I'm not gonna waste much time on this because I don't see what the big deal is about Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter. She got pregnant. Big deal. Although regrettable, it's not something that reflects on Palin as a mother. I've known several good families who've found themselves in similar situations, despite the availability of birth control and an open atmosphere where contraception has been discussed.
Newsflash: teenagers can be pretty stupid.
I do disagree with the position taken by Palin, McCain, and those that believe abstinence-only is the way to go in sex education. I think it's a HUGE mistake to leave contraception out of the mix. I can understand the arguments that it sends mixed messages, and I disagree with handing out contraceptives in schools; that truly does come across as school-endorsed sex. But at the end of the day, I think teaching contraception and recommending abstinence is the smart way to go about it.
The proof in this pudding is how the Palin family is handling their situation. And to me, they're doing it rather well. Bristol is keeping her baby and marrying the father, as opposed to how Obama has claimed he would help his daughters get an abortion:
"Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old. I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby."From what I've read, the Palins are staying true to their beliefs. If they were sneaking an abortion, I could see how this would be an issue of hypocrisy. But they didn't, so it isn't.
The only thing I've seen about Sarah Palin so far that I'm not so sure about is the fact that she's poised to step into the Vice Presidency with a new baby with special needs. But I'm guessing that if she and her husband have discussed how to manage their family in the event they make it to the White House, that's their decision to make.
In the meantime, I'd like to think that the extreme leftists such as those on the Daily Kos would heed Obama's call to "back off" the attacks on Palin's family. But something tells me they just won't be able to help themselves. All that Bush Derangement Syndrome animosity has to be redirected somewhere.
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