On the third year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina inundating the city of New Orleans, LA, and in the wake of Hurricane Gustav again pummeling the Gulf Coast states, including Louisiana, the Republican Party Convention had another storm to weather; namely, the pregnancy of Bristol Palin, the seventeen year old daughter of Alaska Governor and Republican Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. The issue is not the pregnancy of a seventeen year old or Sarah and her husband’s parenting skills but rather John McCain’s judgment and hurried determination at the eleventh hour to nominate someone who wasn’t even remotely considered as a potential running mate.
Supposedly, the McCain camp had thoroughly investigated Sarah Palin’s background and was aware of the pregnancy; at least this is what is being told to the media. There is even an unsubstantiated rumor that Sarah Palin’s youngest child, the one with “DOWN SYNDROME” is not really her’s, but that the baby is really Bristol’s also, and Sarah is just covering up for her daughter. Be that as it may, it is troubling that Sarah Palin would put her political ambitions ahead of her daughter’s privacy because she has been in the game long enough and could not have been so naïve as to believe that this would not have surfaced and not only that, why did she not disclose all of this information from the beginning instead of it being circulated on Internet blogsites.
It is interesting that the Republican Delegates who were interviewed by television news reporters were supportive and stated that at least Bristol Palin was going to keep the baby and not get an abortion. In fact, many of the wagons of the GOP are surrounding the Palin family with their unqualified support during this very difficult as well as embarrassing time. The byline in most reports on this surprise announcement defend Sarah Palin and note that it is her politics and not her success as a parent which is the issue. While that may be true it must also be remembered that your family situation is an example to the nation as a role model and what kind of example you set and your family decisions and experiences which go on behind closed doors and later to come out in full view of the public does have some impact on the lives of other Americans and perhaps even Internationally among those who look up to the Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees as exemplary examples of contemporary American family life.
Although Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama has defended the Palin family and stated unequivocally not only his support for Sarah Palin, but that family should be off limits in political discourse. This is quite gracious of the Illinois Senator and no one should want to gain political points from the poor decision of a young teenage girl but it is yet another wake up call to the political party who prides itself on being the staunch moral guardian of American family values, abstinence is the best policy, Evangelical Christianity, and social conservatism. On a side note, even Vice-President Dick and Lynn Cheney who are so strong in their opposition to Gay/Lesbian relationships lovingly embrace their adult daughter who is openly ‘Gay.’
However, many of the partisan responses to this situation does mask the uncomfortable tone of ‘race’ in America and particularly this Presidential election as evidenced by the question that Tavis Smiley asked former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich on The Tavis Smiley Show on Monday night, September 1, 2008, which was, “What if instead of a White girl named Bristol Palin it was Sasha or Malika Obama who got pregnant as a teenager, what would be the reaction?” During the entire segment of the telecast Mr. Gingrich failed to answer the question and was evasive because he knew the truth and was unwilling to publicly admit it. Teenage Black unwed mothers who are on welfare are the fodder of White-controlled media and the bane of White tax payers who are the first to decry the failings of Black families but are not so vocal when it comes to one of their own; especially one who is in the preeminent political spotlight. Rarely, if ever, is the virtue extolled of a Black female teenager who chooses to keep to keep her child as opposed to getting an abortion. Instead the girl’s promiscuity, how soon she became sexually active, or how many lovers she has had seem to be more carefully scrutinized than having compassion or giving her support she needs during this difficult time.
In fact, so little is the value placed upon the offspring of Black teenage unwed mothers that Bill Bennett, who this very month three years ago, addressing a caller's suggestion that the "lost revenue from the people who have been aborted in the last 30 years" would be enough to preserve Social Security's solvency, radio host for “Morning in America” and former Reagan administration Secretary of Education dismissed such "far-reaching, extensive extrapolations" by declaring that if "you wanted to reduce crime ... if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down." Bennett conceded that aborting all African-American babies "would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do," then added again, "but the crime rate would go down."
And poor Bristol Palin is going to be pressured into marrying her eighteen year old baby’s father when both of them are probably not mature enough to handle the responsibility of parenthood. And what about Sarah Palin, the very attractive, political maverick-in-her-own-right, and charming ‘CINDERELLA’ who seems to have come out of nowhere to attend the Republican National Political Ball wearing glass slippers and designer glasses may come to realize it is 12:00 midnight and that beautiful political carriage that she rode into town on and magically enchanted us all, may quickly turn into a giant pumpkin.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
September 2, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com
