Home > So, what do you think? > Archives > 2008 > September > 02 > Entry
Earth to media: Leave the girl alone
In all the scolding and what-does-this-mean-ing surrounding Sarah Palin’s daughter over Labor Day, something really big got lost.
She’s a kid, for crying out loud. Her whole world flipped upside down a few months ago. Her pregnancy is now being examined like no 17-year-old’s who ever came before her.
Lord knows, there are plenty of issues to discuss about her mom’s candidacy. We can only hope that the TV heads and pundits eventually get around to things like foreign policy, the economy and the price of gasoline.
But for now, it seems we’re far more interested in the impact of her pregnancy on the ticket. I’m surprised there hasn’t been a poll: Does Bristol’s pregnancy help John McCain or not? You decide.
There’s a reason most 17-year-olds still go to school and live at home. They’re kids. They make mistakes. That’s part of what being a kid is about. Growing up the hard way, on occasion. Learning lessons. With luck, it’s in the privacy of your home.
The difference between Bristol and almost every other 17-year-old in the U.S. is that Bristol’s life has been the alternate act to Gustav in cable news’ breathless round-the-clock drama.
How fortunate for television that the news broke on Labor Day, so all the folks at home could tune in, nudge each other knowingly. “Now that you mention it, she did hold her baby brother in front of her when McCain was introducing her mom. Wasn’t that clever.”
Can you imagine the stress on this poor girl? Not enough that she’s having a baby, marrying the father at such an early age and trying to pull her life together. We get a subplot involving her impact on the entire 2008 presidential election. You might make the history books, kid. Good luck with that.
Every time we see a flaw in a candidate’s family life or personal life, it seems, we wring our hands and talk about privacy and wonder if it should really be part of the public record.
Funny how those discussions change nothing the very next chance we get to expose a candidate’s human side.
Comments
By Curmilus Dancy II
September 3, 2008 12:35 AM | Link to this
Jeff this is the best you can do. “She?s a kid, for crying out loud. Her whole world flipped upside down a few months ago. Her pregnancy is now being examined like no 17-year-old?s who ever came before her.”
You know that is not the truth. Seventeen year olds and younger pregnancy is nothing new however the question is why would the mother of the 17-year old not mention it during her speech on last week. It is not like she has not been in the news being accused of not having a baby and that the youngest baby was one of her daughters. It would have been better if she had mentioned she would be their for her daughter and her grandbaby. But for me this 17-year old will need her mom now more than ever.
It simply amazes me that with all that is going on with our teens that we act like this is no big thing. Teen-age pregnancy has been a big thing and should always be.
You say, “Lord knows, there are plenty of issues to discuss about her mom?s candidacy. We can only hope that the TV heads and pundits eventually get around to things like foreign policy, the economy and the price of gasoline.” Well for me along with that goes character.
Come on Jeff, you say, “There?s a reason most 17-year-olds still go to school and live at home. They?re kids. They make mistakes. That?s part of what being a kid is about. Growing up the hard way, on occasion. Learning lessons. With luck, it?s in the privacy of your home.” Really? So in the black community we talk about the lack of parental involvement but now we are talking about an elected official’s daugther whose life is not private so I don’t get it. Come on now. This is just like the preachers child having a baby.
The difference between Bristol and almost every other 17-year-old in the U.S. is that Bristol?s life has been the alternate act to Gustav in cable news? breathless round-the-clock drama.
You are correct because for me it is in relations to electing the next President of these United States.
How fortunate for television that the news broke on Labor Day, so all the folks at home could tune in, nudge each other knowingly. ?Now that you mention it, she did hold her baby brother in front of her when McCain was introducing her mom. Wasn?t that clever.?
Well sir it didn’t break on Labor Day for me because I had it like most information before it hit the television. I actually received the same information a day before it hit the New York Times.
Can you imagine the stress on this poor girl? Not enough that she?s having a baby, marrying the father at such an early age and trying to pull her life together.
Stress sir? There are many teens who are suffering from stress who are not pregnant. And to marry the father just because she got pregnant? Is that love?
Every time we see a flaw in a candidate?s family life or personal life, it seems, we wring our hands and talk about privacy and wonder if it should really be part of the public record.
Sir an elected official is not private. Once a person becomes an elected official they open themselves up to criticism.
Funny how those discussions change nothing the very next chance we get to expose a candidate?s human side.
Really?
The Political Agitator
By Michael R.
September 3, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
It’s sad how the media has to revert to the moral code of yesterday in order to make their dirt. Not that I agree with the pregnancy, it certainly is something to be frowned upon, but not in this light. Had she just murdered the baby through abortion, that would have been “ok” here, I don’t get it.
By Curmilus Dancy II
September 3, 2008 10:14 PM | Link to this
Mr. Michael R. you say, “It�s sad how the media has to revert to the moral code of yesterday in order to make their dirt.” Well sir the media didn’t make this news they reported it.
Not that I agree with the pregnancy, it certainly is something to be frowned upon, but not in this light.
Not in this light sir? What? Oh so you get to choose what light? Teen age pregnancy should never be celebrated on a national level.
