[Greta Christina] The Obligatory Sarah Palin Column, or, Why I Don’t Care About A Pregnant 17 Year Old
I just don’t care that much.
About the pregnant seventeen year old, I mean.
I suppose this is an abdication of my responsibility as a lefty sex writer. But I just don’t care that much that the 2008 Republican nominee for vice-president has a 17-year-old daughter who’s unmarried and pregnant.
I don’t even care all that much about the hypocritical double standard: how Sarah Palin and the Republicans want us to respect Bristol Palin’s personal and sexual privacy but don’t want to respect anyone else’s. That sort of double standard isn’t the most charming trait in the world, especially in an elected official . . . but it’s also very human. We all cut slack, and make excuses, and act protectively, for the people we’re close to. It’s probably not morally perfect, but I’m not sure I’d want to live in a world where it wasn’t true.
When it comes to Sarah Palin, here’s what I do care about.
I care that Sarah Palin thinks that the war in Iraq is part of God’s plan.
I care that Sarah Palin thinks religious creationism should be taught as science in public schools.
I care that Sarah Palin thinks dinosaurs and people may have lived at the same time.
I care that Sarah Palin doesn’t know enough about foreign policy to know what the Bush Doctrine is . . . and that she seems to think she has foreign policy experience because “you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.” (Or, as Tina Fey put it, “I can see Russia from my house!”)
I care that Sarah Palin thinks that Jesus Christ will — not that he may, but that he will — come back to Earth in her lifetime.
I could go on. And on. And on. I care that she approvingly quoted a racist, anti-Semitic nutbag who called for Robert Kennedy’s assassination. I care that she lies, repeatedly, about whether she sought and accepted pork barrel money from Congress for her town and her state. I care that her only government experience is as a city councilmember of a town of less than 10,000, as mayor of said town, and as governor of Alaska for less than two years. I care that, as Matt Damon put it (yes, you heard me, Matt Damon — it’s an amazing video and you’ve got to watch it), the prospect of a Palin presidency is “like a really bad Disney movie.” I care . . . oh, you get the picture.
And I care that the McCain campaign and the Republican party were so sloppy in vetting her that they keep getting ambushed with new outrages and inanities about her, every day of the campaign. I care that their thought process in picking her was apparently not, “Who might be qualified to be President if the 72- year-old McCain dies?” but, “How can we get evangelicals and disaffected female Hillary supporters to vote for McCain?” I care that Palin was nominated, in large part, because the GOP (a) wanted to get women voters, and (b) thinks women voters are idiots. I care that they view their Vice- Presidential nominee as, essentially, Dan Quayle in a dress.
Oh, and since this is a sex column:
I care that Sarah Palin is so rabidly opposed to abortion that she even opposes it in cases of rape or incest.
I care that Sarah Palin opposes birth control being made available to teenagers.
I care that Sarah Palin supports the grossly failed, grotesquely inaccurate “abstinence only” sex education policy — which flat-out lies to children and teenagers about sex, and which completely fails to reduce teenage sex, STIs, and unwanted pregnancy.
I care that Sarah Palin reportedly tried to get a pro-gay book — not even an erotic gay book or a gay sex information book, but a book by a pastor arguing that homosexuality and Christianity are not mutually exclusive — banned from her town’s public library.
I care that, as mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin was responsible for a policy in which rape victims had to pay for their own rape kits. (No, I’m not kidding. A policy that not only further victimizes the victims, but ensures that rapists of poor women will get away with it. And a policy, btw, that McCain also supports, with multiple votes in Congress.)
In other words, I care that, on issues of sex, sexual freedom, and sexual information, Sarah Palin is not only a right winger — she is on the far, far right end of that right wing.
You know, there’s something people often forget about the Presidential elections and the Vice President. And that is this: The Vice President’s most important job isn’t to “balance the ticket.” Or to deliver their home state. Or to do a lot of stump speeches in the campaign. Or, when elected, to go to a lot of state dinners that the President doesn’t have time for.
Their most important job is to be President if the President dies.
