I promised myself that I would not write about John McCain’s choice for Vice President Sarah Pain and the fact that her 17 year old daughter is five months pregnant. I promised myself, it’s a family matter and it is not a matter for the press. Still the newswire is filled with stories about Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter, even with hurricane Gutav striking the US coast, and other tropical storms forming, a war in Iraq, Russia showing it’s strength and sending arms to Ossetia, the newswire is fascinated with Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter; Bristol. They ignore other stories to write about Bristol Palin’s pregnancy.

I have to contribute.

I cannot count how many news stories I have read and saw that described Bristol’s pregnancy as a crisis and a tragedy. CNN called this a family crisis. MSNBC called her pregnancy a tragedy. While it is very rough and tough for a 17 year old girl to be pregnant, do not, I repeat DO NOT ever call a girls choice to have a baby as a crisis or a tragedy! How dare anyone call the birth of a child a tragedy! How would you like it if your mother called your birth a tragedy? How would you like it if you could have had a brother or sister only to find out that your mom had an abortion because she thought she was too young? I feel for women that have to make that choice, but I also feel for the people that are affected by it. The very fact that Bristol Palin has decided to have her child and take the sometimes difficult task of caring for the baby is a matter of character, morals and strength.

Granted being 17 and pregnant is not the ideal situation. It is not a good time to raise a baby when you are 18 years old and only discovering what life has to offer. However, when is a good time? Anyone with children will agree that there is no “perfect time” to have children. Things always happen; jobs are lost, bills pile up, families move, etc. All of these factors in life affect the choice when to bring a baby into the world.

The New York Times brings up questions about McCain’s vetting process since it was known by McCain that Bishop was pregnant. Is it stated in the US Constitution that a President or Vice President cannot have a pregnant daughter to run the country? I don’t think so. How can this affect the presidency?

There are also articles being posted about Sarah Palin not having the time to be Vice President since she is the mother of five children. The New York Times posted one such article on the front page. It is so ironic that many of these (I don’t like using the word Liberal since it used to mean ‘free thinking’) news organizations have argued about feminism and women’s rights. Now that the conservative republicans have found a female VP candidate they are posting stories stating that Sarah Palin should return to the kitchen! There are a lot of democratic female congresswomen that have children!

The hypocrisy is overwhelming.

Did I mention that Sarah Palin’s son is going to Iraq? John McCain’s son is in Iraq also. Joe Biden’s son is a manager of a hedge fund.

Human life is the most important thing in the world. Bristol Palin’s decision to take a tough road and have a child and not take the easy route and abort it; is rewarding. It is not a tragedy nor is it a crisis that disqualifies her mother from public office. It is rewarding to know that this family faces their challenges together and values human life.

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02vetting.html?hp