Sarah Palin’s Daughter “Punished With A Baby”–UPDATED, And Punished With Hot Future Husband
September 1, 2008 / 12:30 pm • By Dr. Melissa ClouthierIt turns out the Palins like punishment. That was already established. Who in their right mind goes into politics these days when one is assured of being attacked non-stop?
It also turns out that Sarah Palin’s 17 year old daughter is five months pregnant:
“We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us,” the Palins’ statement said.
“Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support,” the Palins said.
The Palins asked the news media to respect the young couple’s privacy.
“Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to realize very quickly the difficulties of raising a child, which is why they will have the love and support of our entire family. We ask the media, respect our daughter and Levi’s privacy as has always been the tradition of children of candidates,” the statement concluded.
Punishment. If only Bristol’s last name were Obama, she wouldn’t have to be punished:
“Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old,” Obama said. “I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn’t make sense to not give them information.”
It turns out that the Palins made the wrong decision twice. First, Sarah, pregnant with a Down’s Syndrome baby didn’t abort. Second, their daughter got pregnant while unmarried and didn’t abort. Oh, and there’s a third mistake, but it has yet to happen: Teen daughter will get married to the baby’s father.
As a sensible person, teen pregnancy is obviously, not a good thing. It happens, though. Even Christian kids have sex, sometimes without birth control or even with it, and get pregnant. It will make Bristol’s life harder, to be sure, but she won’t be alone. She’ll have love and support. She’ll have to grow up sooner. And she won’t be the first person this has happened to.
Update: And no, this news will not hurt her with evangelicals.
And yes, Jeff Goldstein is exactly right, again when he writes in Breeders Breeding Breeders:
The left, as it has now been shown in one of the ugliest incidences of McCarthyite bullying I can remember, has no core belief in privacy, or even an investment in actual “choice” for women — unless the woman in question falls in line with their particular orthodoxies, that is. Anyone else is an “anti-woman” woman, and as such is subject to public exposure and ridicule.
The ironic thing is, Bristol Palin’s political beliefs aren’t even known, beyond (I assume) her support for her mother. But hey: all is fair in love and war, and suddenly, the progressive left seems quite unconcerned with “collateral damage” and “the children!™
Hopefully, any real feminist — not the kinds of second wave “establishment feminists” who have eschewed the end game of equality for the politically charged power politics of identity group activism and grievance pimping — will be so appalled by what has transpired over the last several days that they will run screaming from the “enlightened” base of the Democratic party: totalitarian “progressives” who have devoured Alinsky like he was a particularly plump and inviting veggie burger.
They are what they pretend to despise. And in the quiet moments between attacks, I suspect many of them recognize this, and secretly curse what it is they’ve become.
There’s more at the link. Go read the whole thing.
Updated again:
Michelle Malkin says, “Bristol Palin Chooses Life, Now Leave Her Alone.” Can we get an amen?
Oh, and Todd Palin had a DUI 22 years ago. Not relevant, but then, this news isn’t about relevance.
Updated again:
As one who would have a woody if I possessed wood, I resemble Rachel Lucas’ assessment. In addition, her assessment of the left is also accurate:
And who can doubt that the announcement that 17-year-old Palin daughter Bristol is preggers will drive certain leftists completely off the deep end in an orgy of impotent joy that now they can drag a minor into the election combat zone? This is the best news they’ve heard in weeks so you can’t blame them for their ecstasy. The only thing that might make them happier is if she had an abortion.
Hope! Change!
Rachel is also receiving leftist lovenotes. Mine die in moderation–well, most do. Some I let through for your entertainment. Rachel posted her favorites. She’s in love. Rupert’s a goner.
Updated again:
Ann Althouse on the sexism, again. Good grief, you could swaddle the left in their hypocrisy and spank their bottoms and they wouldn’t get it (this is a very long quote, my apologies to Ann, but it is so good. Also, go over to her site because the comments really capture the essence of this mess):
MadisonMan said:
I think the way to support a child through a pregnancy is to be there for them, not to embark on a national campaign — sure, it’s “only” 2 months — that will shine the spotlight on the child. Anyway, that would be my reaction as a parent.