(Especially if the President has a 1 in 3 chance, statistically speaking, of dying in office.)
And this is a job that Sarah Palin is grotesquely unqualified to do.
But she’s not unqualified because she has a pregnant teenage daughter.
That can happen to anyone. Liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, person of integrity or total hypocrite, sane member of the reality- based community or deluded religious extremist. I was about Bristol Palin’s age when I started having sex, and I wasn’t always careful about birth control, and it could very easily have happened to me, with my leftie, beatnik, agnostic parents. And I don’t think it would have proven very much about them at all. It would have proven that (a) teenagers are often horny, and (b) teenagers are often careless and stupid.
You can argue, as Dan Savage and others have, that Sarah Palin has no right to expect privacy for her own family when she has such callous disregard for the privacy of anybody else. You can argue that, given her policies on birth control for teenagers and abstinence only sex education and such, her daughter’s pregnancy is fair game. You can even argue that her mulish refusal to reconsider her positions on things like teen birth control and abstinence-only sex ed in the face of her daughter’s pregnancy (in contrast to, say, the way Barry Goldwater reconsidered his position on gay rights when his granddaughter came out) shows a stubborn denial in the face of reality that makes her unfit for high office.
You can argue that. You could probably make a good case for it. But I’m not going to. There are lots of reasons why Sarah Palin is grossly unqualified to be Vice-President (as well as lots of reasons why John McCain is grossly unqualified to be President). But in my opinion, her daughter’s pregnancy is not one of them.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t talk about it, ever. I wouldn’t say that, what with the hypocrisy and the abstinence-only sex education and all. Heck, here I am, talking about it right this minute. I’m saying that, in the scheme of things, it’s just not that big a deal. I’m saying that we have much, much better reasons not to vote for this person. I’m saying that we have bigger, and better, fish to fry.
This entry was posted on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 12:00 am and is filed under Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 8:19 am Ephemeriis wrote:
Sure, there are plenty of reasons to object to Sarah Palin as a candidate. So many that having a pregnant teenage (technically, but she’s nearly an adult) seems almost irrelevant. But I do think that it is relevant.
You said:
And that, right there, is why I care about her pregnant teenage daughter. The fact that her “abstinence only” anti-birth control views obviously didn’t work for her, yet she’s going to try to force them on other people.
This goes beyond me disagreeing with her views and not wanting them forced on me and my family.
She has concrete evidence in the form of her own daughter that her policies on sex education don’t work. This isn’t some neighbor, or girl down the street, or hypothetical situation where you can say “yeah, but it won’t happen to me. It’s her own daughter. This should be very clear evidence that she’s wrong, but she isn’t getting the message.
And that worries me.
No, it isn’t the only thing that worries me about Sarah Palin, but it does worry me.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 8:50 am why I do care about a pregnant 17 year old | Ephemeral Blog wrote:
[…] Greta Christina has a great post over on the Blowfish Blog today explaining why she doesn’t care about Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter. […]
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 2:27 pm Jessica Orr wrote:
This is the most concise, well written, article as to why Palin should not be vice-president I’ve seen yet.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 2:33 pm Infophile wrote:
You know, with all the talk about how she supposedly knows foreign policy because she can see Russia from points in Alaska, I’ve really been wanting to ask her: What foreign nation is closest to Alaska? Catch her off-guard with that question, she’ll probably answer Russia, forgetting all about the (not-so-) little border her state shares with Canada. Someone really needs to fly Rick Mercer down to her; you know he’s dying to nail her on this (if you don’t know, he’s caught Huckabee and Bush on having pitiful knowledge of Canada; Bush didn’t even know who the Prime Minister was when he was running for President in 2000).
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 6:48 pm Sin Secret wrote:
Personally, I really do care about the pregnancy hypocrisy, but I definitely think the other points you brought up are so much more important.
Truthfully, I decided to vote for Obama the MOMENT I found out that McCain was against ALL forms of contraception. To me, nothing is nearly as relevant or important.
Thank you for a wonderful article.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 7:03 pm steve wrote:
well said!
