The bigger picture in the Palin pregancy drama

By Contributor Archive

Filed Under General on Sep 3 

(Allow me to drift slightly away from the politics of this story.)

When Sarah Palin announced her daughter’s teen pregnancy, she said that her daughter would be marrying the baby’s father.

Bristol Palin chose to have the baby, but does that mean she should keep the baby? Should two high schoolers get married under the glare of the national media, and take on the responsibility of raising a child? Or should they place the baby for adoption?

The purpose of these questions is not to second guess decisions made by the Palin family. The purpose is hear your perspective, and how it would have looked from your viewpoint had the Palins said, “Our daughter is pregnant. The baby will be adopted by a couple that has been wanting a child of their own, who can provide for this child’s physical and emotional needs.”

How would that have polled? Would that be viewed favorably? Would that decision create a perception of “hiding the family’s shame”? Is adoption passé in today’s world? Thoughts?

Comments

  • Troy La Mana

    The problem is that the regulations are so tough that many people go outside of this country to adopt. It may be the better choice for the teenage parents but in the long run it might not be better for the child.

  • http://www.sotr.us Cordeiro

    The impetus for this wedding may have something to do with the fact that the Gov can hit a moving target at 300 yards with a single rifle shot.

  • Alaina

    I think it all depends on the maturity level of the teen.

    I grew up in a very small West Texas town. A number of the girls I went to high school with got married in or right out of high school and started having kids. It’s definitely not something I would have wanted to deal with, but a lot of people handle it just fine and it’s their decision to make.

  • Fabs

    I wouldn’t say adoption is viewed poorly for the most part now days. I admire those who make the decision to give their babies what they feel is a better opportunity at life.

    And while this is certainly not the rule, I’ve also seen some pretty young parents do a very excellent job raising their children, at times better than some of the older “more mature” crowd. So I’d say in the case of Bristol and her baby’s dad that it’s relative to their specific circumstances. All we know is that she’s pregnant and they’re quite young, not what kind of people they are beyond that. So who’s to really say?

  • Pdiddy

    no one can decide because every situation is different, this isn’t exactly the typical white trash teen pregnancy, let’s be honest, they’ll be fine with tons of family support

    and yes, look at the stats, teen pregnancy is a much bigger issue with lower income kids, and that’s why maybe adoption us better, but who are we to judge

  • east-of=eden

    My choice would be to give the child up for adoption, but that come from my years of dealing with “fertility isues”…We (my DH and myself) would be the loving adoptive parents. My perspective also comes from teaching high school in rural America…where as you can imgaine, getting drunk and pregnant are the main activites for many kids. In my experience, most girls kept their babies, even if they didn’t marry the father of the child, and Grandma and the extended family took part in raising the child.

    I don’t know if the decision to keep a baby of an unwanted/teen pregnancy is due to lack of information about adoption, or cultural, or family leanings. I think it’s a combination of the three. I know where I live, it’s seen as a very bad thing to give up a baby. You are expected to “take care of your own” and so on….

  • kristen

    It’s a tough situation. I don’t have children of my own, but I’ve heard how hard it can be to hand over a child. At the same time, two teenagers raising a child is not the ideal way to start out. They’ve limited their opportunities–what’s the likelihood of Bristol attending and/or graduating college? Or even the boyfriend for that matter? So giving the child up to parents who could provide a better life would probably be more beneficial for the child.

    I’m glad this is a decision I don’t have to make. I’m sure they will carefully consider all their options.

  • http://www.politicalderby.com/ Jason Wright, Editor

    Great post. This is a tough issue because I don’t have a sense of life in Alaska. Maybe this is more common, maybe teen marriages have a higher success rate. Or maybe they thought it would be impossible for the daughter of the governor to give up the baby without the requisite anonymity.

    I wouldn’t presume to give the Palin’s advice, and I hope to never be in the same situation. (I have two young daughters that will one day be 17. Gulp.)

    But my own opinion is that adoption is the better choice 99% of the time in cases of teenage pregnancy. I have half a dozen close friends and family that have adopted. Most because they cannot have children of their own and want so badly to have the opportunity to raise a child in a loving home. They are two parent households with the means to raise these adopted children and give them lives they might not have gotten otherwise.

    Now obviously that’s not the case with the Palins. The child will have no shortage of opportunities, even though his/her parents are both teens.

    Imagine if McCain/Palin win. This baby will have a part of history like no baby in White House history!

    Anyway, that’s my 1.8 cents.