Mark Silk at Spritual Politics asks the question, "Who would be so churlish to disagree with Obama's call for the media to step away from the Bristol Palin pregnancy story?" He then volunteers himself:
I presume it's OK to ask a candidate, "Would you oppose sex education in the public schools, including the use of condoms and other birth control measures, even if it resulted in your daughter getting pregnant?"Americans were probably unaware that there was no teen pregnancy until abstinence-only sex education programs came along. Now Mark Silk is there to enlighten them. Maybe while he's at it, he explain how broad abstract policies in public schools have anything to do with Palin's daughter.
If Palin had only lied about her daughter repeatedly until the press hounded the truth out of her, then she could have had the respect of the liberal bloggers.
8 comments:
PZ Myers says it well:
"The issues here should not be "OMG her daughter is pregnant out of wedlock", but "What are the candidates proposed policies for dealing with the issue of teen pregnancy?" That Palin's daughter is pregnant should not be of any concern to either campaign; that Palin's policies of an active maintenance of reproductive ignorance are manifest failures is."
Yeah, the fact that "abstinence only" is a total failure that seems to increase the rate of out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy would be an excellent subject for discussion. Of course, TFF will never go there, because the discussion reveals their hypocrisy when it comes to things like life and abortion.
One theme I recall from Obama's acceptance speech that resonates was that, regardless of disagreements about abortion, both sides should agree on the common goal of reducing or eliminating unwanted pregnancy, by any and all means at our disposal. That would reduce abortion, and it wouldn't require inane litmus tests for supreme court nominees (from either side), perpetual filibusters and other sophomoric antics, laws that put untold numbers of mothers in already over-crowded prison systems, etc., etc. What a refreshing change of pace in the public arena it would be for both candidates to make a commitment to this end.
Of course, Palin won't. But will McCain? I wish someone would corner him and get a straight answer (instead of a canned non-answer).
Art,
How is "abstinence-only" a total failure?
Hi Martin,
The data pretty clearly shows that, in places that turn to "abstinence only" at the expense of more expansive programs, teen pregnancy rates are higher than in places where other programs are used.
That's failure, in my books.
(Hmm.. maybe not total; I cannot recall if "abstinence only" is better than no program at all.)
Art,
Do we have studies that have clear controls and clear definitions of what an "abstinence-only" program is (and what "other programs" consist of) on this issue? I'd like to know what they are.
I am not remembering any great success stories from so-called "comprehensive" sex education programs before "abstinence-only" programs came along.
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/ea2007/
BTW Martin, crticisms of the other side have more weight when you have cleaned your own house. Have you taken right wing bloggers to task for claiming Michelle Obama used the word "whitey" in a video taped conference with Farrakhan? Or for claiming that Barack Obama attended a Madrassas and was raised a Muslim? Republican operatives are the masters of rumor mongering.
Well, it's sure a good thing that she hasn't been using her family for her own political gain. Cause if she'd been bragging about her son in the army, or how she'd raised her family, then it would have been awfully hypocritical to say that her successes as a mother should be talked about, while her failures shouldn't.
Anonymous,
That's not a bad point, but I'm still unclear as to precisely what her failures were. Are we responsible for everything our kids do--despite what we tell them?
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