Boinkology is one of my favorite sites – it is on my “must-read” list every day.
A couple of days ago, they had a post about Bristol Palin’s pregnancy, and asked if it “mattered.”
So what are we to think about the Bristol Palin fiasco? Should the pregnant daughter of a politician really reflect on a politician’s ability to lead? Should we really care one way or another that Bristol Palin got knocked up?
In my opinion, the pregnancy itself doesn’t mean anything to the larger context of the politics of the presidency. However, it does reflect on the types of policies her mother has supported as Governor of the State of Alaska, specifically her support of “abstinence only” indoctrination, and therefore policies she’d likely support as VP.
This ideological bullshit is responsible for a huge number teen pregnancies and STD transmissions throughout this country. Texas is a perfect example of this. Texas is the home of the abstinence only movement, and the biggest purveyor of this indoctrination, yet has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. Coincidence? Not so much. They also have one of the highest teen STD transmission rates in the country.
By comparison, California outlawed A/O, and uses comprehensive sex ed. As a result, the teen pregnancy rates in this state have dropped by over 46% in the past fifteen years. California treats sex education like it should be treated, by and large, and it is paying off in this state in a big way.
Every single independent study of A/O programs has shown them to be woefully ineffective for their stated purpose, and every single major medical association rejects abstinence-only as a legitimate form of sex “education.” By supporting and encouraging such indoctrination, Sarah Palin is, largely, responsible for her own daughter’s unintended pregnancy. What an excellent example for a mother.
And, since her daughter is now a very visible example of the failure of this silly ideology, I made the comment on the Boinkology article that:
Bristol is now the official poster child of the failure of the abstinence-only movement. You couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate example.
Someone at Boinkology liked that, so I am a “Commenter of the Week.” 
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
As far as I am concerned, you are commentator of the year.
I love reading everything you write.
I think the Republicans are hypocrites and for the most part all politicians are. They preach a “moral code” that is damn near impossible to live and which they certainly don’t. But the Democrats (with the exception of a few as-h-les) are a little more easier on enforcing prostitution laws and they are just nicer people. The Republicans want to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. Also they want to throw you in jail for any petty crime.