Bristol Palin: "Teens should just not have sex"

[Guest mz.]

Damn, this Palin obsession of mine is tough to kick!

 

Bristol Palin: "Teens should just not have sex"

 

NEW YORK--Bristol Palin spent her Wednesday afternoon mugging for cameras (and, oh yeah, talking about teen pregnancy, kinda) at an event for the Candie's Foundation. "Entertainment Tonight," "Extra" and "Access Hollywood" swarmed the young mother, recently named Teen Ambassador to the foundation, whose mission is "to educate America’s youth about the devastating consequences of teen pregnancy through celebrity PSA campaigns and initiatives." Other bold-face names on the "the Event to Prevent Town Hall" panel included "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza (who was also a teen parent), Seventeen magazine's editor in chief, Ann Shoket, the CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Sarah Brown, and Neil Cole, founder of the Candie's Foundation. Chris Cuomo of "Good Morning America" moderated.

 

Although Candie's billed the event as a town hall meeting and bused in a load of conspicuously multicultural junior-high and high-school students to participate, the panel felt largely scripted. Cuomo read a few utterly safe, predictable audience questions -- "What do you do if your boyfriend pressures you to have sex?" -- aloud, and for the most part, the panelists answered exactly as you'd expect. There was a lot of talk about how difficult it is to raise children, how unprepared teenagers are for the task and, of course, reiterating to the teens in the audience that they shouldn't feel pressured to have sex.

 

What was interesting about Palin's paltry contribution to the discussion wasn't what she said, which didn't differ much from her "Today" show interview this morning. Rather, what got me was what the young mother left unsaid. While other panelists (briefly) brought up contraception and stressed the importance of learning the facts about sex, Palin remained eerily silent for most of the meeting. When things went off-script, she didn't have much to contribute. By contrast, charismatic and articulate Hayden Panettiere made a genuine effort to connect with the assembled kids and introduce some humor and honesty into the discussion.

 

Asked why teen girls may end up pregnant, Palin responded, "They're not thinking about the future and not thinking before they act." Describing her experience as a young mother, she repeated her "Today" show song and dance. "It's just hard work all the time. It's a 24-hour-a-day job," she said. "You don't have friends ... You have to put your baby first." Then, prompted for a final thought, Palin reiterated a message of abstinence: "Having a kid is a huge responsibility. Teens should just not have sex." Palin spoke with a vacant look in her eyes, as though she were reciting lines she'd rehearsed a few hundred times already (which, of course, she likely was). Gone was the refreshingly unpolished Bristol Palin who, less than three months ago, admitted that abstinence was "not realistic." Mama Sarah (who wasn't in attendance, although Palin's First Dude dad grinned from the audience) certainly seems to have done some message control before allowing her daughter back into the public eye.

 

Other panelists made some unsettling comments, too: An otherwise canny Sarah Brown told a story implying that she thought in-school day cares and other social services made life too easy for teen mothers. And Panettiere spent a good deal of time encouraging girls to dress modestly --as though teen pregnancy can be prevented by a nice, sensible suit and some conservative flats. (Adding to the mixed messages here, the organization that hosted the event is named for Candie's Shoe company, purveyors of the sky-high heel. "Just because a woman wants to look sexy," said Candie's Foundation's Neil Cole, "doesn't mean she has to have babies.") Cole contributed perhaps the most depressing remark of the afternoon. "Guys are like dogs," he said, by way of explaining why the foundation targets girls more than boys. "Eighty percent of the guys take off. Women have to live with it." Way to encourage teen fathers to take responsibility for their actions!

 

In the end, the event was mired in mixed messages. The Candie's Foundation doesn't promote abstinence exclusively -- in fact, a postcard handed out at the event read, "The only foolproof way to prevent teen pregnancy is not to have sex at all. If you do, use protection every single time." So it's strange that it would nominate a Teen Ambassador who is (now, apparently) a staunch abstinence-only advocate. Rather than giving the teens in the audience any real information about their reproductive choices and responsibilities, the panelists implied that sex necessarily leads to pregnancy, which necessarily leads to 18 years of child-rearing. It was -- you betcha! -- an event that would have made Alaska's governor proud.

― Judy Berman

 

via here.

[PB&J]

[Legacy Fan]

Damn, this Palin obsession of mine is tough to kick!

Describing her experience as a young mother, she repeated her "Today" show song and dance. "It's just hard work all the time. It's a 24-hour-a-day job," she said. "You don't have friends ... You have to put your baby first." Then, prompted for a final thought, Palin reiterated a message of abstinence: "Having a kid is a huge responsibility. Teens should just not have sex." Palin spoke with a vacant look in her eyes, as though she were reciting lines she'd rehearsed a few hundred times already (which, of course, she likely was).

