MUCH as it would a girl from a poor family? Since her mommy and daddy can afford to buy formula instead of the baby being on WIC? Since she might still get a college education instead of going to work in a low paying job or worse yet, turning to crime or prostitution?

It makes it OK because she had choices?

I think that's horse manure.

[rebeccajo 14]

Well she is absolutely not, a roll model.

As for;

<<<I'll just bet that wasn't what they bargained for when they were talking 'pro-life' at the supper table.>>>

I completely disagree.

The lesson at the dinner table was to, value "life in the womb" above, whats expedient.

"Expediency" is a word better used to teach your child when you teach them about condoms and birth control.

Like how it's going to be more expeditious for them to get a head start in life WITHOUT a baby to be responsible for.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

She may have a support system that other teenage mothers/ parents don't have, but she had other challenges. Her mother was running for vicepresident and she was bringing the scandal of teenage pregnancy! not an easy decision. Like jundp, although I do not agree with the circumstances leading to the pregnancy, but killing the baby would not have made things right. And if she has the support system to keep and raise the baby, then lucky them and this is not an extreme situation that would demand she gives up the baby for its well being. It will be a big challenge for them, but looks like the baby will be loved, provided for, and have a strong support system.

Saludos,

Caro

Soooooooooooo....since she has a good support system it's ok to make the choice to keep the child? Since it might not affect her AS MUCH as it would a girl from a poor family? Since her mommy and daddy can afford to buy formula instead of the baby being on WIC? Since she might still get a college education instead of going to work in a low paying job or worse yet, turning to crime or prostitution?

It makes it OK because she had choices?

I think that's horse manure.

Not "OK", but in my opinion the best choice given the situation in hand, and for their specific circumstances. Adoption may be a better choice for other teenage mothers.

Saludos,

Caro

Edited January 1, 2009 by JVKn'CVO

[jundp 191]

I was 19 and from a lower middle class family when I got pregnant. I chose not to have an abortion and no one paid for formula, etc. Instead, I worked, put myself through college and graduate school, taught my son that I made mistakes and it wasn't the best course of my life, but I have him, which is a true gift.

It doesn't work for everyone, but having money or not doesn't matter. The choices you make AFTER those mistakes are what matter, IMHO.

[rebeccajo 14]

I was 19 and from a lower middle class family when I got pregnant. I chose not to have an abortion and no one paid for formula, etc. Instead, I worked, put myself through college and graduate school, taught my son that I made mistakes and it wasn't the best course of my life, but I have him, which is a true gift.

It doesn't work for everyone, but having money or not doesn't matter. The choices you make AFTER those mistakes are what matter, IMHO.

Good for you. Seriously, I mean that.

I hope you realize your experience is the exception rather than the rule.

One in six children live in poverty in this country. That's a staggering statistic. How many of those impoverished children live in the homes of single young mothers? Mothers who have followed the 'trend' of keeping their baby. A trend that's popularized by dolt female celebrities and now by a woman who would have been Vice-President of the United States. A woman who held up her daughter as some sort of model for Christendom, rather than admit she failed to teach her daughter sexual responsibility.

I need to calm down here a minute and say that I am NOT trying to flame you. But I am asking you to think about what this says to young people. I think it's far more damning than you realize.

Edited January 1, 2009 by rebeccajo

[Danno 1,228]

I was 19 and from a lower middle class family when I got pregnant. I chose not to have an abortion and no one paid for formula, etc. Instead, I worked, put myself through college and graduate school, taught my son that I made mistakes and it wasn't the best course of my life, but I have him, which is a true gift.

It doesn't work for everyone, but having money or not doesn't matter. The choices you make AFTER those mistakes are what matter, IMHO.

Good for you. Seriously, I mean that.

I hope you realize your experience is the exception rather than the rule.

One in six children live in poverty in this country. That's a staggering statistic. How many of those impoverished children live in the homes of single young mothers? Mothers who have followed the 'trend' of keeping their baby. A trend that's popularized by dolt female celebrities and now by a woman who would have been Vice-President of the United States. A woman who held up her daughter as some sort of model for Christendom, rather than admit she failed to teach her daughter sexual responsibility.

I must have missed this part of the show.

------------

Do you really believe one in six people live in poverty?

[jundp 191]

I was 19 and from a lower middle class family when I got pregnant. I chose not to have an abortion and no one paid for formula, etc. Instead, I worked, put myself through college and graduate school, taught my son that I made mistakes and it wasn't the best course of my life, but I have him, which is a true gift.

It doesn't work for everyone, but having money or not doesn't matter. The choices you make AFTER those mistakes are what matter, IMHO.

Good for you. Seriously, I mean that.

I hope you realize your experience is the exception rather than the rule.

One in six children live in poverty in this country. That's a staggering statistic. How many of those impoverished children live in the homes of single young mothers? Mothers who have followed the 'trend' of keeping their baby. A trend that's popularized by dolt female celebrities and now by a woman who would have been Vice-President of the United States. A woman who held up her daughter as some sort of model for Christendom, rather than admit she failed to teach her daughter sexual responsibility.

I need to calm down here a minute and say that I am NOT trying to flame you. But I am asking you to think about what this says to young people. I think it's far more damning than you realize.

It's ok, RJ. I totally see where you're coming from and I don't disagree, I just also feel really strongly about abortion too.

[rebeccajo 14]

Do you really believe one in six people live in poverty?

http://www.nccp.org/

* 18% of children in the U.S. live in families that are considered officially poor.

* Child poverty rates are highest among black, Latino, and American Indian children.

* Across the states, official child poverty rates range from 6% in New Hampshire to 31% in Mississippi.

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives..._in_america.php

I’d like to think that most Americans are just too insular to realize that our child poverty rate is absolutely off the charts in international terms, even when compared to other high-immigration Anglophone countries, to say nothing of the Nordics......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States

Those under the age of 18 were the most likely to be impoverished. In 2006 the poverty rate for minors in the United States was the highest in the industrialized world, with 21.9% of all minors and 30% of African American minors living below the poverty threshold.

Edited January 2, 2009 by rebeccajo