WHAT A SURPRISE: Engagement off for Bristol Palin, fiance

[Edwina's Secretary]

I'm not sure I get your meaning. What is it that she did that appears to be hypocritical? Was she campaigning for abstinence? If so, I totally missed that. I didn't think Britney Spear's sister's pregnancy was newsworthy either.

I do not remember the name of the "pundit" on Fox...Spears parents are bad parents because their teenage daughter got pregnant. Palin teenage daughter gets pregnant - he said it is a private family matter and should not be discussed. That is my meaning.

If she attended a school that teaches birth control including abstinence maybe she would have known what to do to avoid pregnancy.

I do think unwed teenage pregnancy is a big deal. Children born to teenage mothers are more likely to live in poverty and be subject to other disadvantages. I have thought of working in a program to help teenage girls see the advantages of NOT getting pregnant.

When my sister gave birth to a daughter I told my sister if the daughter remained a virgin until she was 21 I would pay her college.

Do I know if she remained a virgin? No. But there was one way I would have known for sure she was NOT. (I don't buy the virgin birth story...) and that was my objective.

She is a college graduate and I did pay.

And you bet your sweet bippy I think it would have been VERY different if it had been Chelsea Clinton. Fox Network et al would have been falling ALL over themselves talking about what terrible parents the Clintons were and about permissive liberals.

As Fox did when the Spear girl was pregnant. Remember???

[Medusa]

I do not remember the name of the "pundit" on Fox...Spears parents are bad parents because their teenage daughter got pregnant. Palin teenage daughter gets pregnant - he said it is a private family matter and should not be discussed. That is my meaning.

If she attended a school that teaches birth control including abstinence maybe she would have known what to do to avoid pregnancy.

I do think unwed teenage pregnancy is a big deal. Children born to teenage mothers are more likely to live in poverty and be subject to other disadvantages. I have thought of working in a program to help teenage girls see the advantages of NOT getting pregnant.

When my sister gave birth to a daughter I told my sister if the daughter remained a virgin until she was 21 I would pay her college.

Do I know if she remained a virgin? No. But there was one way I would have known for sure she was NOT. (I don't buy the virgin birth story...) and that was my objective.

She is a college graduate and I did pay.

And you bet your sweet bippy I think it would have been VERY different if it had been Chelsea Clinton. Fox Network et al would have been falling ALL over themselves talking about what terrible parents the Clintons were and about permissive liberals.

As Fox did when the Spear girl was pregnant. Remember???

Ok, just wanted to understand. So the hypocrisy as you see it is in the eyes of the pundit/s and not necessarily Bristol. I'm sure she knew how to prevent pregnancy. As I said, she probably got caught up in the moment and cast caution to the wind.

As for it being different had it happened to Chelsea, then there is no difference in how it's being handled. Bristol is taking the heat and if what you say is true, then Chelsea would take the heat as well. So there would be no difference except that the left is attacking Bristol and the right would be attacking Chelsea. It matters not from where the attacks come; it's still hurtful.

I also think that teenage unwed pregnancy is a big deal but my point is that to add harsh judgment to an already unfortunate situation only adds to the problem. I'm not saying that you or anyone on this forum is being judgmental but some of the pundits, to use your term, and bloggers have been. The young girls and boys in that situation have a tough future ahead of them without hearing that they're bad kids. They're kids, period, who have made bad choices but they shouldn't be branded or made to feel as though they're wearing a scarlet letter because they're doing what many others are doing but got caught at it and complicated their lives as a result.

[Edwina's Secretary]

As for it being different had it happened to Chelsea, then there is no difference in how it's being handled. Bristol is taking the heat and if what you say is true, then Chelsea would take the heat as well. So there would be no difference except that the left is attacking Bristol and the right would be attacking Chelsea. It matters not from where the attacks come; it's still hurtful.

We will have to disagree on this one Medusa. I think there would be great difference. I wish I could think of the guy's name - on Fox - he said the Spear's were bad parents and the Palin's should be left to their privacy. That is different handling of the situation.

I said I think if Chelsea had become pregnant the Clintons would have been treated as the Spears family was -- as "bad parents" rather than a family who should be left to privacy.

But as she didn't, neither of us can say with certainly how would have been handled.

Just want to clarify what I said!

Anybody remember when the vice-president complained about a t.v. show about an unwed mother?? (who certainly wasn't a teenager!)

[Grace]

Anybody remember when the vice-president complained about a t.v. show about an unwed mother?? (who certainly wasn't a teenager!)

That would have been Mr. Quayle - complaining about Murphy Brown.