Glorifying teen pregnancy

[Giggle Goose]

This is an opinion based on my personal experience and observations.

This might go under "politics," but there's a bigger issue here. One that makes me feel as though Bristol Palin's pregnancy DOES matter. It's an issue that transcends party lines and her mother's stance on sex ed and birth control.

Spoiled brats like Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin can AFFORD to get pregnant. I've also seen girls carry around their babies as if they're dolls. Their parents bear the burden of taking care of the grandchildren.

You can bet your ass a bunch of magazines are going to talk about her baby shower and whatnot; whether or not Sarah Palin pulls this election out of her ass. I'm sick of everyone oohing and aahing over young celebrities and their kids. Bringing a child into the world is not a TREND. I looked at Bristol and her bf and they looked freaking MISERABLE. But now that we see more and more pregnant teens on TV and in the media, I'm worried that being a teen mom is becoming "cute" or something.

Go ahead and flame me if you want; but I'm sick of the media making it look like having a baby when you ARE one is a piece of cake.

[Rapscallion]

Becoming? It's already happened over here, sad to say. Mind you, it used to be a guaranteed way to get up the housing ladder for a council house (not these days, but...).

Rapscallion

[The Shadow]

I'm worried that being a teen mom is becoming "cute" or something.

I hear you. There was a time when a girl got pregnant out of wedlock, she was ostracized by the community and considered a shame and disgrace to her family. I'm glad we live in more enlightened times those days are gone (for the most part), but I can't help but wonder if the pendulum might be swinging too far in the other direction.

I remember I posted a link to this article on a previous incarnation of CS.

http://groups.google.ca/group/alt.su...ee825d9d?hl=en

If I recall correctly, most people were as pissed off about this as I was.

"Good choices" my ass.

[AFPheonix]

I fail to see what was so enraging about your article, Shadow. Despite making a mistake, the girl decided to make good choices after and is doing reasonably well. We aren't given her actual GPA, and we aren't told what classes she's taking either. However, she's not flunking out and she's trying pretty hard to better herself.

Teen birth rates have actually been dropping since 91 according to Web MD. They did go up slightly between 2005 and 2006, but that could have been a data anomaly. I didn't find any data for 2007 in my cursory search.

I suspect showing live birth videos in health class will scare a lot of girls who want a baby off that idea for awhile.

[Lace Neil Singer]

My main annoyance is all the hand outs these girls get, just for popping out a baby, and the way that some of them act as tho they've done something clever. A few months back, there was a news excerpt that showed a single mum aged 18 who was given oodles of money in benefits as well as a council house. She spent around £40 on beer and smokes a week; about the first thing she did on receiving her money was to go out and buy enough beer and smokes to see her thru the week. So, before her child sees any of that money, she's spending £40 on herself.

Whereas there might be a SINKy; Single Income No Kids, who's struggling to pay rent and bills and living hand to mouth who isn't entitled to half what this jobless single mother gets. It's like she's being rewarded for being careless enough to fall pregnant as a teenager and the other person is punished for choosing to not have kids and work. We don't want to go back to the old days and punish girls for falling pregnant, but we don't need either to go to the other extreme and reward them.

[AdminAssistant]

Whereas there might be a SINKy; Single Income No Kids, who's struggling to pay rent and bills and living hand to mouth who isn't entitled to half what this jobless single mother gets.

SINKy - hm, I like it! And, I am one.

Filing taxes always makes my blood boil, because I don't qualify for -ANY- breaks. Because I have not spawned and I'm not married. Very frustrating.

[Boozy]

I'm not defending the US tax system (mostly because I'm not familiar with it) but why would you expect to get tax breaks if you don't have deductions?

[Greenday]

Because other people, who have done nothing to get themselves into bad situations, are getting next to no help, but these girls who go out just to get pregnant (whether they can afford a kid or not) are getting tons of help for doing something stupid.

[AdminAssistant]

I'm not defending the US tax system (mostly because I'm not familiar with it) but why would you expect to get tax breaks if you don't have deductions?

There are things like the Education Tax Credit (? can't remember), that I didn't qualify for because I was too young AND didn't have kids. Now that I'm 25, I may qualify.

It's just frustrating to look down the list and say, 'nope, nope'. Luckily, I haven't reached the income level of paying taxes yet, but the past two years I've gotten very little back.

[AFPheonix]

Because other people, who have done nothing to get themselves into bad situations, are getting next to no help, but these girls who go out just to get pregnant (whether they can afford a kid or not) are getting tons of help for doing something stupid.

Getting married, going to school, operating your own business and donating to charitable organizations are bad situations?

[Sableonblonde]

Whereas there might be a SINKy; Single Income No Kids, who's struggling to pay rent and bills and living hand to mouth who isn't entitled to half what this jobless single mother gets. It's like she's being rewarded for being careless enough to fall pregnant as a teenager and the other person is punished for choosing to not have kids and work.

I agree...nothing infuriates me more. And I see it a lot where I work, too...people who cannot even support themselves, can't support the children they do have...and they are pregnant again. I seriously believe there should be no government assistance given to someone who gets pregnant and can't afford to support the child. You're pregnant? Don't have any way to support the baby? Then DON'T HAVE IT.

I've been just as impulsive and irresponsible as the next young person. I got knocked up twice in my early twenties. And both times I had an abortion. My mom even said to me, upon finding out I was pregnant - "Ooh, now you can get on government assistance!" Like it was some kind of goal. No thanks.

I don't have THAT much room to bitch, because even though I work seven days a week and don't make all that much, I have absolutely zero bills or expenses beyond the occassional coffee or smoothie I treat myself too. But my situation is a give and take, not just a taking. Seriously, this crap has to stop where people get government assistance for having children. Personal responsibility needs to be learned in a BIIIIIIIGGGGGGG way.

[Greenday]

Getting married, going to school, operating your own business and donating to charitable organizations are bad situations?

Getting knocked up just so you can live off the state is bad.

[jedimaster91]

I'm a big advocate of adoption over abortion. Without getting into the abortion debate, there are plenty of couples who want children but can't have them and I believe adoption to be a good route for knocked-up kids. The kids can go to college and better their lives, and loving familes get the opportunity to raise a baby when they might not have been able to otherwise.

I had a few friends get pregnant in their teens, and it really breaks my heart when I think about the life the kids have. I wanted to strangle something when the media glorified Jamie Lynn's pregnancy and now Bristol Palin's. While Palin's pregnancy should be kept between the family, it is disheartening to see family values going down the drain. It's really not fair to the innocent babies that end up with the short end of the stick because their mothers can't/won't care for them.

[the_std]

I really don't think that family values, especially in regards to teen pregnancy, are going down the drain. They're changing, yes, and some aspects may be for the worse, but "family values" was never one set of values, adhered to for thousands of years without any variation whatsoever. Yes, to some teenaged girls, being a mom is the cool thing to do, whether or not they can support the baby. But at least they can come out and say, "yes, I'm pregnant" and get help with it, rather than being hidden away in the back room of the house for nine or more months. Those babies might not be getting the greatest start to life, but having a kid can change a lot of people very quickly. If the parent is going to be a truly horrible parent (abusive, neglectful, etcetera), they will most likely be that horrible no matter when they have the child, because it's a part of their personality, rather than the situation they're put in.

Society is in a constant state of flux, and everything changes, all of the time. Just because things aren't the same now as they were X number of years ago, doesn't mean they're inherently bad for changing.

[AFPheonix]

Getting knocked up just so you can live off the state is bad.

And just what percentage of pregnancies do you chalk up to that reason for procreating?