"We're Having A Baby"

And baby makes six: five children and one grandchild that is to the Palin clan.

Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin announced recently that her daughter, Bristol is with child. The seventeen-year-old plans to keep the baby and marry the father. This revelation comes only a few days after John McCain announced she would be his running mate.

While many will attack the Mrs. Palin and question her parenting skills, truth of the matter is life happens. You can be the best parent: clothe, feed and provide all of life's lessons but at the end of the day, it is the child who will have to make the right decisions.

Before critics jump on this and start to critique Palin's parenting skills and make suggestions that she should remain at home, first let us hear and understand the story and not pass judgment. It takes a lot of courage and strength to have such a private family matter put out there for all to comment.
Certainly, the Palin family is not taking this family matter lightly, after all Bristol is in her second trimester. The family had to have had many conversations on next steps. This pregnancy will definitely change the daughter's entire future. Make no doubt the daughter will be scrutinized and vilified.
We can only hope the daughter is as strong as the mother, who had the strength and fortitude to stand up against corruption in her state. She also unseated a long-standing governor.
Furthermore, if Bristol and her baby's father are deeply in love, then they should marry. However the rush to get married simply because of a pregnancy or political expediency, are not valid reasons.

It would be nice if the Palin Family could deal with this private matter as a family. However, with the limelight being on the possible first republican female vice president this will hardly happen.
What an interesting election year this promises to be.

I guess Sarah Palin is in fact like many of us after all.

Comments

[robjh1]

As the author of the piece, I agree with 2keepingitreal. This family has made a decision which will affect all of their lives.

I am shocked that not more women aren't backing Sarah Palin. What happened to girl power. Why are women so quick to judge each other so harshly as oppose to giving support. You don't have to support her party but to be selected for this position is quiet achievement _ no matter how you look at it. We hear and read so many stories about having it all. When the opportunity is presented to a woman the claws come out. What gives?

[2keepingitreal]

Rob, my thoughts can go a number of ways. That's politics for ya!! But seriously, when it rains, it pours. While most of the southern states are battling hurricane Gustav, the Republican Nominee for VP is battling the pressure of being a woman, mother and future grandmother. I can't understand why? I agree with former Mayor Giuliani, when he asked the question, "Has anyone ever questioned a man's ability to be a father and run for president?" The answer is no!!!! If a woman can juggle being a wife, mother, bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan (which is pretty much the norm in today's society), why can't she throw the ball of VP in the air as well and do a darn good job at it. Sounds quiet sexest to me, and I thought we burned our bra's centuries ago.

I agree with you Rob, life happens. You can parent at your best and pray that your children will live according to the morals and values you have taught them. Although parenting is until death, you must allow children to fly using their own wings. Making mistakes throuogh life is normal, but learning from them, never to repeat history, while gaining wisdom from life's lessons. This definitely has nothing to do with her ability to be an effective and efficient VP.

[Pupadup4oBama]

This is a very thoughtful post...and you are correct, we don't know the circumstances or how they are dealing w/ it as a family....but I think myself and others feel this is not the time for her mother to pursue her own ambitions when her daughter obviously needs her.
I guess you could compare this to John and Elizabeth Edwards when she announced her cancer remission...however, EE is a grown woman....this is a young girl who did NOT sign up for this, and she needs her mother now more than anything.
Yes, she might have grandparents and aunts - but a girl needs her mother....simple as that.

PS from what the young man indicated on his myspace...he's CERTAINLY not read to deal w/ this either.

[2keepingitreal]

Ok. I see your point. But no one put up the stop sign to Hillary, who's hubby is an adulteror or now President Bush whose daughter is a drunk (apple doesn't fall far from the tree). So why should she put her ambitions on hold? Her daughter is going to do whatever she wants anyway, regardless of what her mother thinks or does. She's proven that already. Palin can still be there for her daughter. Being the pick for Republican VP will never change who she is; a mom, wife and most of all a strong WOMAN!!! Can she do all this in Washington? Only time will tell.

[jeanrenoir]

Why did Sarah put herself, Bristol, Levi, and the nation through this absurd soap opera? If she was so stupidly naive as not to know what would happen, then she should never seek office anywhere outside of Norther Exposure land. If she knew what would happen and was so blinded by raw ambition that she went ahead, then how charming is THAT?

[2keepingitreal]

Come on....how could she have possibly known for sure what would happen? She's not a psychic or do you know that 2? Life is full of risk, why can't she take one.
Who's really stupidly naive here?