CBS "The Early Show" attacked sexual abstinence while Bristol Palin appeared on "Good Morning America" and "Today" to voice her support for it. Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol's child who has told numerous stories to hurt the family, went on CBS in what can only have been an attempt to counter or distract from Palin's message.
The daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, Bristol gave birth to son Tripp on Dec 27 2008. Since then, Bristol has become a Teen Ambassador for the Candies Foundation, which promotes teen abstinence.
On the eighth annual national day to prevent teen pregnancy, CBS continued its derision of abstinence with the help of Johnston. Anchor Maggie Rodriguez said before beginning the interview that Bristol was on TV talking about teen pregnancy and asked Johnston if he agreed with her encouraging abstinence. He responded that he did, but "you need to enforce, ya know, condoms and ya know birth control and things like that to have safe sex. I don't think just, uh telling young kids uh you can't have sex is just not gonna work - it's not realistic."
Rodriguez then implied that Bristol is a hypocrite, rather than someone who learned the hard way and is offering herself as an example to others. "And coming from her, someone that has not practiced what she is now preaching..."
The segment followed a two-part interview with Johnston April 8-9, and Rodriguez asked Johnston if the Palins were still not giving him enough access to his son, a question clearly meant to paint Bristol in a negative light.
But over on "Good Morning America," Palin said, "I'd love Levi to be a part of his life. And I know that he will be."
In addition to their unfair portrayal of her, CBS also ignored her message of abstinence:
"I just want to go out there and just promote abstinence. And say this is the safest choice. This is the choice that's going to prevent teen pregnancy and present, prevent a lot of heartache."
Unlike "The Early Show", ABC and MSNBC did not ignore both sides of the issue even though they felt the need to dig up stories from Sarah Palin's campaign and Johnston's media blitz to discredit the Palin family.
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With quotes
May 6, 2009 - 13:14 ET by oldmanateelike this, "you need to enforce, ya know, condoms and ya know birth control and things like that to have safe sex. I don't think just, uh telling young kids uh you can't have sex is just not gonna work - it's not realistic."...it is such a shame this Rhodes Scholar isn't a spokesman for some nobel cause.
and likewise...
May 6, 2009 - 13:52 ET by TruthMongerjust, uh telling young kids you can't SMOKE/BE RACIST/QUESTION GLOBAL WARMING-COOLING-CLIMATE-CHANGE-WHATEVER/LISTEN TO TALK RADIO OR FOX NEWS/DEFEAT TERRORISTS/ETC is just not gonna work - it's not realistic...
government is the communists capitalism
I don't think just, uh
May 6, 2009 - 14:48 ET by Dan The Man 2I don't think just, uh telling young kids uh you can't have sex is just not gonna work - it's not realistic."
Do these idiot ever think? Ya telling people not to kill others or dealing meth and such is just not realistic. I guess growing up with a meth addict dealer doesnt help ones perspective on life.
He doesnt realize we need to set the limits otherwise dogs and cats living together.
So, Bristol is an idiot too?
May 7, 2009 - 01:51 ET by Jen7Because she said the same thing a couple of months ago.
If she doesn't want to be attacked for making contradictory statements, then she needs to get out of the spotlight.
Let me just add something here. I don't agree with the attacks of Bristol during the campaign when it came out that she was pregnant. That was completely out of line. I think we should leave the kids out of it. But, what she is doing now was her decision and she chose to be a part of this foundation.
As you may presently yourself be fully made aware of, my grammar sucks.
Family Guy
"It's not realistic" means
May 6, 2009 - 14:53 ET by HockeyKid"It's not realistic" means "It's a standard I couldn't uphold".
It's not realistic to expect that every child should be able to read at or above grade level. Therefore, following the liberal model, I think we should pass a law stating that all government communication must be written in comic book form in addition to any more traditional formats. We want them to read the real thing, but if they choose otherwise, safe alternatives should be readily available.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
What....
May 6, 2009 - 15:00 ET by Geckswas this girl thinking when she hooked up with this moron? I can only hope that it was the raging teenage hormones that caused her to fall for this one. Obviously, someone needs to slap this boy back into reality. How does he think it's going to go when HIS son gets older and wants to know why he kept trashing Mom and Grandma on NATIONAL TELEVISION!!! He's going to have enough to explain regarding his own Mother, the drug dealing user that she is.