I care that too many people are too willing to be LED, by either side. I care that so few people appear to have any interest at all in engaging the world around them, yet have the temerity to express outrage when they find they’ve been taken advantage of by the people they have elected to office. I care that the government appears to have completely capitulated to commerce and the acquisition of “stolen” wealth. I care that more people are interested in arguing the fine points of when a zygote can be considered a “baby” than are interested in repealing the death penalty or taking the pains necessary to wage war as only a last resort.
and I’m a little frightened, too … I have pictures in my thoughts of brown-shirted “political police”, whose mission and standing orders are to “protect” us from ourselves.
oh, by the way … I think Jesus is already here, and something tells me that He’s mighty pissed off …
Great Post!!!!!!!!!!!
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 7:30 pm katy wrote:
Lighten up on Sarah. If this is what you care about and believe that Sarah Palin is all about than I guess you are going to suffer much anxiety in the next 8 years of Mc Cain. Let’ try a little open mindedness. Most of what you rant on and on are only half truths. Do yourself a favor, relax and get the whole story, I’m sure you will sleep better after you are better informed.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 7:51 pm Annie wrote:
How many vice presidents’ beliefs have been forced upon the American people?
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 8:07 pm ron wrote:
Uhmm katy, even if they were only half truths (which they’re not) that should still be enough to scare the bejesus out a ya.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 8:07 pm cephalis wrote:
I suspect that the reason the Republicans chose Palin as a running mate for McBush was that they believed that everyone would be so occupied talking about this controversial candidate–that they would totally overlook discussing the many blemishes of the other candidate on their presidential ticket. But then, I’m paranoid.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 8:26 pm Keilexandra wrote:
@Katy: Please back up your vague and condescending statements with concrete evidence, as Greta has done. Which claims are “half-truths,” and which half is true? What does sleep have to do with being informed?
You obviously support McCain; that’s fine. But your comment as it stands is the most atrocious example of logical argument I’ve never seen.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 8:46 pm David wrote:
Annie, how many presidents have been as old (or ill) as McCain when they entered the Oval Office?
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 9:24 pm Steve wrote:
I don’t care what Sarah Palin thinks, says, does, eats for dinner, etc. I’m sick of hearing about her!!
I will NEVER vote Republican and if they are elected again, we are all so screwed!
Say goodbye to your 401k!
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 9:55 pm Roland Deschaine wrote:
I will admit that I have not been as well-informed as I should be this go-round, mainly because life has been hectic and even though the presidential election is by far one of the most important national elections sometimes issues close to home are just more important.
With that being said, I find it very refreshing to find a blog entry such as this one. Very academic with citations to back up the findings of the researcher. Kudos to the author for representing themselves and the content in a light-hearted and spirited manner and with a conclusive and informative style. Renews my faith that there are still educated denizens on the Internet who are not afraid to speak their minds. Thank you.
on Friday, 19 September 2008 at 11:27 pm Jed wrote:
I have always believed that a preson should vote for who they believe in (which requires some degree of attention on the voters part) UNTIL now. this is the first election that I have ever felt that I should be voting for the person that will minimize a) the damage thats been done and b) the amount of domage that is not only possible, but plausable looming on our horizon, and everything that one hears about Palin and Mc Bush should convince them to not vote republican ( and if the birth control policies go into efect we all have to become celibate to stop the spread of disease that will wipe out the polpulace like the plague. maybe.)
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 12:11 am Bill Dee wrote:
You’re on the right track. The “left” in America has always got distracted like little children over red-herrings like sex and race. This year the right has stuck it to them, good. What do you do, vote for a neo-Fascist woman or a milquetoast semi-black? Forget the issues, keep talking about abortion, religion, rape, etc. Then you won’t notice the businessmen sneaking behind your back to the bank, you dumb klutzes. I would vote for a white, racist, sexist man if he gave Americans free universal health care, access to all levels of education, decent public services and capped the limit on personal income. Maybe you wouldn’t.
