"If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex. Trust me. Nobody."

[jefferson_dem]

"If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex," says Bristol, sitting at her parents' lakeside patio table. "Trust me. Nobody."

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20280071,00.html

[firedupdem]

1. We know that isn't true. She isn't the first teen to end up pregnant. n/t

[eShirl]

2. so, until she got pregnant she thought babies came from storks?

[Heidi]

3. Or, uh, maybe they'd use protection and go ahead and have sex.

Knowing the consequences and knowing how to protect myself from them has served me very well.

[TwilightZone]

4. Does she realize how out-of-touch that makes her abstinence-only stance?

Not to mention the no-sex-education platform of the party.

My goodness, these people are detached from reality.

"Girls" should realize the consequences, but no way are we going to teach them what they are!

[no_hypocrisy]

5. So Bristol's going into a convent? Taken the vows of chastity?

[xchrom]

6. ...

:rofl:

[HopeOverFear]

7. Poor girl

Poor, stupid, dumb girl.

[Stellabella]

89. I wonder if her doctor tried to teach her a 'lesson'.

I've heard some doctors, i.e. monsters, who refuse to give teen mothers pain meds when they give birth so they understand that 'sex without marriage is bad'.

[PassingFair]

8. She brought down a Vice Presidential candidate....

pretty serious consequences, if you ask me.

But not the usual ones.

[Arkana]

16. I respectfully disagree.

If it was just her daughter's peccadilloes that Moose Princess had to deal with, she wouldn't have become as big a national joke.

I think Sarah Palin did enough to destroy her own reputation by never missing a chance to sound like a naive, uninformed moron and then blaming the media for her missteps. Her Two Minutes Hate-style rallies were terrifying to watch--and they scared a lot of moderate and independent voters into the Obama camp.

[PassingFair]

19. She made it easy to hang the "hypocrite" tag on Sarah.

An embarrassment for the fundies
that was almost too good to be
true.

[Arkana]

73. No, not "hypocrite", just "wrong".

It would be hypocritical if Bristol had actually used contraception or gotten an abortion--as would be her federally mandated right.

With Sarah preaching the virtues of abstinence and her daughter being pregnant BECAUSE she didn't use contraception, it just makes her wrong.

[YOY]

27. Sarah brought herself down.

Pick an interview...any interview. She's a moron and it shows.

[PassingFair]

36. Do you honestly think they didn't see their chances TANK

when the Bristol story broke?

Do you honestly think that McCain thought
"no big deal".

Having the "Morality Minister's" daughter
become pregnant in the face of an
"abstinence only" policy was political
death.

[YOY]

42. It was a factor yes IMHO, but not the straw that broke the camel's back.

Of course she "made the right choice"...that appeased the fundies all the more.

Funny how she probably didn't really have a choice in the matter at all.

[XemaSab]

68. I'd say that the "factor" involved

is having a freak show for a family.

There's the roughneck secessionist first dude with no college degree, there's the oldest son who had to choose between jail and the military, there's the pregnant teenager and her boyfriend, there's the two middle girls who aren't in trouble yet, and there's the downs baby who might be the kid of the oldest daughter and who was almost born on an airplane. And then there's the fact that they all have idiocracy names. x(

Meanwhile, mom's out there talking about family values. Worry about your own family, woman. x(

I, for one, never want to see any of them again. x(

[NoPasaran]

80. If we do have to see them again

It should only be in the form of a reality TV show.

[ejpoeta]

57. the scary thing about that.....

i see palin 2012 stickers all over where i live!! yes, after seeing what an idiot with no intellectual curiosity in the white house for eight year can do... let's have more. and i am not saying she is an idiot in the drooling sense.... i am saying that she doesn't know anything and apparently has no desire to know anything. i sure as hell don't want anyone like that in charge of our country!

[stevenleser]

92. I totally disagree, PassingFair, look at this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E

there is no way anything that happened with Bristol had anywhere near as big of an impact as Sarah's own televised stupidity.

[BeyondGeography]

9. Sounds like she's sad

Tough gig for the baby.

[Cha]

62. Exactly who I'm thinking of..

She makes her pronoucement holding up her evidence..what does that say to the baby?

[redqueen]

10. She's dangerously close to calling that baby a punishment.

[jefferson_dem]

13. "...if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby."

Remember the outrage when candidate Obama said that?

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS319US319&q=if+they+make+a+mistake%2c+I+don%e2%80%99t+want+them+punished+with+a+baby.+

[jberryhill]

15. Apparently, it is a "consequence" that scare people from sex

I remain confounded as to how anyone ends up with a sister or brother, since there are parents who do it AGAIN!

[Orsino]

17. That is the unspoken right-wing meme.

They vilify birth control nearly as much as they claim to hate abortion. They don't want women to be able to choose to have sex without getting saddled with a baby. No woman with an unplanned pregnancy escapes their "well, you shouldn't have had sex" snipes...unless the woman's parents are rich or powerful wingnuts.