 

Really? How about explaining to these kids how you're able to continually tour across the country like you're Def Fcuking Leppard and have a Nanny pick up the real work, Bristol? That would be the responsible thing to do. It also might make your message a little more sincere if you explained that not everyone is afforded the luxury of nanny-care and that the nanny says the real work is really tough but you wouldn't really know what any of that is about.

 

A slap in the face to parents and particularly (young) single parents.

[heckofajobbrownie]

Last week: Abstinence education is "not realistic at all."

 

This week: I'm a spokesperson for abstinence education.

 

 

 

[choco]

next week:

 

i should have used a condom....

[Guest AdaM]

next week:

 

i should have used a condom....

 

 

 

Condoms only work 99.9% of the time, pulling out works 70% of the time, every time.

[DieHardBrownsFan]

Guess your old man didn't pull out quick enough, huh?

[Guest mz.]

next week:

 

i should have used a condom....

 

Week after that: I'm still a virgin if I take it exclusively up the ass.

 

[We need Tom Tupa]

Are we really still discussing this? I understand when we waste our time irrationally bashing politicians we don't like, but this is a teenage girl. What's next, does someone have a scoop from TMZ they want to post?

[PB&J]

Are we really still discussing this? I understand when we waste our time irrationally bashing politicians we don't like, but this is a teenage girl. What's next, does someone have a scoop from TMZ they want to post?

 

This isn't bashing the girl. It is quite obvious that her mother, the politician, is behind this change in her views on sex. In a lot of public schools they are still hanging onto the abstinence only education, this girl's mistake happens to be a perfect example for why that curriculum needs to be thrown out.

[heckofajobbrownie]

I would agree with Tupa that this isn't high on a priority list, and that the girl deserves our sympathy for what she's going through. It's not easy to raise a child with two parents, let alone one. And most likely, the same thing could also have happened to any one of us.

 

But I would also agree with PB&J that this is her mother and her mother's career that is pushing this, and I'd question the parents that would do this to their child. First, they put on a public display of a wholesome marriage-to-be. As soon as the campaign was over we learned that was a fraud, and that the couple hadn't been together for weeks. Now what's left? Well, a single teenage mom in a party where that's frowned upon, and a mother who still wants to be president. So now she's a national spokesperson for abstinence education. Because what else are they going to say?

 

So don't have sex, kids. But the baby is a blessing. But the act that produced the baby isn't. That was a mistake. But thank God we did it or I wouldn't have this baby. But don't make the same mistake I did. By producing this wonderful child that's the best thing that ever happened to me. So don't do that thing that I did, or else you might be faced with a similar blessing.

 

It's a pretty rotten thing to do to your daughter.

[PB&J]

Handing them out seems to send the wrong message. Actually teach them how to use them, and make them available sounds better to me. My high school was one of the abstinence only curriculum schools. The only time they talked about condoms was when they were talking about the failure rates.

[calfoxwc]

So the Bush twins and Palin's daughter are fair game because of who their parents are?

 

If someone ridicules the Obama girls a few years from now, watch the outrage,

 

that children should be off limits, and attempts to get the poster banned.

 

But, children should be off limits. It's rationalizing cheap shots at the public figures,

 

using criticism of their kids as a weapon.

 

Note: How many Palin threads have there been with this stuff in it?

[PB&J]

We aren't attacking Bristol Palin. We are attacking the fact that her mother is using her for a political show.

[calfoxwc]

You are assuming she's doing that. A parent has a right to handle family affairs, regardless of their

 

career in public life.

 

She just happens to be in politics.

 

So, any picture of the Obamas with their girls make their daughters fair game to

 

be mocked and nitpicked forever to cast their parents as "using their daughters as a politcal show".

 

God forbid. It isn't fair to any kids, young or older, no matter who their parents are.

 

jmso, that's all.

[osusev]

Fair enough Cal, how about this: Abstinence only education is a really REALLY REALLY flawed concept. Publicizing the theory with a girl who is not really taking care of her child because of access to a nanny is pretty dumb.

[We need Tom Tupa]

Fair enough Cal, how about this: Abstinence only education is a really REALLY REALLY flawed concept. Publicizing the theory with a girl who is not really taking care of her child because of access to a nanny is pretty dumb.

She isnt promoting abstinence only. The extremely biased article that was posted claimed she was because she didn't make a big deal about condom use, but she is working with an organization that says:

 

The only foolproof way to prevent teen pregnancy is not to have sex at all. If you do, use protection every single time.

 

That's right out of the posted article. In fact, Gov Palin has now said that she supports sex education that discusses abstinence and contraceptives. You should all be thrilled. She has taken your advice.

 

Is there a phrase for beating a dead horse that also happens to be a strawman?

[calfoxwc]

Sorry, Mr. Tupa, I could only Thank you once. I would have tried for twice. @@

[Guest mz.]

That's right out of the posted article. In fact, Gov Palin has now said that she supports sex education that discusses abstinence and contraceptives. You should all be thrilled. She has taken your advice.