Just a thought.
Fate rarely calls on you when it is convenient!
"safe sex"
May 6, 2009 - 15:04 ET by lotrThis moniker is an unethical left-wing propaganda lie. The only "safe sex" is either abstinence or monogomous relations with a known partner (preferably spouse, which increases the odds that your partner is "known").
Contrary to pop-media mythology, condoms are not the answer to the world's problems. They have a dismal failure rate of about 10%, which is a tad better than your odds playing Russian Roulette. Funny how I've never heard of Russian Roulette being called "safe suicide."
For all we know, the Palin daughter and her deadbeat "suitor" may have been using condoms -- condoms do fail. But that's why we have Abortion! Viva L'Abortion!
And it takes two to tango -- were they both serious about remaing chaste, or was she the only party committed to that?
"Let's wrap him up, alright?" -- Keith Olbermann
No sex before marriage or outside of marriage
May 6, 2009 - 13:27 ET by sevenIf a man and woman only have sex and children while married and remain married, Juvenile crime stats are much lower, std stats are zero and welfare happens near 0% of the time. Welfare is most common in unmarrieds and split homes. Drug use is much lower in non broken homes. alchol use in children is much lower.
True, but don't say it
May 6, 2009 - 14:47 ET by HockeyKidTrue, but don't say it around liberals or they'll call you "Ann Coulter".
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
Because having an example of what can happen is positive.
May 6, 2009 - 14:00 ET by c5thenThis is EXACTLY the type of person that should be out there promoting abstinence: "See what happened when I didn't listen?"
The liberals in and out of the media would rather promote infanticide as the primary form of birth control.
Hey, I got the wrong "CHANGE"!
www.loyaltoliberty.com
It's not like
May 6, 2009 - 22:46 ET by klchadwickthis is the first time in recent days that attacks have been amde on Bristol Palin. Take a look at Olbie-wannabe-Kenobi's remarks....if you can stomach them that is...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRio2OuVOFo
http://politicaldessert.wordpress.com
On the bright side
May 6, 2009 - 14:19 ET by Willis_Leon_JohnsonYoung Miss Palin will choose on a higher level next time.
She has now experienced the gutter and the lifeforms that dwell there.
She will set her sights higher.
The feller in question is still dabbling in the gutter by going on tv with admitted sluts.
("Everybody does it", uttered by nearly every talking head in the MSM)
http://gjresult.com
ugh
May 6, 2009 - 15:00 ET by katainkentfirst :
abstinence, when used correctly works 100% of the time.
condoms, when used correctly work 97% of the time.
Its silly for kids not to fully informed about both. You'd hope an intelligent child that knows all that comes with the possibility of being a parent would make the 100% chance, choice. Then again - there's reality. However diminishing the worth of either choice is equally wrong.
second :
I truly wish this family - including this boy - would stop consenting to interviews. Their just subjecting themselves to being pawns of the media.
ah well. It's their lives.
Hold on ‘cause the world will turn if you're ready or not ~ KT Tunstall
Abstinence Never Fails
May 6, 2009 - 15:07 ET by allanfAbstinence never ever fails. . Pregnancies come from a failure to abstain.
I abstain from watching....
May 6, 2009 - 15:24 ET by Paul AtreidesCBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, and CNBC and I feel better for it.
Isn't it hard for someone
May 6, 2009 - 15:27 ET by balboaIsn't it hard for someone who didn't practice abstinence to then become its spokesman? Unless she's used as a cautionary tale?
And once again Iris uses "attacked" in a strange manner.
I think
May 6, 2009 - 15:35 ET by katainkentyou answered your own question.
Hold on ‘cause the world will turn if you're ready or not ~ KT Tunstall
True. But I don't think that
May 6, 2009 - 15:37 ET by balboaTrue. But I don't think that means this woman can't ask the same question, even though she's "attacking" Bristol... :-\
I read
May 6, 2009 - 15:42 ET by katainkent"attacking abstinence". I certainly see her using this kid to diminish abstinence as a choice. I'll re-read.