[TahitiNut]

30. She's confused. The right wing fundies failed to educamate her. It's not a 'consequence' ...

... it's the PURPOSE. After all, sex isn't supposed to be recreational - it's supposed to be PROcreational!!! NOBODY is supposed to fuck unless they're PROCREATING! (This message is brought to you by your local evangelical dogmatist.)

[w4rma]

11. Has she still not heard of birth control pills and condoms? (nt)

[HopeOverFear]

12. She couldn't use those things, because God would see her and know she was sinning

[ginnyinWI]

14. yeah well.

Back before birth control was readily available, every girl knew the consequences of sex. It was unwanted pregnancy, contracting a venereal disease and/or having a fallen reputation, becoming one of the "bad" girls.

But they still did it! She's being really simplistic to think that nobody would be having sex. Biological urges will find a way.

[DrToast]

18. So Bristol, you haven't had sex since you got pregnant?

Didn't think so.

[CTyankee]

52. I was wondering if she and Levi were allowed to sleep together at Mama Sarah's house

back when he was still living there.

[Hepburn]

20. Huh????

Who the hell does not realize the consequences of sex???

:shrug:

Is there some new way to make babies that we don't know about???

[Robb]

64. Which is why my response to every, EVERY pregnancy announcement in my life

...is always "Hey, you know they figured out what causes that."

I should point out this got me in only mild hot water with Mrs. Robb at the time. :D

[CJCRANE]

21. "If girls realized the consequences of Republican policies, nobody would vote Republican".

[baldguy]

22. +1

[AspenRose]

23. THAT should be on a bumper sticker or T shirt

:thumbsup:

[JVS]

24. I'm beginning to suspect that it would be better to attempt to make teen pregnancy less of a...

life damaging event than focus so much on preventing teen pregnancy. People are beginning to make plans in which they put off having children to a ridiculously late point in life. Is this really what we want for our society? Being forced to wait until you're 40 to have kids because doing otherwise will prove so damaging to your career? There is nothing wrong with young parents as long as they have the support of a family network to help them out, and it's a shame that the social network around them has been so eroded that having kids at their ripest age is something they cannot afford to do.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

25. If people understood the consequences of hitting the ground, no one would skydive.

[Laelth]

26. What a bonehead!

99% of people who have sex are fully aware of the possible consequences. We do it anyway.

"Teaching" people the possible consequences of sex, while useful, will not stop people from having sex. And "teaching" abstinence has proven to be a disastrous policy failure ... unless the goal was to increase the teen pregnancy rate.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Arkansas Granny]

28. I really feel sorry for this girl. Being a teen mother is tough enough without

the having the details of your life laid out for all the world to see. Maybe she enjoys all the attention she's been getting, but I have a hard time believing that these appearances aren't an effort by her mother to boost her own "conservative values" for future political gains.

[kiranon]

39. Agree. She sounds depressed and that is not good for her or the baby.

[joshcryer]

49. Erm, she most likely got a boatload of money for her interview, and can be guaranteed...

...free money for life. Comparing this girl to other teens who got pregnant is completely unfair. Yes being a mother in general is difficult, but it's a heck of a lot easier when you got free money pouring down your back.

[RoadRage]

51. I think it goes a bit more like this:

"Bristol, you are the reason that John McCain & I lost the election last fall. If you hadn't been knocked up and made me look bad, more people wouldn't have thought of me as a hypocrite and would have voted for me. So, because of that the only way to redeem yourself is to go out and preach abstainance to everyone so that I have a shot for 2012. Remember, this is all your fault for having sex in the first place".

:puke:

[NYC Liberal]

71. What? She's an adult, she can make her own decisions.

I'm sorry, but if I was in that position and my mother was trying to force me to do something like this - and I didn't want to - I'd say no way!

Bristol could too, but she clearly wants to.

[Arkansas Granny]

100. Theoretically, you are correct. However, in real life it doesn't always turn out that way.

Bristol may not be as independent in her thinking as a lot of young women her age. Guilt is a wonderful tool for making people do what you want them to do. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sarah has given Bristol a liberal dose of it.

[leftynyc]

29. Where did she think babies

came from? What a moronic little twit. RESPONSIBLE teenagers are very well aware of the consequences and use protection.

[LynnTheDem]

31. Ummm...ROTFLMAO!!! Stunning ignorance; stunning arrogance.

Stunning stupidity.

:rofl:

[Yavin4]

32. If You Put Your Children On The Cover of People Mag, Then You Open Them Up For Criticism

Politicians cannot play it both ways. You cannot say that family is off limits and then put them on the cover of People Magazine holding their illegitimate child while advocating for abstinence education.

[rvablue]

43. I agree. The "off limits" argument is now null and void.

Have we ever seen Amy Carter, Chelsea Clinton, either of the Kerry girls, or Kate Edwards or even Caroline Kennedy, for that matter on the cover of magazines preaching about stuff?

Seems to be it is always the GOP kids -- Bristol Palin and Meghan McCain right now. But the Bush girls did the cover of Vogue.

