I don’t think access to birth control factors in here; It is my understanding that the governor of Alaska opposes birth control.

It is unfortunate that Bristol Palin and her fiancee are not being left alone. However, given her mother’s political ambitions and apparent willingness to use her family as a campaign tool it’s gonna happen. Of course, now the Base will be able to bleat more about the “Liberal Media” like Fox and New York Newsday.

Agreed that it sucks to be Bristol Palin in the hard glare of the national smear machine.

HOWEVER, why is it all “this is a private thing for their family to deal with” when it’s Governor Palin’s family and “your kid’s pregnancy is our business because our religious beliefs says it should be and we’ll decide what you can and can’t do as a consequence” when it’s anyone else’s kid? You can’t have it both ways — you’re either in the business of nosing into women’s private health concerns or you’re out.

We all have the things that exasperate us. That exasperates me and it’s worth commenting on. Be mad if you have to be, but you know you’re always welcome here.

Now, about your chagrin at mean politics – am I on that list? I hope I wrote that clearly enough to convey that I think that a girl getting pregnant before she’s married is a big STFU issue, politically speaking. I assume Bristol may not have wanted to be pregnant, but has decided she will be a mother. Lots of people in that situation…it’s not a big “aHA!” for me. Good luck with that.

On the other hand, she’ll have the blessings and advantages that many girls lack, so to make her an Everygirl and argue “and it’s just that easy” is wrong. Her particular situation, like Jamie Spears’ pregnancy, gives her options that other less fortunate women lack. So the RNC’s “this is just something that happens to families” (in essence transforming the private family event to a public political message) is disingenuous. When it happens to my family, the girl drops out of high school and works the night shift at Walmart and goes on foodstamps. When it happens to the Palin family, the girl gets a tutor and a nanny.

I’m sorry if pointing that out puts me on your shit list.

You know, I’m quite disappointed in a lot of people I thought were human beings first, but apparently politics comes first.

I give up.