Had she just murdered the baby through abortion, that would have been �ok� here, I don�t get it.
Sir I have not seen anywhere that anyone has said that she should have murdered the child. They just feel the grandmother ought to be there for her daughter and her upcoming grandchild.
So sir let’s not get it twisted.
The Political Agitator
By Agitated
September 4, 2008 5:09 PM | Link to this
You know, I read these almost daily, and with the exception of football-related topics, I don’t add my own 2 cents, (or 200 in your case, Mr. Dancy.), but you have hit a sore, and sour chord.
Who are you to judge this family? Why didn’t Palin announce this in her speech? Because it wasn’t her pregnancy to announce.
Are you a parent, Mr. Dancy? I am, and I’m proud to say that I’m a relatively young one. If your child, God forbid, got into a car accident and killed someone, would that have any effect on your ability to do your job? No.
Teenage pregnancy ISN’T being “celebrated on a national level”. What IS being celebrated is this teenager’s decision to keep the child, to raise the child in a loving environment WITH the CHILD’s FATHER. Is it love between the two teens? We don’t know that. But part of being a parent is loving your child unconditionally.
I do agree with you, that once a person becomes an elected official, they are open to criticism. However, that doesn’t give the media the right to go after the candidate’s family. (You sound like a democrat, so you should remember Barack Obama voicing a similar opinion.)
Or is that getting something “twisted”?
By Curmilus Dancy II
September 5, 2008 12:18 AM | Link to this
Who are you to judge this family? Why didn?t Palin announce this in her speech? Because it wasn?t her pregnancy to announce.
(Oh heck no she will be the grandmother. And her first grandchild? Most folks I know are proud to be grandparents. How is this judging the family? However I could have if I wanted to.) C. Dancy II
Are you a parent, Mr. Dancy? I am, and I?m proud to say that I?m a relatively young one. If your child, God forbid, got into a car accident and killed someone, would that have any effect on your ability to do your job? No.
(Yes I am a parent of a 21 yr. old, 17 yr. old and a 10 yr. old. What in the heck do your question above have to do with announcing that one will be a grandmother?) TPA
Teenage pregnancy ISN?T being ?celebrated on a national level?. What IS being celebrated is this teenager?s decision to keep the child, to raise the child in a loving environment WITH the CHILD?s FATHER.
(That is nothing to celebrate in my opinion especially when someone in Palin’s position as a Governor. Child’s father? Have they gotten married yet? She is 5 months pregnant so why are they not already married as one put it since that is going to be the answer? My question is, is that the answer? I my oldest 2 children were born out of wedlock however I married the next to the oldest mother and we also have a son.) TPA
Is it love between the two teens? We don?t know that. But part of being a parent is loving your child unconditionally.
(I didn’t give a darn about that. That was not the issue. My point was since Palin’s last pregnancy had some questions, I felt if she had just let everyone know she was going to be a grandmother that would have been to her advantage and not let the media bring it out.) TPA
I do agree with you, that once a person becomes an elected official, they are open to criticism. However, that doesn?t give the media the right to go after the candidate?s family.
(Yes it does. You may not like it but they have every right.) TPA
(You sound like a democrat, so you should remember Barack Obama voicing a similar opinion.)
(Oh heck no, Obama has to be politically correct because he is running for an office but you see I am not running for anything. I will continue to hold black, brown, white, men and women accountable and I do not operate on the opinion of Obama nor any other elected official.) TPA
Or is that getting something ?twisted??
(Twisted? It is a fact she will be a grandmother so I have not gotten anything twisted. What is being twisted is that you have a problem with my opinion and I ask that you prove anything that I have said to not be factual.) TPA
The Political Agitator
By William Alford Perry
October 21, 2008 2:32 PM | Link to this
These asinine Republicans in my opinion are hell bent on changing our way of government to a corporatism/fascist type of government where the Republican elite rich and powerful put in place the doctrines and methods of the fascist, in a system of government in which a dictator and the Republican Party will have absolute power over the politics, industry and absolute control of the government and the American people just as the fascist in Germany and Italy in years past.
The ignominy Republicans and their comrades in my opinion are conducting themselves in a disgusting, shameful and an un-American way.
I am of the firm opinion that the Democratic Party should aggressively engage the Republicans and their comrades who refuse to heed the voices of the majority in Congress and the American people and elect a Democrat super majority in Congress and state legislatures of the United States who I believe will help take this nation on a path that will help secure life, liberty, freedom, justice and Americans pursuit of happiness.
William in Alabama
By Robert Cressionnie
October 23, 2008 10:24 AM | Link to this
I have to agree with your opinion of the Republican party but the sad fact is that the Democrat party is no less socialist than the Republican party is fascist.
Obama himself states that he thinks spreading the wealth benefits everyone and that taking from some to give to others is the solution to everything. Liberty is not based on what government can take from one and give to another.
Democracy on the other hand is and thus leads to totalitarian governments deciding who can have what. Not a system in which I want to live. The only parties that want to preserve liberty are the Constitution Party and the Libertarians.