Hold on ‘cause the world will turn if you're ready or not ~ KT Tunstall
You're right, kata. It was
May 6, 2009 - 15:44 ET by balboaYou're right, kata. It was "attacking abstinence," which is an odd choice of words, too. I see no attack here.
well as I said
May 6, 2009 - 15:58 ET by katainkentI see her using this kid to diminish abstinence as a choice. I take issue with the use of this kid to forward their agenda and I take issue with them saying that teaching kids abstinence means that's the only thing parents teach. My children have had sex-ed three times in their school lives : 5th, 8th and 10th grade. Plus all the information I give them. I still encourage abstinence. 97% just isn't good enough odds.
These kids obviously knew what condoms were, used them, but used them improperly. Abstinence didn't fail them. They weren't practicing abstinence.
I don't know what to say in regards to your contention to the word "attack".
I'm also confused on
May 6, 2009 - 16:01 ET by balboaI'm also confused on this: In addition to their unfair portrayal of her, CBS also ignored her message of abstinence.
How did they ignore it? What should they have done?
well for starters
May 6, 2009 - 16:15 ET by katainkentI guess it would have been a better interview if this woman asked her (Bristol) personally and allowed her to define her message not get it through third party. But I dislike that they are parading themselves to the MSM turned paparazzi already. The whole thing is a circus.
If this woman was being genuine about her concerns about teen pregnancy it be more authentic (to me) to make the issue into an hour+ show and devote equal time to all sides of the matter and not include celebrity figures at all. Rather let facts and statistics, and not anecdotes help people make good decisions.
Again, if you really have questions with the verbage - PM the author.
Hold on ‘cause the world will turn if you're ready or not ~ KT Tunstall
97% is not an accurate
May 6, 2009 - 21:14 ET by lotr97% is not an accurate real-world estimate -- see below.
"Let's wrap him up, alright?" -- Keith Olbermann
hi lotr
May 6, 2009 - 22:49 ET by katainkent97% is simply for pregnancy. Given the complete and total adherance to the proper use of a condom. I was not including STDs. Thanks for the statistic :)
Hold on ‘cause the world will turn if you're ready or not ~ KT Tunstall
The idea of using Bristol
May 6, 2009 - 16:52 ET by Radical1979The idea of using Bristol Palin to promote abstinence is the same as using someone who has killed someone through drinking and driving to lecture against that behavior. Bristol is owning up to her mistakes, explaining to her peers the consequences, so that maybe someone else will not make the same mistake.
The problem with abstinence
May 6, 2009 - 16:15 ET by CamelopardalisThe problem with abstinence education is that it does not take into consideration the environment that young people are in right now. I am a Muslim (I know I'll get bashed for this, but I really don't care anymore) and we're taught that you shouldn't be alone with guys (and vice versa) and you can have a boyfriend as long as private meetings are chaperoned and the intention is marriage (which I know many Christians and Jews practice also).
Also, I know many people have a problem with the headscarf, but the way you present yourself not only affects the way others think about you, but the way you think about yourself. I'm not saying that the headscarf prevents sluttiness, but it helps to encourage a mindset in which you are not submissive to your hormones. I'm not advocating Islam; I'm just saying what has worked for me. Girls these days are dressing as walking billboards for sex because they think that having sex will raise their self-worth and propel them into womanhood when sex has nothing to do with what makes a girl a woman (or a guy a man). It is responsible behavior and accountability for one's own actions.
I went to public schools and attended one of the top party schools in the nation (Univ of CA Santa Barbara), but at nearly 25, I am a proud virgin. My point is that abstinence education that tells kids that sex is bad doesn't work because most of us know that sex is not bad. Abstinence education should focus on helping kids deal with their raging hormones and building enough confidence to withstand peer pressure.
I am a Muslim (I know I'll
May 6, 2009 - 16:52 ET by Dan The Man 2I am a Muslim (I know I'll get bashed for this, but I really don't care anymore)
I dont know if you will get bashed for stating you ar a Muslim as it is your right to be so; at least it still is at the moment in the USA. You have your beliefs and you can have them I dont want them but they are yours.
I applaud you for being 25 and virgin even for the same reasons Christians and Jews do it for.
Thanks.
May 6, 2009 - 17:09 ET by CamelopardalisThanks.
