(Community Matters) A friend’s note in response to my first blog posting on Palin prompted me to put in writing what I’d been thinking. My friend, a mom who’s settling her daughter into her college dorm room, wrote that she couldn’t understand how a mother would subject her 17-year old pregnant daughter to the scrutiny of the national press. The answer came up that narcissism might have won out over motherly protective instincts. This begs even more questions.
First, the acceptance and support reflected in the Palin’s press release announcing Bristol’s pregnancy is generous and compassionate. And, I agree that children of candidates should be afforded much more privacy than their parents – never mind that my stomach turns imagining the right wing pundits if the situation was reversed and Barack’s & Michelle’s 17-year old Black daughter was pregnant, nevertheless . . .
Was, in fact, Bristol given the choice whether to carry her baby to term – “we’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby ,” and, if so, why would Gov Palin deny other daughters the right to make this decision? Sex education: given these circumstances, will Gov. Palin reassess her position that abstinence only should be the only form of sex education in high schools?
Bristol’s a young woman; we should all wish her and Levi Johnston well. They certainly aren’t the first and won’t be the last to marry with a new family underway. That Levi states he doesn’t want children on his Myspace page isn’t completely encouraging. I’m going to assume all life options were discussed with him and Bristol, including placing an unwanted child for adoption and that their choices weren’t limited for political expediency.
Community Matters 