one of the women in this picture is pregnant? Can you guess which one?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I tend to think the only two options we should giving teens upfront is abstinence  and condoms. 

None of the others prevent STD. 

The others are appropriate only for people in a long term relationship with someone when they have fully vetted their partners sexual history.   

[Phishfan]

The message I got from the NPR report was that "don't do it" is a stronger and more consistent message than, "well, if you're going to do it anyways".

And I am sure that was their intended purpose. It still doesn't mean that it is valid as it doesn't address the questions that have been posed.

[Buddhagirl]

I tend to think the only two options we should giving teens upfront is abstinence  and condoms. 

None of the others prevent STD. 

The others are appropriate only for people in a long term relationship with someone when they have fully vetted their partners sexual history.   

I agree with this. STDs are a problem also, but teens aren't using condoms anyway. 1 in 4 teen girls has an STD. That is an extremely high number.  If they're not going to use a condom, at least have a back up plan. Plus, condoms break. I think ALL forms of bc should be offered. If he/she is mature enough to have sex, they need to be mature enough to understand the consequences and planning that goes into said sex. This includes the risk of getting an STD if they don't use a condom.

[run_to_win]

if you can't even sell your own daughter on your sex education policy how do you expect to sell that same line of crap to the rest of the country?

That probably explains why this (link) isn't a big issue. 

[run_to_win]

No Run, what I'm implying is that the "right" is ok with teen pregnancy as long as the family is wealthy.

You're wrong.  They're not okay with it, but they're even less okay with killing the baby.

And wouldn't everyone be involved be better off if all of the woman had abortion as an option?

Everyone except the babies.

[CF DolFan]

Then we are indeed speaking from 2 different spectrums here. I do feel that TEEN pregnancy is a death sentence for most teens. Approximately 70 % of teen mothers do not even finish high school. If that's not a death sentence, I don't know what is. How are you supposed to properly support a child with less than a high school education? What does that teach that child? Nevermind that it creates a never ending loop of teen pregnancy.

I suppose you would rather sentence a girl to socio-economic hardship than put her on birth control? I don't get that.

We totally are coming from different worlds.  As I understand it, you don't want kids and that's ok.  Your point of view is from someone that certainly reflects that.  I on the other hand do not see kids as a hassle, inconvienence and in fact, my life pretty much revolves around them during this portion of my life.  I took half a pay cut to be able to spend time with them so obviosly I can't agree with you.

I see many people who see their kids as a burden (whether they know it or not) and spend more time doing their own thing than raising their kids. This has far more a negative effect on society than being low income.  I know many, and I do stress many, low income people that are raising fine, upstanding moral children that will certainly benefit society.  In fact, I dare say a single black mother with morals is much tougher on her kids than some Baby Boomer that spends more time on golf courses and tennis courts while their kids are being raised by a private, even Christian, school.  Nothing, including money, replaces the fact that a parent is there for their children emotionally and physically.

I do realize that I am somewhat of an unusal circumstance but I have close friends from the projects and trailer parks all the way up to mulitmillion dollar homes. I myself have come from the lesser up to middle class and didn't even really try.  The American dream is available to anyone that wants to get up and get it and while finances are a benefit, they certainly aren't the only way.

[simeon]

I had a job where I was a district manager always living on the road, one day I made the decision to stay home with my wife and kids and work locally, so I understand sacrificing yourself for your family like CF said. I grew up pretty poor in Southern Florida, I have seen it all. Honestly I believe people make choices when they sleep around, and they should live with that choice gives them. Just as someone who choices to get drunk shouldn't drive, they should live with the consequences of their actions. Most people don't know this but the biggest anti abortion supporters out there is the women involved with Roe-Vs-Wade.
Over all I think its great Palins daughter is going through with her pregnancy. I have had several nieces who had children out of wedlock as teenagers, and they do not see their kids as a burden. It's amazing in America we have more rights protecting unborn eagles then we do children. My 18 year old daughter has three friends who all got pregnant while in high school, they all returned and got their diploma's.

[Dave Gray]

That's as stupid as pointing to a kid who got pregnant and wasn't in an abstinence family and saying that teaching sex ed doesn't work. 

This kinda got glossed over, but I think it's a fair point.

I believe in teaching both abstinence and the facts about various forms of birth control and STD prevention.  Withholding information isn't the answer.  Some kids may respond well to one, some to the other.  It increases your chance of effectiveness, I think.

