Alaska Governor Sarah Palin announced today that her 17 year old daughter, Bristol is pregnant.  The announcement was made to foil blogasphere rumors that Palin faked the birth of her fifth child to cover up an unwanted pregnancy by the 17 year old.  The statement, issued to Reuters, admits that the young woman is pregnant and that she is planning to keep the baby and marry the child’s father.

 

Religious right neo conservatives and Abortion rights activists, who were thrilled when McCain chose Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate, may be a little less enthusiastic when they hear she has an unwed pregnant teenage daughter at home. Democrats may use this teenage pregnancy to point out failures in Palin’s judgment as a parent, since parenthood seems to be one of her primary campaign platforms.

 

Bristol Palin’s pregnancy is in reality, however, a testament to the larger problem with fundamental Christian teaching of abstinence as a viable form of birth control.  She is not the only young girl to have sex without protection, because to use protection would be to plan sex, and to plan sex would be to plan sin.  It is much better, apparently, in the eyes of fundamental Christians, to be carried away by a moment of human weakness than to plan on committing a sin.

 

The other tragedy that will no doubt be swept under the political rug is the impact of motherhood on a young girl’s life.  A young girl who was never taught to protect herself, who was never instructed on the realities of hormones, or in the science of puberty and reproductive options, but was instead told to rely on antiquated fables and superstitious myths. A young girl, like so many, who was never instructed to carry a condom, or take a pill to prevent pregnancy before going out on a date with a boy.

 

People like Sarah Palin, James Dobson, and other neo Conservatives say they want to put an end to abortions, but if that were true, wouldn’t they support the teaching of birth control, and support making birth control more accessible?  We have seen the opposite to be true; with the teaching of abstinence promoted even when study after study shows that it fails miserable.  Bristol Palin is the latest static in that failed policy.

 

Sources:  FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS