Abstinence Isn't the Answer

I don't understand why the major television media seems to be tippy-toeing around the "issue" surrounding Sarah Palin's family situation.  Let's get real here.  If Barack Obama's daughter was 17 and 5 months pregnant, the media (and the Republican party) would be having a field day.

I understand that they have asked for their privacy to be respected and family, particularly children, are said to be off limits in the race for president but let's at least have a discussion about the issues it brings up.  Let's talk about the candidate's plans to curb teenage pregancy.  Let's talk about talk about sex educaton and abstinence and how effective (or ineffective) those two things are.  Let's talk about whether or not it's a good idea to encouraging teens to get married just because they got pregnant.  

Sure it's great that Sarah Palin and her family are being supportive of their daughter.  It's great that they all have DECIDED to keep the baby and that the two teens are PLANNING to get married.  And isn't it wonderful that they were afforded the choice to decide? Just because the decision wasn't the same as other women, doesn't take away from the fact that in this wonderful country the option was there for them to CHOOSE.  I shutter to think of there being no choice.   

I just find it sad that what should have been planning for college, planning for a career, planning for living a life as an independent young adult, is now planning for a child and a marriage.  Far more sad than that is the fact that the planning all came at the wrong time.  If someone had planned to stop at the corner drug store to pick up a condom, none of this would have ever happened.         

The people out there that think because they tell their kids things like "good Christians wait until marriage" need to realize that not only will their kids still have sex, they will have unprotected sex.  Yes, advise them that the responsible thing to do is to wait, and then tell them that when the time comes, the responsible thing is to be protected. 

I doubt that this situation has changed Sarah Palin's opinion on sex education (which is kinda sad) but I hope that it inspires some parents out there to at least have an open conversation with their kids because just telling them don't do it, isn't enough.

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