Why Bristol Palin's Pregnancy Matters

No. I'm not trying to pick on a 17 year old GIRL. I'm not. But, her pregnancy matters for a number of reasons.

1. The obvious double standard

If this were Malia or Sasha Obama, is anyone going to sit here, with a straight face, and tell me that the McCain campaign and their surrogates would have come out with the same statement that Senator Obama did?

HELL NO.

It would be about
a) Barack and Michelle's lack of parenting skills
b) Michelle as a working mother
c) Black pathology in general and the lack of comportment for young Black females in particular

Period.
How do I know this? Because this is all we've heard from the Religious Right about teen pregnancy up until now.

2. It's a matter of public policy.

Here, we have a political official, who, is AGAINST comprehensive sex-education being taught in the Public Schools. Here, we have a political official who wants ABSTINENCE-ONLY. And, it didn't even work in her own home.

3. Then, there's the matter of the GOP calling it a ' family matter', and that the Palin's are 'supporting' their daughter through this time, ' as a family'.

You know, I do think it's good that this teenager will NOT be on her own when this baby comes, and that there will be a family there to chip in - to help be the 'village' to raise it.

But, guess what? Not all teenaged girls who get pregnant are so lucky. As Roland Martin pointed, Mother and Father are employed with MEDICAL INSURANCE AND BRISTOL IS COMPLETELY COVERED.

Is anyone naive to believe that THAT is the circumstance under which most teenaged mothers fall?

And, when they are not that lucky, they look to the government to just give them some help as they go through this difficult time.

And what did the Governor do?

SHE CUT THE FUNDS THAT WOULD HELP THESE VULNERABLE TEENS.

See, this cuts to the core of the problem that I have with Pro-life folks. Too many only care about whether or not the woman goes through with the pregnancy. When it comes to helping said child and mother AFTER birth, too many could care less.

Cutting funds for teen mothers isn't what I call ' compassionate conservatism'. It's what I call a CROCK.

4. Then, the ultimate irony from the right wing. That they are so proud of Bristol for choosing life.

Ah, she CHOSE life.

There's that sticky word - CHOICE.

What was best for Bristol Palin might not be the best CHOICE for another teen elsewhere in America.
But, you see, Bristol's mother, and her religious right pals, would TAKE AWAY THAT CHOICE for the other teens in America.

5. If you live by 'Family Values', then you need to die by 'Family Values'.

You don't get to ram, shove and cram, 'Family Values' down the throat of America, as if you're on a different moral plain. If you put yourself out as some sort of moral barometer, then you better make sure that you can live up to the front you place before the American people.

And, let's make this finally clear. The leftward blogosphere didn't put Bristol Palin out front and center. Her mother did - to divert questions that had been raised - BY REPUBLICAN BLOGGERS IN ALASKA - about her last pregnancy. They came 'clean' because the National Enquirer was onto them.

I hope this child has a healthy baby and beats the odds in raising her child.

But, I won't hold my breath hoping that Bristol's Mother and her religious right pals have actually learned a lesson of compassion in this.