Remember when Bristol Palin basically admitted that abstinence doesn't work? Well, sounds like she (or rather her mom on her behalf) is singing a different tune now and I am going to have to agree with Renee that there is something fishy, sad and manipulative about using your teenage daughter to further your political agenda.
In response to Levi Johnson being on the Tyra Show yesterday discussing openly that the Palin's knew they were knocking boots, Sarah Palin released the following statement:
"Bristol's focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence," [spokeswoman Meghan] Stapleton continues. "It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well being of the child."
See Levi's clip from the Tyra Show here.
Seriously, they didn't have safe sex every time? And here I thought it was immaculate conception (/sarcasm) As one commenter remarked at Renee's place, Levi is effectively getting out of being a father. While his story holds more water and helps us understand what bullshit abstinence-only is, he ends up benefiting from this very same conservative doctrine and it is at the cost of Bristol Palin's ability to advocate for herself. Between what her mother wants and her baby-daddy walking away, she ends up without an effective narrative to support her story. Both frames of "abstinence-only" and the "the dad that walked away" are stories well fleshed out and justified by the right. Abstinence-only dogma hurts the very thing it claims to protect; the lives of young women.
Related:
Bristol Palin lost her Voice and her Autonomy.
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Interesting how a governor finds nothing wrong with badmouthing a teenager (Palin sure seems to have a habit of holding public grudges against her family members' exes) after she professed to want to shield families and kids from the political limelight. Real classy.
(Yikes, she's even talking for her daughter about her relationship: "Bristol realizes now that she made a mistake in her relationship and is the one taking responsibility for their actions." Oh right, but it's not election season anymore, so of course the pair isn't engaged anymore.)
And yeah, like you said, Bristol Palin is the one left holding the bag on her mom's awful, awful policies. If it weren't for Sarah Palin's hope-hard-enough-and-it-won't-happen refusal to do anything meaningful and practical in terms of sex education and pregnancy legislation, Bristol might be independent of her family right now: off at college, working and living on her own, whatever 18-year-olds do -- with or without a baby. Now she's basically tied to her parents for financial and childcare support for the time being, I assume.
(Or maybe I've watched that heartbreaking seventh Dekalog film too many times.)
Also, I'm confused: I haven't seen anything indicating Bristol Palin is an abstinence-only sex ed advocate, unless I missed a link somewhere around here. Whether or not she's "advocating abstinence" as her mom stated, "advocating abstinence" still doesn't amount to "singing a different tune," as you called it, Samhita. Bristol Palin had just said that an expectation of abstinence among teens wasn't realistic.
There was a really great segment on this issue last night on the Rachel Maddow show. Rachel talked to Connie Schultz who pointed out how Bristol Palin was not at all advocating abstinence and how selfish Sarah Palin is being by politicizing her daughter's sex life.
I feel so bad for Bristol. How can anyone live with Sarah Palin as their mother?!!?!
But I want to shake Levi Johnston's hand and CONGRATULATE HIM for ruining Palin's hope of securing a 2012 presidential bid. (along with Palin's sister getting arrested last week for breaking and entering).
Sarah Palin's sister-in-law was arrested, not her sister. Otherwise I agree 100%, no more Palin bids please.
I don't think Levi is benefitting from conservative doctrine here. He keeps saying that he wants to see his child, and that the Palins won't let him. It doesn't sound like he wants to get out of being a father at all.
If this is true - do you have a link? - it's important considering what's written in the post, and needs QFTing.
Here is a link:
http://news.aol.com/article/levi-johnston-interview/383622
He talks about wanting to see Tripp but Bristol not letting him. I think Feministing needs to correct that sentence because he is not trying to get out of fatherhood like implied.
A variety of statements on behalf of GINO* has come out lately via Meg Stapleton. Nobody can doubt these comments are made on behalf of her political ambitions.
For in fact, when questions are asked to the Governor's office about said statements, they immediately refer the questioner to SarahPAC b/c they are of no concern to the Office of the Governor.