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 1:46 am Scott wrote:
I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but as Ephemeriis points out, Bristol Palin’s pregnancy is quite relevant; it illustrates the failings of the abstinence lifestyle that Sarah Palin has openly announced she wants to make official government policy to promote; if Sarah Palin can’t convince her own daughter not to engage in sexual intercourse outside of marriage (and unprotected intercourse no less), then why would any other teenager listen to their parents or (especially) the government? And yet Sarah Palin nevertheless wants to make this official government policy.
Furthermore, the hypocrisy of such a position is also quite relevant, especially for a public figure; true, we all make allowances for our own families and our own kin where we might not for other people, which is all very well and good, but we’re not all in positions where we’re actively trying to enforce our beliefs about how the ‘perfect’ family should function on other families. What would give Sarah Palin the right to dictate to other families that which clearly didn’t work for her own?
Her daughter’s pregnancy is not the most important issue surrounding Sarah Palin, true, but it’s not entirely irrelevant either.
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 2:49 am valdemar wrote:
I’m a Brit. Can anyone help me with this ‘end of the world’ stuff that so many Americans (like Sarah Palin) profess to believe in? I mean, if they really believe Armageddon is coming, why run for office (or go to work, or - for Pete’s sake - have kids)? Yet wild and bloodthirsty doomsaying seems to resonate with so many US voters, and those Left Behind books have racked up a scary 60 million plus in sales. We’ve had nothing like this in England since the 17th century. What is going on? Please explain it - preferably explain it away so I can sleep better at nights.
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 6:05 am Uncle B wrote:
Some responsible, educated adults show restraint and maturity by using birth-control, pills or abstenance, in our sexually active very early, and later years because we know that statistically, there is a very large chance of problems with a pregnancy at these times of life. The grown-up responsible, adult and humane thing to do is to abstain, or indulge with appropriate protection. The Palin girls apparently do neither, and can only be counted as callous and careless sluts, if not downright ignorant! A girl of 17 should be in school looking at a future, an education and a career in this day and age – sexually active or otherwise! A woman of 40 should know enough to not get in trouble! Contraception, by pills or abstinence is the most humane way to avoid abortion and unfortunate little lives of suffering. I wish these “red-neck broads” would grow up and show some personal responsibility for their bodily functions instead of prancing their asses in front of the cameras because they have been told that they are ‘cute’ Lots of girls are winsome, most of them are more discrete, take personal responsibility for their God given endowments, and show more self-respect! God help America, we need it at times like these, an old goat and a bawdy broad wanting to run the show in Washington!
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 7:42 am Summer Squirrel wrote:
Although I agree with this post I’m interested in these supposed “half-truths” that Katy is referring to. Please provide links as inquiring and open-minded people want to know. So far in my readings I haven’t come across this information you are alluding to.
Thanks.
BTW, since Palin is much closer statistically to the possibility of become President I think she deserves to be closely examined and commented on. So far is ain’t looking good for her.
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 9:57 am Steve wrote:
Very well-written article, Greta. Quite honestly, I’ve stayed away from the news and away from the whole “Palin party.” The fact that she has spent very little time in a public office and has already screwed up so many times should even scare avid McCain supporters.
I’m from Kansas, and just graduated from public schooling. As everyone knows, Konservative Kansas doesn’t teach evolution in schooling. So, evolution, the proven scientific theory, is taught equally to creationism. Science doesn’t express the supernatural, therefore there isn’t any reason creationism should be taught in science classes.
You hit nail on the head when you said:
“I care that Palin was nominated, in large part, because the GOP (a) wanted to get women voters, and (b) thinks women voters are idiots. I care that they view their Vice- Presidential nominee as, essentially, Dan Quayle in a dress.”
Unfortunately though, I do think that a lot of women are blind to the fact that the only reason she’s on the ticket is to pick up women voters. I hate that the only reason she’s on the ticket is to pick up women voters. She’s in a league of her own, at least Ron Paul had some logic to his thinking.
on Saturday, 20 September 2008 at 8:14 pm Wriley wrote:
To Valdemar:
You must remember that a good majority of the US people are Christian Fundamentalists who take every word of the bible as absolutely true. It’s fear. That’s all it is.
