Papa don't preach....

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Life happens. Sex happens. Pregnancy happens.
 

So what's the big deal about Gov Palin's 17-year old unmarried daughter, Bristol, being five months pregnant? Shouldn't we lay off on sensationalizing news about families and personal lives of political figures?
 

Tell that to John Edwards, or Bill Clinton. Or Senator Craig.
 

As Anne E. Kornblut wonders, "What if, back in the 1990s, Clinton had announced the pregnancy of an unmarried, teenaged daughter? Would the Republicans have declared it an off-limits family matter and declined to judge her, or would it have turned into a national scandal that hurt her chances as she decided to pursue her own career in elected office? What if, simply, the roles had been reversed?"
 

I doubt if the Republican machine had been very magnanimous. However, that's no excuse for the Democrats to return the favor.
 

Lets not deal with the hypothetical. The question is if Bristol could have benefited from explicit sex-education and using contraceptives, both of which Gov Palin opposes. It is evident that 'abstinence-only sex-education' doesn't work; the Governor has an example in her own home.
 

Further, the mother of all ironies is that the the family-values gang has overlooked the fact that an unwed teenager has had sex and is now pregnant; they are celebrating the fact that Bristol has decided to continue her pregnancy!
 

The National Enquirer is usually not worthy of being quoted. However, it was impressive that they had shoved the Edward story onto the MSM. According to its latest issue, "...Sarah Palin attempted to quietly have her daughter Bristol get married before news of her pregnancy leaked out,...[and had] planned for the wedding to take place right after the Republican National Convention and then she was going to announce the pregnancy."
 

It goes on to say that "The ultra-conservative governor’s announcement about her daughter’s pregnancy came hours after The ENQUIRER informed her representatives and family members of Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol’s child, that we were aware of the pregnancy and were going to break the news."
 

I have no issue with Bristol being pregnant and unmarried, though I wish she hadn't been in this situation. Teenagers do stupid things, and I believe that now, even she feels she would have been smarter. She has a life ahead of her and this unplanned event may put a damper on her future ambitions. 
  
I have no problem, either, with the Governor trying to sweep the 'family shame' under the rug; it is very human for her to do so, as a lot of stuff happens to families that they may not be particularly proud of.
 

The issue I have with this is that Gov Palin is portraying herself as a poster child of family-values, decrying pre-marital sex, contraception, explicit sex-education while seeming oblivious to the what's happening in her own family which proves that these things do work.
 

This "do as I say, not as I do" attitude also lowers her credibility on other issues she says she supports. Like teaching creationism alongside evolution in schools. Does she really believe in this of is doing it out of political expediency?
 

Similarly, it is her decision to have a baby with Down's syndrome. While it was her choice that should be respected, and the fact that there is nothing wrong with giving such a baby with a loving family, the question now seems to be whether she could have done it otherwise or not, because of her political stance.
 

The best thing in life is, for all, be honest and practice what you preach.
 
And I sincerely feel sorry for Bristol; there is no reason in the world she should have been put under the spotlight, even if Gov Palin had to turn down the VP offer.
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