Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old Daughter is Pregnant
Yesterday, Republican Vice-President candidate Sarah Palin announced that her unwed 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant.
Palin says that her daughter is planning to marry the baby’s father, and says “we’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents.”
Political analysts speculate that the choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate for John McCain in this November elections is for her strong pro-life, anti-abortion views.
Sarah has five children. Her youngest, Trig, born in April, has Down Syndrome. The family knew about Trig’s condition while she was pregnant.
The news was released partly because of internet rumors that baby Trig is actually Bristol’s son, and Sarah is raising him as her own to avoid a scandal. If Bristol is five months pregnant, and Trig was born in April, that’s all but impossible.
Conservatives are divided on whether the news is good or bad for the Republicans. Those against sex before marriage are criticizing Sarah and her family, while other praising Bristol’s decision to keep her baby and marry her partner.
Whatever you believe about abortion, Sarah and her family clearly stand behind their pro-life views.
Do you think that the news that Sarah Palin’s daughter is pregnant is bad news for the Republicans? Do you think that her daughter having sex before marriage sets a bad example, or is it no big deal in 2008?
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ScootiesMommy says...
It really is a shame that when Brittney Spears sister got pregnant it was “awhhh, she is pregnant and going to get married…yeah another Spears baby.” But now that it is a possible VP’s child pregnant it is all “scandal and shame.” I do believe that it is better to have children after marriage not before, but you know, I would not be here if my Mother felt the same way.
I personally feel it is a personal matter for that family. I honestly can not give you one single person or family who is perfect.
melissa h says...
I think that Bristol Palin’s pregnancy is a FAMILY affair! As to some of the speculation that I have heard regarding how this effects the view of Sarah Palin’s family values, I feel that the true test of family values isn’t whether the girl gets pregnant, but how the family deals with it. Anyone who has been 17 knows that there is a lot of pressure to have sex. I would say that while it isn’t ideal for her young daughter to start out her adult life as a mommy immediately, if she has supportive parents it will be easier.
Holly Tried It says...
I don’t think her daughter’s pregnancy is very important to the race. Most people are very aware that teenager’s don’t always follow their parent’s rules. I grew up in an environment that was very pro-abstinence. Yet, some of my friends chose to experiment before marriage. I don’t say it was the parents’ fault–often there were experimenters and non-experimenters in the same family.
Holly Tried Its last blog post..Why Couples Need Couple-Friends
mb says...
The personal is political. I don’t think people should use her daughter’s pregnancy to judge her character or parenting ability, but I do think it’s hypocritical if she continues to tout abstinence-only education when faced with a personal situation that illustrates that teenagers have sex and get pregnant. It is clear evidence that pushing ONLY the ‘abstinence only’ message, to the exclusion of messages about contraception, does not work. This should be as clear to Sarah Palin now as it is to most everybody else who has been around or talked to teenagers. Bristol will probably do fine because she has a supportive family with the financial means to help her, but many young mothers don’t have support and don’t do fine. They are more likely to have postpartum depression, abuse their children (primarily out of ignorance), have low birthweight babies, and the list goes on. Ms. Palin needs to take her daughter’s pregnancy as a wake up call. Comprehensive sex ed is best.
Amybee says...
This brings up a woman’s right to choose-Palin is anti-choice and would never allow her daughter to terminate an untimely, unwanted pregnancy. It’s one of the most heated debates out there and I see both sides…but ultimately think women’s reproductive issues should be left OUT of politics. They are personal, medical and VERY emotional. I feel badly for her daughter-her pregnancy should be private, as should every woman’s.