Sarah Palin’s refusal to allow contraceptives offends me. As a woman, I should be allowed to decide whether or not I want to get pregnant and how I should keep myself from getting pregnant. The government should have no say in the matter.
What it really reminds me of is the Catholic church’s ban on condoms and birth control…..
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 4:18 am Agnes wrote:
Wriley:
“…a good majority of the US people are Christian Fundamentalists who take every word of the bible as absolutely true. It’s fear.” - I ask the random quantum fluctuations in the space-time-continuum every night on my knees that this might not be so. Where’s the voice of self-aware, thinking America? Except from blogs, on the public level.
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 9:19 am MercuryBlue wrote:
In complete fairness to Sarah Palin: I can’t see why the abortion laws for a given locale, whatever those laws might be, should be different depending on whether the pregnancy results from consensual sex or nonconsensual, between related individuals or unrelated. I can only think of one reason to distinguish pregnancies resulting from incest from other pregnancies, and that’s the increased likelihood of congenital defects in the child, and there’s plenty of children born and unborn whose parents are unrelated and who have congenital defects nonetheless, so the distinction between incestuous pregnancies and nonincestuous becomes irrelevant. And I can only think of two reasons to distinguish pregnancies resulting from rape from other pregnancies. One is the increased likelihood of psychological damage to mother and/or child–well, rape’s hardly the only source of psychological damage, and some victims escape without psychological damage, so that reason to make the distinction becomes irrelevant. And given the assumption that women are actually entitled to have sex whenever they want to and can find a willing partner, the second reason, that pregnancy is a punishment for women choosing to engage in unauthorized heterosexual sex and a rape victim by definition did not so choose, is appalling.
That abortion laws should not be different for pregnancies resulting from consensual sex between unrelated individuals than they are for other pregnancies is very probably the only point on which Palin and I agree…
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 2:58 pm More Bad News for McCain/Palin « Zalandria wrote:
[…] Bonus: Why I Don’t Care About a Pregnant 17-year old! Posted in Fascists, News & Politics. […]
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 3:46 pm The Life of a Seminarian… wrote:
[…] http://blog.blowfish.com/culture/greta-christina-the-obligatory-sarah-palin-column-or-why-i-dont-care-about-a-pregnant-17-year-old/842 […]
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 7:40 pm Amanda wrote:
Thank you!!! I was fairly undecided (leaning towards Obama but not certain) before Mccain announced his VP pick. As a white woman, I felt personally insulted by his choice. You hit the nail right on the head, these are the exact same reasons I give people for why I’m *not* voting for Mccain/Palin.
On the bright side, by choosing her, he made *my* choice much easier. :)
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 9:13 pm Caryn wrote:
And yet she’s more qualified than Obama. And anyone of you who believe she has any ability to stop her child from having sex must not have any children of your own. None of us can ensure a child will do exactly as we want them to do and if you believe that were true, I’d be concerned about your ability to raise them up to be productive, independent people. We can still believe in policy that stops people from killing innocent babies, even if our teenage children decide to have unprotected sex. They’re two separate issues, people.
Please, stop throwing about how inadequately prepared she is for office because it only shows how much LESS qualified Obama is. He’s never served as Mayor. He’s never served as Governor. She’s made tough decisions for what she and those who elected her believe were good and right for the people of her State. Obama has never done such a thing because he’s never served in such a capacity.
on Sunday, 21 September 2008 at 11:09 pm Lyra wrote:
To Bill Dee:
Apparently you have no wife/sister/mother/daughter for which to assist in the protection of her bodily rights. Sarah Palin’s stand on the issues of abortion and contraceptives flies straight into the face of reason. While her daughter is only proof that Palin’s stand does not work, she is nonetheless an innocent girl in the matters of her mother. She did not ask to be the center of national or, dare I say, international debate.