Oh, that looks like a meme. Sarah Palin must stay home with her special needs baby. Sarah Palin must stay home with her about-to-be-married, pregnant daughter. Ladies: Put your career on hold until everything in you’re family stops happening. I know, MM is a man and he’s saying he’d stay home too, but would he? Would a man forgo his career to be there for a family member who is experiencing an important life transition?Remember when John Edwards decided to go on with his campaign after his wife got a diagnosis of inoperable cancer? Now, I think Elizabeth Edwards was probably excited about the campaign and wanted to go on with it. In that light, why are you assuming that Bristol Palin isn’t excited about her mother’s campaign? Unlike Elizabeth Edwards, Bristol is not facing her last days. She’s just starting out — all caught up in life. Presumably, she’s intense and positive about her pro-life beliefs, her love for the baby’s father, her impending wedding, and the new baby on the way.
I imagine her eager to run around with the campaign, spreading the pro-life message to young people. Why should you think she would prefer to mope around the house, feeling ashamed, absorbing maternal comforting? On the campaign trail, she will be a loved and praised pro-life heroine, and she — and her mother — are likely to convert others to the pro-life side, with their glamorous and very positive image. Pro-choicers beware.ADDED: In the comments Randy quotes my “Would a man forgo his career to be there for a family member who is experiencing an important life transition?” and says:
Ann, Joe Biden talks about facing that question when his wife and daughter were killed, and his sons injured, in that car accident. I can’t recall anyone ever criticizing him for making the decision to remain in the US Senate and commute from Delaware to DC.
Again, these criticisms would simply never be lobbed at a man. Have you even heard once, even one time, how hard on Obama’s girls it must be to have their father gallivanting around the country during their formative years? I challenge you to find it.
Updated again:
Patterico is actually communicating with Andrew Sullivan. And Andrew Sullivan still cannot believe the baby is Sarah’s. He’s a fact-checker, that one.
Updated:
Here’s Bristol’s fiancé. When you read the article, note how sensible the people there seem to be.
Updated again:
Ed Morrissey over at Hotair, like many parents, faced this situation. His story is touching and not unique in America:
Our son and daughter-in-law had just started their senior year in high school when they became pregnant, and I use that pronoun deliberately. The two of them formed their own unit and held each other up during a terribly stressful year. Meanwhile, we parents had to support them as best we could, and make sure they knew we loved and supported them through it all. In return, we discovered two wonderful adults who had just been children shortly before, and when the Little Admiral came, two wonderful parents as well.
None of this was easy, and we certainly all had our moments during this stressful time. However, we took each day as it came, and we discovered that it really didn’t bring the world to an end or stop the two of them from pursuing their dreams Like Bristol, our son and daughter-in-law got engaged shortly afterwards, and this month celebrated six years of marriage. Both of them graduated from college this year, and my son will start graduate school this week. It took them a little longer, but they achieved their goals.
Bristol Palin will be okay. She will face challenges, but who doesn’t?
UPDATED AGAIN:
Good grief, I’m excited about getting linked by the New York Times for the first time and then I read the comments about Bristol Palin’s pregnancy and my heart sinks. Ostensibly, Times readers are sophisticated and worldly and not the same kinds of people who would frequent a Kos forum, but it looks like I might be too optimistic. I won’t high-light them here, but you can go read them for a taste of hate.
Still waiting on “liberal bloggers” takes on John Edward’s confirmed affair and weird-ass cover-up of his alleged love-child. He was a candidate. Bristol Palin is the kid of a candidate. Get the difference?
And another thing, my mom was married a month and 19 when she got pregnant with me. Young parenting is only abnormal now because it’s customary to delay parenthood and adulthood these days, but women have been having babies at young ages for a long time and survived. Good grief. This is not a tragedy. It’s a poorly timed pregnancy.
UPDATED:
A picture is worth more than 1,000 words.
RS McCain: “Levi Johston: Sex on Skates”
