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Abstinence, Family, and Values - Lessons from Bristol Palin
Filed under: Celeb Kids, Celeb Parents
As soon as Bristol Palin's interview with Greta Van Susteren aired last week on FOXNews, cable news channels and blogs began burning up with the juicy revelation that Sarah Palin's teenage daughter believes that abstinence is "not realistic at all." CNN.com even had a red flag ticker that read: "Watch Bristol Palin say abstinence is 'not realistic at all.'"
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I found Bristol to be a refreshingly honest, albeit unsophisticated, young woman who is (no surprise) both overwhelmed and overjoyed by the birth of her child. Through timid, valley-girl vernacular and nervous laughter, we learned about her struggle to deal with night-feedings, high school, and the sudden change of plans and focus that the birth of a child entails. She convincingly told the audience that being a teen mom is not glamorous, and yet it was easy to see that she is in love with her baby.
After watching her interview, including a surprise visit from her mom, I came away with an admiration for how this very real, imperfect, and loving family is handling this difficult situation. The Palins "circled the wagons" (Sarah's words) and are fully supporting their daughter, who made a courageous and thoroughly selfless decision to bring her child into this world. Grandma Palin admits, "it's not the most ideal situation, but certainly you make the most of it."
No, it won't be easy, and Bristol clearly knows she is not prepared to handle it alone. "This is a role for families to pitch in and help," says Sarah Palin. When Bristol tells Greta that she wishes she had waited another ten years, it was heartbreaking to hear the tinge of regret in her voice. "I wished it would have happened in, like, 10 years so I could have a job and an education and be, like, prepared and have my own house and stuff."
Critics like Salon.com's Rebecca Traister will always find fault with the Palins, but when faced with life's challenges -- an unplanned pregnancy, or in Sarah's case, news that she was carrying a Down Syndrome child (90% of which end in abortion) -- this is a family that lives their values. It was Mother Theresa who said: "It is a great poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." By that measuring stick, the Palins indeed are rich.
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
2-26-2009 @ 10:45AM
Sandyone said...Wow! A truly excellent boiling down. You hit the nail on the head.
2-26-2009 @ 10:12AM
rachel is a hypocrite said...Now let's imagine that Bristol was Obama's daughter - Rachel would be railing against the liberal democrats who allow teens to have premarital sex and babies out of wedlock. Convenient that she's so proud and supportive of Palin's "family values".
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2-26-2009 @ 11:00PM
RSW said...Its convenient for her to admire the Palins, its not hypocrisy at all! Rachel also has five kids and is overtly religious (and expects everyone else to abide by HER beliefs) and lives in a cold northern climate! Coincidence?
2-26-2009 @ 1:45PM
Pavlina said...What about using Birth control?
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2-26-2009 @ 6:17PM
mommy4 said...Rachel's take on the Palin interview, versus the mainstream media's interpretation, seems about right. Pregnancy comes with the full range of emotions: elation, fear, self-doubt, elation, more elation, and more fear. Its a huge responsibility for any woman at any age - let alone a young girl in high school. The real story is that her family stood by her. I've been reading Rachel's blog for a long time and I don't think that this particular one was written out of any love or admiration for the Palin family specifically, just families with good values even in tough times, generally. Bravo Rachel. Sally Quinn of the Washington Post wrote a blog on this exact topic, but rather than celebrate family unity - she chose to use the blog to advocate abortion on demand. Jaded and sad.
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2-27-2009 @ 3:08PM
Sifrina said...Many here are so quick to say that the Palins are of good values and cherish life. It takes more than just continuing a pregnancy to full term to show (not just say) how you cherish life and exemplify good values. That may be the most important part, but not the only part. How does Palin cherish life when she defies a doctor's orders to go straight to the hospital (to deliver her special needs baby in a high risk pregnancy) so she can instead deliver a speech in another state; a flight away? No one who professes to be in love with the Palins has answered that. Cherishing life means, among other things, not taking such significant risks with a life...a child's life.
And on values, it is the same thing: it takes more than just allowing a pregnancy to continue to full term to be a person of "good values." You can cherish the fetus all you want, and Palin may support her daughter now, after the fact, and that's great, but where was she when underage Bristol was having sex with this boy (with as many red flags as he and his family have)?? A person with values pays proper attention to ALL of the children they bring into this world, not just the fetuses, not just the infants.
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3-01-2009 @ 11:40AM
Sandyone said...Well, I'm not in love with the Palins, but I am exceedingly happy that they took the most important step in giving their children life. After the most important part, the rest is gravy. Why do we get 'advice' from lawyers and accountants, but when it comes to doctors, we get 'orders'? Docs don't know everything and most of their advice (which is really all they should be giving) is based on worst case or CYA scenario. Also, I'm pretty sure that her pregnancy was not high risk (that age thing is silly...more CYA/worst case medicine).
You're last statement seems to be saying that the parents of unwed teen parents have lousy family values and/or don't love and cherish their kids. Surely, you don't mean that?
Sarah Palin holds (and lives) the family value that says sex outside of marriage is wrong. Obviously, her daughter didn't uphold that value. Sarah Palin still maintains that value. It's not clear whether Bristol Palin now believes that sex belongs only between a husband and a wife, but it's pretty obvious that she has a clearer picture of one of the practical reasons for why her mother holds that view.
In your own words, at least the Palins got "the most important part" right. And isn't that what's most important?
3-02-2009 @ 12:37AM
Sifrina said...Your response only strengthens my point - when a reasonable woman goes into labor she puts her baby's well being above all other personal/political ambitions and doesn't deliver an out of town speech instead. How could anything be more important than delivering your child? What Palin did was not "child first" and every mother on this board knows it (whether they want to admit it or not).
I'll say it again - cherishing life/children and having values involve more than allowing a pregnancy to continue to full term. Important, yes (in my view), but not the one and only important thing. I despair for the children of parents who think their only important responsibility as parents is to bring life into the world. You may be "exceedingly happy" but it saddens me and many others to watch these "single focus parents" let down their children over and over again by not watching over them properly.
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3-10-2009 @ 10:50AM
mermaids614 said...Funny how Rachel calls Bristols decision to have her baby as a teen "Selfless" and courageous and all that other crap. But Rachel would be quick to drag any other young girl through the mud who were in the same situation. If Obama had a 17 year old pregnant daughter, it would be the worst thing in the world. That's why people hate "Conservatives". They are such hypocrites. Why did Bristol get pregnant as a teen? She didn't grow up with a rough life? Both of her parents were in the home. I mean, these are the insults Conservatives throw around when it involves a young Black mother or a poor white teen mother.
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