Strollerderby

I wouldn't use this story to say abstinence education "doesn't work."  There's plenty of teen pregnancies occurring in "Safe sex" ed schools as well. Children often don't choose wisely. Sarah's right, we do need to come together as a family. I know I'd really want my daughter to come to me if she was pregnant. I'd like to think that after the initial shock, we'd cope and explore the options together and we could bond in a special way by refusing to name the baby something that's going to get his @ss kicked on the playground. "Let's take a Tripp!  Oh, there you go!"

Teenage pregnancy has always existed, and always will do some degree. I think everyone agrees - privately, if not publicly - that a combo approach of teaching communication and personal decision-making skills, promoting self-esteem and goal direction, and making contraception accessible to youth who do decide to have sex (or who can't avoid having sex, as in the case of youth who are sexually abused or exchanging sex for survival needs) is the most effective way to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in a country like the US. This is called Comprehensive Sexuality Education, which has *always* presented abstinence (often referred to as "celibacy" or "outercourse") as a viable and positive sexuality choice for young people. The difference with CSE is that it doesn't leave those youth who are having or will be having sex without the skills and healthcare that will best help them avoid pregnancy and the subsequent abortions/adoptions/early parenting.

People under age 20 should be able to do their experiential sexual learning (and maybe even !gasp! experience sexual pleasure, with or without vaginal intercourse) without creating the next generation, same as adults do. And it's not like any of us ever get to the point with our sexuality where we've got it 100% figured out and never ever start an untimely pregnancy, no matter our age or marital status when we start having sex. Teach a variety of sexual relationship and healthcare-access skills early, and you get the benefit for the rest of your life.

I love how the interviewer smacks Sarah Palin for her intrusion while phrasing it with such impeccable politeness. The subtext of "Your daughter wanted to give us a private interview where she got to speak for herself and tell her own story on her own terms, you over-controlling battleax. WTF are you doing here?" is so beautifully clear, in both the interviewer's words and on Bristol's face.

Oh, that intrusion was so awkward. Despite the help Bristol is getting from her family, I'll bet she bites her tongue fifty times a day to keep from screaming at her mother. Yikes!

Re: the five generations helping. It doesn't sound any more suffocating than "a village."  Besides, people have a way of over-promising on the front end. No doubt Bristol will learn, as the rest of us do, that life is pretty much a do-it-yourself thing.