I have trouble supporting a Republican ticket for the simple fact of I am a woman. I would feel violated if someone thought they had a right to tell me what I can and cannot do to my body.
When you say that you would vote for a “white, racist, sexist man” as long as we had universal heath care and equal education, your assumption is that he will put aside those things that make him racist and sexist. There will NOT be any sort of equal treatment if a “racist, sexist man” is in office. Period. I cannot help but point out that you must also be a “white, racist, sexist man” to think that voting for one is admissible under any circumstances.
And as for Sarah Palin and swaying the women’s vote, I agree that the Republican party is vastly mistaken as to the intelligence of women everywhere. We would vote for a woman who held our ideals to heart, not a woman who would make us slaves again.
However, those of you who will read this are those who do not need to be told. And there is the greatest of all our struggles.
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 6:00 am Ephemeriis wrote:
I have a kid. And honestly, I haven’t tried to stop him from having sex. He’s been well educated on the consequences that a bad choice can result in. He’s been told that he’ll be much happier if he find the right person, whatever that may mean for him, rather than just jumping on the first person available. He’s been told all about condoms and why they’re much better/safer than some other forms of contraception. And I honestly trust him on this. He’s 17 now, only a few months from his 18th birthday, and no pregnant girlfriends yet. I guess I’m doing better than Sarah Palin so far.
Sarah Palin, and the experience she does or does not have, isn’t the problem. It may be part of the problem, but it isn’t the problem.
I don’t agree with McCain’s politics, never have. I wasn’t going to vote for him anyway, so Palin didn’t change my mind. But that doesn’t mean I agree with her in any way. I believe that her politics, much like McCain’s, are wrong. I believe that her views on sex education are wrong. I believe that her views on abortion are wrong. I believe her religious beliefs are downright scary. You get the idea. And none of that has much to do with experience. She could have been in Washington for years, like McCain, and still be wrong.
As for the experience itself… I find it interesting that the left was very happy to bash not just Obama on experience but Biden as well, but now they’re crying foul when anyone mentions Palin’s experience (or lack there-of).
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 6:15 am Ephemeriis wrote:
Well, I guess that’s what I get for attempting rational discourse before finishing my first cup of coffee.
Obviously I intended to type right there…
Although there were plenty of folks on the left, during the primaries, who were happily bashing Obama’s experience - but that isn’t what I was referring to.
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 6:58 am solicitor bulgaria wrote:
There are enough reasons to NOT vote for McCain and Palin without bringing her teenage daughter into it.
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 11:09 am Jenny wrote:
Can someone please post a quote from Sarah Palin actually saying any of these ridiculous things? All the links in this post were to articles saying, “She thinks such and such; or I heard she thinks such and such”, but no actual quotes; no actual, complete video. The video quote from the ‘God’s mission’ story has the beginning and end cut off, as well as the context of her speaking to an audience of soldiers’ families in a church.
I have seensnipets of some other video (like the one where she is questioned about choosing life) but all the quotes referencing THAT are added onto/ editorialized. For accuracy, and so that we can all be completely informed when we make this decision in November, am I the only one who wants to know the whole story?
I’d especially like to see/hear her actually say that dinosaurs and humans walked the earth at the same time. And the ‘you can see Russia from here…’ am I the only one who thinks she was being funny? I just saw her personality coming out, not a statement of her policy.
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 11:57 am Robin Lionheart wrote:
When the GOP cites Sarah Palin’s qualifications as “governor of Alaska”, “mayor of Wasilla”, and “mother of 4″ [as irrelevant as that was and is], it’s hypocritical for them to complain about criticism of her performance in each of these duties.
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 4:05 pm Kelly wrote:
Jenny -
Have you taken a gander at Palin’s interview with ABC? She talks about her position on guns, abortion, foreign policy, global warming, and many other issues that Greta mentioned. I don’t remember now if all the aforementioned issues are addressed in the interview, but it’s a good starting place.
I see quite a few quotes in the linked articles though. Most of the links are from Huffington Post, and they usually write their stories based on other stories, which they link within the article. Try clicking those; I find them helpful when I want more information.
