Light political bits
(Politico) How dare Obama be popular? Because people like him, let's minimize his presidency. Let's imply he's a lightweight (Britney Spears,) because presidents can't be popular.
(WSJInterview) Alberto Gonzales still smarting from not finding a job, "for some reason, I am portrayed as the one who is evil in formulating policies that people disagree with. I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror."
And, still claiming too many headlines, Sarah Palin says, "both Levi and Bristol are working their butts off to parent and going to school and working at the same time."
(Bristol's unplanned pregnancy has forced her out of high school to get her degree through "correspondence" (GED). Levi, the father, has dropped out of high school altogether to go into an apprenticeship program. Hardly a dream story.)
(WSJInterview) Alberto Gonzales still smarting from not finding a job, "for some reason, I am portrayed as the one who is evil in formulating policies that people disagree with. I consider myself a casualty, one of the many casualties of the war on terror."
And, still claiming too many headlines, Sarah Palin says, "both Levi and Bristol are working their butts off to parent and going to school and working at the same time."
(Bristol's unplanned pregnancy has forced her out of high school to get her degree through "correspondence" (GED). Levi, the father, has dropped out of high school altogether to go into an apprenticeship program. Hardly a dream story.)
posted by mikevotes at
8:37 AM
10 Comments:
It's the dream here in rural Iowa. With no hope, vision, parental support or dreams about all you have left is making babies. Granted raising them is low on the list but making them is about all that people live for around here once they hit 16.
Granted there are some kids that make it to college and get good jobs but they're a very slim minority.
I stayed away from those small town girls that just wanted to trap you into marriage and made a life and career with a good woman.
By
matt, at 10:45 AM
I know. It was the same in small town Texas.
I just thought this was poignant because it's about the results of "values," and something of an indictment of the Potemkin that was/is Sarah Palin.
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mikevotes, at 10:49 AM
And it's the same in NH. But I think it's more a poverty/education thing than rural vs. urban.
When people feel the only power they have in shaping their future is procreation, it can be a tremendous boost to the ego -- and sense of self-worth and control -- to procreate. The plan usually doesn't extend beyond the "making babies" part, as matt pointed out. The fantasy of parenthood, where babies giggle and coo, toddlers or cute, and your children look up to you with unwavering respect is usually dashed somewhere before the child's first birthday.
Since you now feel overwhelmed by raising a 1-year-old, naturally you begin to think the real solution for controlling your future is to.... make another baby.
By the way, how did the wedding go? Or are they waiting until the bride looks more, er, traditional in the wedding photos?
By
-epm, at 11:11 AM
Yeah, there is a poverty similarity, but I'm telling you there's a small town element as well. In Texas, the joke is there's nothing to do in "that town" but drink and fuck. (And now we can add meth.)
There is a fairly similar process in urban poverty, but I would maintain that small town is different.
And, no wedding yet. He's headed off to work on the pipeline.
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mikevotes, at 11:37 AM
I think it goes beyond rural poverty. I think it is an unfortunate by product of the anti-abortion movement and even worse, the linking of birth control and abortion. Teens today seem to be too complacent about birth control and too easily fall into the idea of having babies way too early. It really bothers me that we aren't seeing the lesson that teen pregnancy is a bad choice. We are so full of praise for their choice to keep the baby and now "working their butts off" to parent - this just encourages the movement to have children early and by default. Children raising children and being married to someone who may be a very poor choice in the long run - this is such a bad trend. Part of this is definitely a lack of vision about what our young people can do with their lives. It is so sad that procreation is the only option to so many. Don't get me wrong, having children is a wonderful thing but there is so much more to life. A seventeen year old is ill-equipped to make such decisions.
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Ptelea, at 12:30 PM
Thought/question:
Under what insurance plan is Baby Johnston covered? Certainly not the Governor's state provided plan, since the child isn't a dependent of the governor. Since Bristol is a full time student, in manner of speaking, I expect she's covered under her mom (and/or dad's) insurance plan. Levi may have some coverage if he's in a union apprenticeship, but that's a stretch.
So I wanna know how's going to be paying Tripp's (yes, two Ps) pediatric bills. Citizen's of Alaska, be alert! LOL.
[I don't mean to sound all high-and-mighty, but what is it with all the weird-ass names in the Palin family. Maybe I'm just an East Coast patrician... my kids' names are James, Mary, Dorothy, Lynn, and Robert. Is my Scots-Irish showing much?]
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-epm, at 1:08 PM
Ptelea, I'd buy that. There was something in that that resonated with me, that the baby has so messed up their chances for college, etc. It seemed to capture the the holes in the ideology right in one of its main proponent's homes.
And, as another thought, how independent is the decision of a seventeen year old.
....
EPM, a good question that I haven't seen addressed anywhere.
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mikevotes, at 1:45 PM
Ptelea - abortion is not part of the narrative of the urban/rural lifestyle. About the only ones that use abortion in that setting are those that are victims of rape and incest. Around here that can start as young as 12. So those that want to deny choice are going to force a 12yo to carry a full term baby that happens to be her uncles. Yeah, welcome to the life of the poor.
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matt, at 3:59 PM
Here is a really good article that appeared in November 3 New Yorker titled "Red Sex, Blue Sex: Do evangelicals practice what they preach?" It hits some of the themes you've already mentioned...
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/03/081103fa_fact_talbot
Raised a Catholic in the olden days, it sure rang a bell with me.
By
Anonymous, at 1:18 AM
Matt, yeah. I think Ptelea was making a broader point, but yeah.
....
MArciale, That is pretty good. About a week ago there was that new study on abstinence programs which showed they failed horribly.
By
mikevotes, at 6:15 AM
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