[StL FinFan]

This kinda got glossed over, but I think it's a fair point.

I believe in teaching both abstinence and the facts about various forms of birth control and STD prevention.  Withholding information isn't the answer.  Some kids may respond well to one, some to the other.  It increases your chance of effectiveness, I think.

QFT  That is what I plan to do.  That is what my parents did.  They told me they would like me to wait but wanted me to be informed about birth control just in case.

[Buddhagirl]

We totally are coming from different worlds.  As I understand it, you don't want kids and that's ok.  Your point of view is from someone that certainly reflects that.  I on the other hand do not see kids as a hassle, inconvienence and in fact, my life pretty much revolves around them during this portion of my life.  I took half a pay cut to be able to spend time with them so obviosly I can't agree with you.

I see many people who see their kids as a burden (whether they know it or not) and spend more time doing their own thing than raising their kids. This has far more a negative effect on society than being low income.  I know many, and I do stress many, low income people that are raising fine, upstanding moral children that will certainly benefit society.  In fact, I dare say a single black mother with morals is much tougher on her kids than some Baby Boomer that spends more time on golf courses and tennis courts while their kids are being raised by a private, even Christian, school.  Nothing, including money, replaces the fact that a parent is there for their children emotionally and physically.

I do realize that I am somewhat of an unusal circumstance but I have close friends from the projects and trailer parks all the way up to mulitmillion dollar homes. I myself have come from the lesser up to middle class and didn't even really try.  The American dream is available to anyone that wants to get up and get it and while finances are a benefit, they certainly aren't the only way.

We are indeed coming from different worlds. Teen pregnancy is NEVER ok. Period. I don't care what happens in the future. I'm talking about right now. Women are more empowered when they don't have a child attached to them.

This kinda got glossed over, but I think it's a fair point.

I believe in teaching both abstinence and the facts about various forms of birth control and STD prevention.  Withholding information isn't the answer.  Some kids may respond well to one, some to the other.  It increases your chance of effectiveness, I think.

QFT.

[Frimp]

I don't see why condoms should be provided by school. You have to buy your own school supplies don't you? Kids find ways to get their own cigarettes which is illegal for them. Why should tax payers pay for gazillions of condoms for kids who a large percentage won't use? Its easy enough to get condoms. If they are embarassed to buy them, they can still go into a bathroom at a convienence store. If they're sll embarassed by that, think of the embarassment of walking into an abortion clinic, or telling your partner that you have an STD.

Kids have sex. They are going to keep having sex. All of you who are bashing Palin had sex before you were 18. So did the people who arent bashing her. We all did, and so will our kids. You can give them all the education you want to, and hope they follow it, but in the end, teenagers are still going to do what they want to.

Fau called Palin a hypocrite. I think that the people who are bashing her are hypocrites. Every family has members who have an incident that isn't the best thing for them. That's when families come together, and that's what has happened in Palins family.

Still, I'm sure that's not anyone's dream for their children. But unlike Obama's stance, that if it happens to his daughters, their way out would be abortion because, he "doesn't want them punished with a baby". She is doing the responsible thing...marrying the father, and having the baby. And, she isnt forced to do so. I'm also sure that if she had wanted to have an abortion, she could have and would have, and her mother would have loved her all the same. Adoption is another thing she could have done, and that would be an alternative that Palin would have no problem with. This hasnt even been brought up. She is having the baby and marrying the father because she loves the baby, and the father. No one is forcing her to do it.

[StL FinFan]

Kids have sex. They are going to keep having sex. All of you who are bashing Palin had sex before you were 18. So did the people who arent bashing her. We all did, and so will our kids. 

Just for the record, not me.  I'm not bashing her either, so...

[Buddhagirl]

Kids have sex. They are going to keep having sex. All of you who are bashing Palin had sex before you were 18. So did the people who arent bashing her.

No. No I didn't.

[Fau Teixeira]

woah woah woah .. i never called palin a hypocrite .. i called her incompetent at getting her political stance on abstinence only education across to her daughter .. the people praising palin for her daughters choice to keep the baby .. those are who i called hypocrites

[Frimp]

No. No I didn't.

Well, I applaud you then. I did the same for STL in a PM.


Fau, sorry for the misquote.