GINO wants it both ways. She wants to make statements using the clout of Governor without them supposedly being from the Governor.
It started with her stance on Pebble Mine
Continued with Sen. Stevens
Ongoing with Bristol
Make sense? Nope. And you're not the only one.
*Term created by Shannyn Moore = Governor In Name Only
Real class act that Levi Johnston. I'm no fan of the Palins but even they didn't deserve this.
It was a poor choice, but I find Palin's decision to comment and trash Levi more troubling.
It doesn't seem like too much of a surprise that a young adult with limited job prospects and a small child to care for, who has likely had his every move controlled by another person's political ambitions might take up an offer to go on TV and share his story while making some quick cash - especially since Bristol and Sarah have talked about the situation on TV since the breakup. I do, however, think that a sitting governor, former VP candidate, and future presidential hopeful should exercise better judgment and refrain from making such personal digs at the father of her grandchild. It's one thing to say that Levi made a bad call or that the family is disappointed in his decision, it's another to say that he is not contributing to the well-being of his child and to call Bristol's relationship with Levi a mistake.
does he deserve to be kept away from his child. which is worse, denying him the ability to see his child or him speaking on the facts of his relationship with bristol
Does anyone find the tyra clip troubling where her and her audience boisterously loller at Levi admitting that him and Bristol did not always practice safe sex?? I mean a condom breaking or something is one thing, but admitting to not practicing safe sex and then an entire TV studio audience and TV host laughing about it....... WTF.
No no no dear, the condom didn't break. There was a "wardrobe malfunction" you see. Of course you know the difference. No? Oh, well, poor whores use condoms, and the Governor's daughter accidentally becomes impregnated due to wardrobe malfunctions. See?
/snark.
Is anyone else furious that safe sex needs to be used as a code word for condom? That Tyra couldn't say, so, what contraceptive method did the two of you use? condoms? birth control pills? pull out? prayer? Seriously, if we took Jessica's advice out of her first book and told teenagers to use a condom every single damn time they have sex, I'm pretty sure the issue of teen pregnancy would evaporate. But you know, that would make too much sense.
what bothers me about that, too, is that Tyra didn't believe him when he said he practiced "safe sex" all the time. Sure it turned out that they didn't, but it's as if she couldn't believe that anyone could become pregnant while using a condom. Birth control, whether condom, pills, or other, is not 100% effective. I think that this belief is harmful because it's used to say that if you're pregnant you deserve to be, because you were so stupid to not use birth control. It also helps pro-lifers argument because it places 100% of the blame on the person, on the choice to have sex. If everyone knew about the birth control failure rate I think there would be more pro-choice people out there.
I think the laughter was more meant as, "Come on, Levi, given that can you really claim to be surprised Bristol got pregnant?"
No contraceptive is 100% effective, certainly, but I don't think it's unrealistic/mean to point out that your chances of avoiding an unplanned pregnancy are significantly better if you use your method(s) of choice properly (taking the pill at the same time each day, using a condom every time, etc.).
I was appalled at BAnks for asking the questions and at Levi for answering them. Banks quizzed him like a cross examination:
"Come on. Admit you slipped it to her bareback. Didn't you, didn't you."
"Yeah maybe sometimes"
"Wooo hoooo!"
The questions weren't asked to discuss abstinence vs. constant safe sex or the unrealistic idea that teens will always stay abstinent (Bristol's point.) The questions were asked to get salacious admissions so people could imagine this guy getting some-some from a famous girl.
I agree with you, and I actually kind of felt bad for Levi under her questioning. It seems like Tyra forced him into admitting that they didn't always practice safe-sex, like he said they didn't just so she would shut up. Like someone else said before, never mind that condoms aren't 100% effective.
Bristo;: "Hooked on abstinence worked for me! Oh wait..."
Bristol: "Hooked on Abstience worked for me! Oh wait...."