You won't get bashed here
May 6, 2009 - 17:00 ET by Radical1979You won't get bashed here for being a muslim, but if you're against gay marraige don't let Perez Hilton or MSNBC find out. You'll never hear the end of it. :)
welcome
May 6, 2009 - 21:29 ET by lotrAs others have already assured you, you won't get bashed here for being Muslim. We may not see eye to eye on matters of theology, but this should never lead to disrespect.
Comment on headscarves: At one time not too long ago, it was customary for Christian women to wear veils in church (funny how many still do for their wedding, and men were, and still are, expected to remove their hats). Traditional depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art always has her head covered, as this was (and to some degree, still is) a sign of female modesty and humility.
"Let's wrap him up, alright?" -- Keith Olbermann
Wonderful Post Camelopardalis
May 7, 2009 - 01:43 ET by Jen7Especially this part:
"I went to public schools and attended one of the top party schools in the nation (Univ of CA Santa Barbara), but at nearly 25, I am a proud virgin. My point is that abstinence education that tells kids that sex is bad doesn't work because most of us know that sex is not bad. Abstinence education should focus on helping kids deal with their raging hormones and building enough confidence to withstand peer pressure."
Bravo!
As you may presently yourself be fully made aware of, my grammar sucks.
Family Guy
Also, thanks. I just get
May 7, 2009 - 12:40 ET by CamelopardalisAlso, thanks. I just get sick of people on sites like HuffPo saying that abstinence is unrealistic, when there are many people who save themselves for marriage and are very happy and at peace. When you tell kids that their raging hormones is an excuse to be sexual, of course they're goint to have sex. We need to expect more from teens for them to expect more from themselves.
amen
May 7, 2009 - 19:21 ET by lotrYou're common sense is a breath of fresh air.
"Let's wrap him up, alright?" -- Keith Olbermann
This idiots idea that young
May 6, 2009 - 16:58 ET by Radical1979This idiots idea that young kids are always going to have sex reminds me of the parents who allow teens to drink at home because they are going to anyway. If it's wrong, it's wrong. The fact that they are tempted to do it doesn't mean you make it easy for them, it means you make it harder. We talk to my daughter all the time about her dreams and goals and remind her she won't be able to live in NYC if she gets pregnant, and if she has sex, well you never know. I can't guarantee she won't have sex, but I will know I've given her the best I have. I also know I've reduced her chances of STD's because of what we've talked about.
Drug treatment doesn't work!
May 6, 2009 - 20:37 ET by CobraManJust as with abstinence, The Early Show should suggest that drug addition treatment programs don't work, as the majority of those who promote treatment programs were former drug addicts themselves.
According to The Early Show, those former addicts are all hypocrites, promoting dug abstinence in schools, public meetings, and the like. The same with former criminals, gang bangers, and the like, promoting crime abstinence when they, themselves, are former criminals! Logic, according to The Early Show: Experience doesn't count!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.
The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus.
The US Supreme Court
condom use does not constitute "safe sex"
May 6, 2009 - 21:19 ET by lotr"Let's wrap him up, alright?" -- Keith Olbermann
Good grief...so if the
May 6, 2009 - 23:31 ET by RR GOPGood grief...so if the president of a MADD chapter gets a DUI that means it's OK to drink and drive?
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).
Rodriguez
May 7, 2009 - 16:23 ET by grumpyoldbSome day Ms. Rodriguez will learn a very difficult life lesson by making a bad choice that she has to live with for the rest of her life. Then when she talkes about the road she should have taken from the standpoint she can be a hippocrit also.... Wait a minute, She lies all the time and promotes herself as exposing the truth to the American people... She's already a Hippocrit.... Back in the Stone Age when I studied Journalism, one of my instructors said that you never report anything without confirming your facts via at least 3 other independant sources. his favorite line was "If your Mother says she loves you, say thank you, and verify it with your Dad and Sister..." He also said that when there are two sides of a story, you present both equally. Otherwise you are an EDITORIALIST, or a PROPOGANDIST, NOT a journalist.....
"Back in the Stone Age when
May 7, 2009 - 16:49 ET by Camelopardalis"Back in the Stone Age when I studied Journalism, one of my instructors said that you never report anything without confirming your facts via at least 3 other independant sources...He also said that when there are two sides of a story, you present both equally. "
Wow, you did study journalism in the Stone Age. :)