Teenage pregnancy (long post)

[Galen Sevinne]

One of the positives that will come out of Palin, at least I hope, is bringing issues of teenage pregnancy into the discussion.

I work with a lot of teenagers of which many are female and have had a lot fo experience with them as they go through unplanned pregnancies. While it is not my position to offer advice as to what they should do, it is my position to help them fully process the experience and the decision they come to.

I have seen all three outcomes firsthand... adoption, delivery/parenting, and abortion. Often times I am the only one who knows of the abortion as federal law protects that confidentiality. In all three scenarios, the young girl's life is forever changed and will never be the same. Years later, they more than ever regret the choice of abortion, or resent the fact they can't go out with their friends on a whim because they have a kid or forever carry with them the pictures of the child they put up for adoption. In most cases, no one choice leads to a fully comfortable outcome.

I think the difference between republican and democratic perpspective on life is so illustrated around this issue and the current race. Just comparing Obama and Palin. Obama's approach is to "reduce the amount of unwanted pregnancies". Palin's is abstinence and no education outside of the family regarding sex and pregnancy. Personally I think abortion is a horrible outcome but I personally will not be living the life of the one who is facing the crisis.

Palin has cut programs for pregnant teens and sought to terminate public sex education as well as contraceptive. She does this based on faith and her concept of morality. Obama supports choice (not infanticide as the right stretched his case to the absurd) and initiatives to cut down on teenage pregnancies. He does this based on evidence. In Maryland alone 33 out of 1000 teenage girls (15-19) will get pregnant. In Anne Arundel County our high schools have about 2000 kids or 1000 females. That means in every high school, every year there are 33 pregnant girls. That is a ton of unplanned pregnancies. Nationwide the stats are 40 in every 1000. 66% of all teenagers are sexually active by 17. Do we really think that pushing abstinence will work?

It is a great thing that Palin's family has the resources to support Bristol through her pregnancy...Bristol is one of the lucky few. Palin has cut funding for programs that support pregnant teenagers that do not have the family support.

It is a theory that teenage reckless behavior ie. drugs, unprotected sex, oppositional behaviors etc. are a product or symptom of a dysfunctional family system. They are the runny nose of the cold that is the dysfunctional family. We don't balme the runny nose, we blame the cold. Kids need support programs in place for when the family is unable, unwilling or unknowledgeable of how to support the reckless teen. Palin wants to cut these types of programs and instead push abstinence.

This is a philosophical difference in how democrats seek to provide support to the those who need it and republicans want to cut that support.

There is also a fundamental difference in how democrats want to educate to solve problems while republicans want to rely on moral code to solve problems.

Hopefully these issues come out in this election cycle and kids are the ones who win.

[Greg]

Palin has cut programs for pregnant teens and sought to terminate public sex education as well as contraceptive. She does this based on faith and her concept of morality. Obama supports choice (not infanticide as the right stretched his case to the absurd) and initiatives to cut down on teenage pregnancies. He does this based on evidence.

First off, Obama's position is based on his concept of morality as well. If he thinks something is immoral he should vote against it.

Second, Obama has voted a number of times against "Born Alive Infant" laws. He denies it, but the fact is there is a public record recording his votes against such laws. These laws say the medical staff must save the baby, currently they just let them die. Obama votes to just let these born alive babies die. THAT is infanticide.

[Galen Sevinne]

First off, Obama's position is based on his concept of morality as well. If he thinks something is immoral he should vote against it.

Second, Obama has voted a number of times against "Born Alive Infant" laws. He denies it, but the fact is there is a public record recording his votes against such laws. These laws say the medical staff must save the baby, currently they just let them die. Obama votes to just let these born alive babies die. THAT is infanticide.

Yeah and sean hannity still wants people to think that Obama is in Ludicrous' posse. I am not so sure Hannity's used car salesman tactics are rally working much anymore. But if you want to buy the car...it won't be me telling you what to do.

[Greg]

Was that a response to me?

The guy, as a chairman of a committe in the IL state senate, blocked the infant protection act even after it was amended to alleviate his so-called concerns about its constitutionality.

He voted 3 times against such acts.

I don't listen to Hannity and I can't recall ever hearing him talk on this issue.

Not much of a punt, but it gets you out of your own end zone.

[HoustonRaven]

Seems like the only Hannity listener here is G7 .... I guess he assumes we all listen?

[Galen Sevinne]

Seems like the only Hannity listener here is G7 .... I guess he assumes we all listen?

I do assume exactly that since Hannity is one of the few out there that is still interpreting Obama's position of "This is a decision that I would rather leave up to the woman" as "Obama wants to kill babies".

