Posted on 02/17/2009 6:27:05 PM PST by Sub-Driver
Abstinence is unrealistic, says the daughter of Sarah Palin
From correspondents in Los Angeles
Agence France-Presse
February 18, 2009 11:09am
THE daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has spoken out against teenage pregnancy, but says her famous mother's advocacy of abstinence is unrealistic.
Unmarried Bristol Palin's pregnancy became a US presidential election campaign talking point last year after her mother was announced as John McCain's running mate.
Bristol, 18, later gave birth to a baby boy in December.
Speaking about the birth of Tripp to Fox News, Bristol Palin said she now hoped to become an advocate against teen pregnancy.
"Everyone should wait 10 years," Bristol said.
"I hope people learn from my story - It's so much easier if you're married, have a house and career. It's not a situation you want to strive for."
"I'd love to be an advocate to prevent teen pregnancy. Kids should just wait. It's not glamorous at all," she added.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
I don't think anyone on this thread made that point. I can assure you, from what I've witnessed, many single mothers with no support from a good family, and unable to properly provide for themselves, let alone their children, keep them, instead of giving them up for adoption. This helps to maintain a dependent class in society, with children who aren't adequately provided and cared for and means there are fewer children for adoption. Many of these children (though certainly not all) grow up to wreak havoc on society. The statistics in Coulter's book in this regard, though not surprising to me personally, are stunning.
True. I am just so tired of hearing this child should be put up for adoption. This baby has a family that is more then able to care & love it unlike many other babies.
Respectfully, my friend, birth control as a means to prevent teenage and young adult out of wedlock pregnancies, is naieve and not only ineffective but since it’s legalization, the rate of out of wedlock pregnancies has drastically increased.
We can't be certain of the circunstances, but the Palin family can't force the father of the baby to marry Bristol. However, at one time that was the custom, and as imperfect as it may have been, it was better than single motherhood.
I agree that sometimes adoption is a risk worth taking.
I don’t know if she was a mature, loving parent for the first 10 ten yrs of the kid’s life. The kid has major problems now as a 16 yr old. But I look at my oldest brother and his two sons, major issues there too, but in the end it all worked out.
The mother’s family is freaky, imo. But they helped raise their granddaughter. My nephew married into the family so she’s our family now too.
I roll my eyes at much that goes on.
I will agree to that too. However sadly life is changing so fast (IMHO) that the things once held to be right & normal aren’t anymore. I liked it much better when I was younger!
The state of abstinence until marriage (and I agree that it’s best), was much easier to maintain many years ago, when most of society supported it and did it. Very tough today, and for many years now when the circumstance is the complete opposite. Anyone who does abstain until marriage in the current sexualized climate should be greatly respected, agreed.
We agree again! : )
I’m not stating my position per se. I’m just saying it seems like a big point is being ignored.
Was Sarah promoting abstinence until Bristol got pregnant? If she was, her views have now changed. If she wasn’t, then a lot of people projected values onto her that were not there.
Everybody is bashing Bristol. What’s done is done and she’s a private citizen. Her mother’s position on the issue is relevant to values voters.
Well thats a good thing!
It was very rare to encounter a person on my Probation/Parole caseload that came from a two parent family. Most came from single parent families headed by their mothers.
Sadly, the probationers/parolee's who were parents, were also not married and frequently had fathered multiple children by different women, and the women multiple children by different men. Unfortunately, that is what single parenthood leads to in many cases, and it becomes the norm and as generational as married parenthood.
As a country and a civil society, this does not bode well for our future.
Yes it is. One problem is that such behavior is usually derided in the media, etc. But one example where that didn’t happen was a great character on the ‘90’s Sci-Fi show Babylon 5, “Marcus” — and I wish we had a few more such public heroes, even if they are fictional.
We just found out today that friends of ours are having real trouble. Their daughter has been a problem for the last year (drugs, running away, not going to school). She left home for good in Dec, the day after her 18th birthday. Even though she was 6 months away from graduating, she didn't enroll in school and now she is pregnant.
The parents were united when she left. Unless she truly wanted to turn things around and had proof of that, she wasn't coming back. Period.
But with the baby, now mom wants to give in and help her and raise the baby. Dad is firm that she needs to experience reality before she'll be ready to change. He knows that she'll use that baby to manipulate them forever if they let her.
Logically, I see his point. But the reality would have to be, no more daughter, ever. No grandkid, ever. Because once that baby is in your life, how do you not move heaven and earth to do what you can? The mother is now in an impossible spot because dad says no help to daughter or the younger girls and I are out of here.
In this environment, God help that baby if she decides to keep it. Even watching from the sidelines breaks my heart.
“Well, when I am around Sarah Palin I somehow begin to think abstinence is unrealistic too, but then the further away I get from Sarah Palin, the more abstinence seems quite workable.
I an having a difficult time figuring how this works!”
No you’re not! :-)
Do you mind if I post that on another forum? I’d be happy to give credit, if you wish!
The media has no business starting all this does it? If it was hands off Chelsea, the president's daughter, than most certainly it should be hands off Bristol, a candidate for VP's daughter, right?
We know that's not the way the media operates. But WE don't have to fall for it. It is Sarah's position on this issue and not Bristol's that should interest us, you are right! : )
Prayers for your friend and her family, Dianna!
Odd for your first comment on FR, newbie! Perhaps we should sound a troll alert?
Thank you. They are much needed and very appreciated.
Yes, and I am all for early marriages and early responsibility. Young people are ready for it way before they are expected to be, these days.
Abstinence was not all that hard pre-pill. There were a few girls who went to live with their aunts while they had their babies and then returned. They were not highly respected.
And of course for thousands of years abstinence has been expected. Lower your expectations, what do you get? duh.
I am a genealogy nut. The older sister of my g’gmother — they were all orphaned in Brazil (by cholera) shortly after immigrating there from Russia (Volga Germans) — the OLDEST sister was 13, took ALL the younger sibs and left for Kansas, with the hired hand, who was 14. When they got there, they got married. She was FOURTEEN then.
They were plenty mature to be married and start a family at that point.
I tutor Middle School kids. I alwayss teach up to them, expecting and demanding that they think clearly. And I always find, really, that they are capable of so much more than they are being taught.
Homeschooling gives you that clarity, too.
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