 

Guess she isn't very sold on this core, fundamental, lifelong "beliefs" and "values" she attempted to sell us during her "campaign."

 

The cals of the world must be outraged!

[calfoxwc]

Your jump to conclusion is foundless, mz the pussy.

 

Your "guess" is just contrived to diss her again.

 

Kids in school aren't all of the same church, or same degree of religious

 

beliefs, if at all.

 

Do you have anything intelligent to add to the conversation?

 

Personally, I believe sex ed - the teaching of it - to what degree etc..

 

in schools is best left for the taxpayers who pay for the schools -

 

to decide via their school board members that they put there.

[Mr. T]

The only foolproof way to prevent teen pregnancy is not to have sex at all. If you do, use protection every single time.

 

Abstinence is a good thing to promote, the children's are not emotionally equipped to handle the consequences of having sex other than the fact, Ohhh Baby Baby that feels good then 9 months later your a parent.

 

 

[Guest mz.]

I was more talking about the flippy-floppy, malleable belief system of the "push my beliefs onto you even though I evidently don't believe in them myself after all" Palins, and the rest of the populist morons.

 

I think this is a very important and germane thing to discuss, and I'm sorry you don't feel that way. The REPEATED, EMBARRASSING hypocrisy of the folks who jam their morals down our throats never ceases to amaze me. I would think a free-thinker and Constitutionalist such as yourself would agree with me...

[Mr. T]

I was more talking about the flippy-floppy, malleable belief system of the "push my beliefs onto you even though I evidently don't believe in them myself after all" Palins.

 

I think this is a very important and germane thing to discuss, and I'm sorry you don't feel that way. The REPEATED, EMBARRASSING hypocrisy of the folks who jam their morals down our throats never ceases to amaze me. I would think a free-thinker and Constitutionalist such as yourself would agree with me...

 

 

So what are your beliefs? other than trying to post something for the case of an argument.

 

Spit it out. Were all waiting. What are your beliefs?

[heckofajobbrownie]

Tupa makes an important point - there's a difference between abstinence education and abstinence-only education. Bristol is preaching the former, not the latter.

[Guest mz.]

Please, T. I've discussed how important I feel sex education is numerous times in this forum.

 

And you still haven't answered my question in the other thread.

[Mr. T]

Abstinence only education is a really REALLY REALLY flawed concept.

 

thats right but it does work, The parents need to step in and teach their children boundries.

 

But that wouldn't make them the kool mom & dad then would it.

 

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

 

and mz the pussy i will answer you later I have work to do and I think you are just fishing anyways.

[Guest mz.]

and mz the pussy i will answer you later I have work to do and I think you are just fishing anyways.

 

Fishing, my ass.

 

To refresh your memory, you cut and pasted this, which you purported to believe in:

 

The Mayflower Declaration

Reproduced by permission of Peter Flower, chairman of the Christian Peoples Alliance

 

The Person

This focus considers how policies contribute to:

Respect, equality and the eradication of unrighteous discrimination.

Individuals' responsibility for their families, neighbours and the poor.

Personal financial security through practical measures which will extend and strengthen the emergence of a culture of stewardship.

 

 

And I said:

 

You could really stand to work on these, T.

 

I mean, REALLY, in all caps.

 

And they're evidently Christian values, so why not give 'em a whirl...unless you're a hypocrite.

 

---

 

I understand if you still need some time to iron this out...

 

[Mr. T]

Fishing, my ass.

 

To refresh your memory, you cut and pasted this, which you purported to believe in:

 

 

 

 

And I said:

 

You could really stand to work on these, T.

 

I mean, REALLY, in all caps.

 

And they're evidently Christian values, so why not give 'em a whirl...unless you're a hypocrite.

 

---

 

I understand if you still need some time to iron this out...

 

Im proud of you, you figured out the difference. uc lc

 

Answer, Christian values, yeah I do my best, but I to am a sinner also. You have to Love the sinner but you can hate the sin.

 

As for the topic here is a solid PSA for your approval

 

[Guest mz.]

Answer, Christian values, yeah I do my best, but I to am a sinner also. You have to Love the sinner but you can hate the sin.

 

Huh?

 

But LOL T, nice "I'm a sinner" copout.

 

Where's cal when you need him GGG.

 

[Guest mz.]

Lost my virginity at the age of 15 to my moms best friend who was married

 

Dude, your stock just rose...

 

I wish the only woman I had ever slept with was my wife, and the only person she had slept with was me.

 

Really? I Never cared that my wife slept with other people, she never cared who I slept with and I do think sex is better with some people than with others. Kind of like conversation, tennis, etc, it's best to see if you're compatible with someone before you enter a tennis tournament with them as a doubles partner.......

 

That's why I think abstinence education is important, and if done right, a very viable solution.

 

Kids, and people in general, will always, ALWAYS want to xxxx. It's hard-wired. So telling them not to is goofy, showing them how to protect themselves is the only thing that will prevent teen pregnancy IMO.