To me it is ironic that some go to such great lengths to point out when someone is telling them how to live but yet are so comfortable with being told what their choices will be as long as it is a conservative telling them.

[Raven Nurse]

Funny thing, I have heard virtually no one mention the fact that due to her advanced maternal age she basically caused her child's downs syndrome. Sounds to me like the mother of the year shows poor judgment. I think we have seen 8 years of poor judgment, I need not see another 4 years. She cant make the right decisions for her family, am I supposed to expect her to run the country?

[Galen Sevinne]

Funny thing, I have heard virtually no one mention the fact that due to her advanced maternal age she basically caused her child's downs syndrome. Sounds to me like the mother of the year shows poor judgment. I think we have seen 8 years of poor judgment, I need not see another 4 years. She cant make the right decisions for her family, am I supposed to expect her to run the country?

because she is a MAVERICK! a reformer and if you didn't hear is running with a former P.O.W.

Thats seems to be enough.

Ba-rock the vote!

[jonboy79]

Ba-rock the vote!

Welcome to the USSA. United Socialist States of America. Give us your poor, your tired, yoru hungry, I swear I will steal from the rich and give to them. Only those that make over $250k/yr will pay for all the rest of us to go to college, the hospital, and the grocery store. We will heat our homes and drive our cars on magic Pixie dust.

[ravenmaniac]

Funny thing, I have heard virtually no one mention the fact that due to her advanced maternal age she basically caused her child's downs syndrome. Sounds to me like the mother of the year shows poor judgment. I think we have seen 8 years of poor judgment, I need not see another 4 years. She cant make the right decisions for her family, am I supposed to expect her to run the country?

you are kidding right? You don't actually believe she should have made the decision to abort or the decision to have the child in the first place based on her age? I don't get the judgment comment. Maybe you think there should be laws on when women have to stop having children? My sister had a perfectly healthy baby at 44. And somehow this is linked to Bush's decision to go to war???

[xmradiodave]

Funny thing, I have heard virtually no one mention the fact that due to her advanced maternal age she basically caused her child's downs syndrome. Sounds to me like the mother of the year shows poor judgment. I think we have seen 8 years of poor judgment, I need not see another 4 years. She cant make the right decisions for her family, am I supposed to expect her to run the country?

This is hands down one of the most ignorant post I have read, in quite possibly my entire life. She caused her child's Down Syndrome? Sure, the risk of Down Syndrome rises with advanced maternal age. That is not a secret, but lets look at the facts first.

Researchers have established that the likelihood that a reproductive cell will contain an extra copy of chromosome 21 increases dramatically as a woman ages. Therefore, an older mother is more likely than a younger mother to have a baby with Down syndrome. However, of the total population, older mothers have fewer babies; about 75% of babies with Down syndrome are born to younger women because more younger women than older women have babies. Only about nine percent of total pregnancies occur in women 35 years or older each year, but about 25% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women in this age group.

The incidence of Down syndrome rises with increasing maternal age. Many specialists recommend that women who become pregnant at age 35 or older undergo prenatal testing for Down syndrome. The likelihood that a woman under 30 who becomes pregnant will have a baby with Down syndrome is less than 1 in 1,000, but the chance of having a baby with Down syndrome increases to 1 in 400 for women who become pregnant at age 35. The likelihood of Down syndrome continues to increase as a woman ages, so that by age 42, the chance is 1 in 60 that a pregnant woman will have a baby with Down syndrome, and by age 49, the chance is 1 in 12. But using maternal age alone will not detect over 75% of pregnancies that will result in Down syndrome.

Now, with that, my wife and I are both 33 years old. We are trying to conceive our first child. Over 30 is considered an advanced maternal age. Because we (or others in our situation) want to have a child, and will continue to try for as long as it takes, that makes us people that will jeopardize our family with "poor decision making"?

I am not rallying around the McCain/Palin ticket, but it is view points like yours that make me shake my head in disgust. Obama/Biden camp would absolutely cringe at your approach to this situation. I would hope to never see either of you as a political adviser in the future.

In closing, if you are wondering why "no one has virtually mentioned..." it is because most people know that to say something like that is offensive and overflowing with ignorance.

[Greg]

I do assume exactly that since Hannity is one of the few out there that is still interpreting Obama's position of "This is a decision that I would rather leave up to the woman" as "Obama wants to kill babies".

Let me clairfy my position for you: Obama doesn't want to stop the killing of babies even after they are born alive, breathing, crying and struggling for each breath to stay alive. That is my position and it is damn accurate in regard to Obama.

Nurse, at what age should mandatory birth control be instituted on women and forced abortions be done to those who dare get pregnant past that age? ZIEG HEIL!