Greta -
I, too, am less worried about her daughter (though the hypocrisy and double-standards that go with her are quite amusing to me) but more in the other things you have listed. She scares me, and her nomination is deeply offensive to me, as a woman.
MercuryBlue -
Are you a man? Be honest now. All of that is moot when you go back to what this country was founded on - it’s better to give people choices and then educate them towards the right one than it is to remove choices altogether. Whatever the practice is, it becomes so, so much safer once its legalized. We found that with alcohol during the prohibition movement, and we will find that again with abortion (and marijuana).
on Monday, 22 September 2008 at 9:01 pm emma. wrote:
jenny, being funny when answering a serious question is simply avoiding a real answer. whether she was being funny or not, it was an inappropriate thing to say, especially when her foreign policy experience is still so unknown.
on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 10:07 am Tyrus wrote:
Ok, here’s a funny thing here with the whole inexperience issue. Some people must forget that Obama was a state senator for almost 8 years or the fact that he was a Constitutional Law professor for 12 years. Hmm, that must be inexperience. Oh yeah he represented about 750,000 people as a state senator (100,000 more than what Palin serves as a governor.) So what experience should he have? Also there is the issue of his current status as a US Senator in which he represents 13 million people (almost twice as much as McCain) which he has done for 4 years. It is true that he has served for less time than McCain, but at least he isn’t as corrupt as him. Don’t forget the Keating Five Scandal; in which McCain was the only senator that didn’t resign out of shame for taking special favors from that corrupt mortgage company. His wife made $15 million off that shipwreck, but it wasn’t that he was doing some insider trading; it was his wife’s well timed trading. Or the fact that he got special treatment as a POW by ratting out other soldiers and telling the Vietcong that his father was an Admiral. Yet people call him a war hero and a maverick rather than what he probably should be called: a coward. So vote McCain-Palin: Cowardly inexperience and idiotic corruption you can believe in. Do you want to know what is beautiful? Most people don’t know anything about these people, but they are going to vote for them like it is the second coming of Christ. I can’t really think that it is because America is stupid; I just think that you seriously hate yourselves. You make accusations against good people and completely cover up the skeletons of your so righteous candidates. So by all means continue to screw yourselves over for as long as you want, but don’t take the country down with you. 8 more years of Bush politics will decimate your rights and kill this country. McCain-Palin will only ensure that this will happen and don’t lie to yourself by saying it won’t. With them history is doomed to repeat itself with another steaming heap of this Bush Era garbage. Oppress yourselves by appointing fearless tyrants or ensure your freedom by changing the world. What else is there to say?
on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 3:18 pm Megan wrote:
As a 17-year-old young woman, i am extremely offended that McCain and Palin both want to make birth control unavailable, especially because of the fact that I am on birth control, not because I’m sexually active (believe me, definitely not) but because I need it to keep myself healthy. And the fact that it clears up my acne doesn’t hurt either.
on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 8:11 pm Joreth wrote:
I just blogged about this and I thought you might want to hear what I had to say - since it’s basically “Hey, what she said!”
http://joreth.livejournal.com/107113.html
on Tuesday, 23 September 2008 at 9:36 pm Kelly wrote:
Same here, Megan - I have PCOS, which means that my hormones are out-of-whack and my menstruation is not regular. Birth control has been helping keep them at normal levels. If I were to let my PCOS go unchecked, I am at risk for ovarian cancer, infertility, and other unhappy things. I’d prefer to keep my meds. I’ve been on birth control since I was about 17 - when I found out about the PCOS - and I am 21 now.
on Thursday, 25 September 2008 at 8:24 pm John wrote:
Caryn,
Obama is a lot more qualified than Sarah Palin. He has served in his state Senate and the U.S Senate for longer than Palin has been involved in politics. Considering that it is implied in the Constitution that the legislative branch is the first branch of government, his experience far outweighs anything Palin has done, Which by the way is accept pork-barrel money, completely ignore ethics or law, and has policies that are ignorant if not downright stupid.