And even though they fit more into the "progressive" column, Patti Davis and Ron Reagan didn't shy away from the spotlight either.

I think this flagrant promotion of Bristol and her "message" is just another example of Sarah Palin's arrogance and tone-deafness. Does she actually think this is going to help her in the long run -- making her young daughter who is dealing with myriad challenges right now -- into a public spectacle?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

33. I think most sexually active girls realize a thing called birth control.

And also realize the consequences of abstinence, oral sex, anal sex, titty fucking, mutual masturbation, dry humpin, abortion, and other completely 100% effective methods of birth control.

[question everything]

34. Given her parents, we cannot expect a wise comment, now

would we?

What a stupid thing to say. If mom did not have sex she would not be here.

[AlinPA]

35. "Nobody"? Nobody, ever, anywhere? Instant zero population growth!

[grantcart]

37. And that fact is supported by the fact that single mothers have never ever

become pregnant with a second unwanted pregnancy.

[RaleighNCDUer]

38. OK Bristol - and HOW do we get girls aware of the consequences?

Come on - I'm sure you've heard of it. It's a class...uh huh... taught in every school that does not teach "abstinance only"... Starts with...'S'...

Think about it...

[cwydro]

40. Oh,

Ok.

[Muttocracy]

41. it that couple in the upper right the ones with a whole bunch of kids and TV show?

Seems the message is have kids -> get famous!!!

[Oregone]

44. If orgasms are the consequences of sex, I don't think that will reduce participation

[maxsolomon]

58. for girls, that's the consequence of sex with ME

just ask any of the non-impregnated satisfied customers, all the way back to age 16.

dumb ass republicans. sex is FOR PLEASURE & HEALTH, babies are the bonus.

[handmade34]

45. she's mistaken

"If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex (without birth control)"

[Occam Bandage]

46. Or they'd use birth control. Or have abortions.

:shrug:

[Raffi Ella]

47. I am just astounded

that Bristol Palin has the audacity to parade her little boy around whining about what a mistake he was/is while preaching abstinence...

Ironic? Idiotic? EXASPERATING!?? all of the above.

[joshcryer]

48. A sexually repressed female, the consequence of fundementalism.

[RoadRage]

50. Add ONE word, and all is well with that statement:

"If girls realized the consequences of UNPROTECTED sex, nobody would be having UNPROTECTED sex," says Bristol, sitting at her parents' lakeside patio table. "Trust me. Nobody."

But that one word just doesn't quite align itself with Mama-Palin's crazy ass bible thumping mentality that even though 85% of the country doesn't do it- everyone should wait until their married to have sex. Unless you are attracted to the same sex and can't legally get married. In which case you shouldn't get married OR have sex. Ever.

Freaks. All of 'em.

[joshcryer]

53. But in her culture sex isn't for pleasure (except for the male). So she wouldn't see it that way.

Sex for females is for making babies, in her worldview.

[RoadRage]

55. Na...

If it was only for making babies.. she wouldn't have done it. I don't think she wanted to get pregnant.. she knew her parents would flip. She got drunk, and some fun with her boyfriend, had UNPROTECTED sex, and got pregnant. Just like millions of other teens...

and if she thought about it for 2 seconds, she'd realize that just like herself, not many teens are thinking "Well, I was going to screw Bobby tonight- but since Bristol Palin told me to wait until marriage, I think I will". Because 1 year ago.. she wouldn't have done it either.

[ejpoeta]

60. i had a friend once that said.... men have fun, women have babies. sounds about right.

consequences for women.... for girls. there are so many complex reasons why girls have sex as teens.... being taught consciously or not that their looks are all they are good for.... not being encouraged to be smart and educated.... that they are too young to know about S-E-X "shh!!" perhaps if we taught our girls to be confident and that they are more than their looks or for making babies and that they had value beyond as a trophy for men... and we taught them to protect themselves if they chose to have sex.... then they might be able to make better choices for themselves. i tell my husband when we talk about this subject and talking to our daughters... if we don't tell them things, there are plenty of boys out there who would just love to 'educate' them. and if they are curious, there are people would will help them with that too. i want my kids to come to me. when my 10 year old asks me a question,i answer it. as best i can and addressing it in terms for a ten year old.

[joshcryer]

66. So great. Awesome post.

This is how I feel, with no children, just by the various childhood experiences that my gal friends have had. Women go through such a significantly repressive and *regressive* upbringing in our country. Look good, don't feel good.

To the other poster, I think Bristol was basically pressured into doing it and found no joy in the act (the fact that she doesn't think "any girl would have sex" suggests that to me).

And that's precisely how parts of our oppressive culture would have it. Women have babies, men have fun.

Again, awesome post, you sound like a great mother.

[ejpoeta]

72. i just know how i grew up and how i was raised to think about sex.

and my body and how it effects me to this day. i don't want my kids to feel so bad about their bodies or sex, i just have to figure out how to teach them self respect and having confidence in themselves and that they are more than their looks... yes, you are beautiful! and you are so smart!! i have cousins who were not allowed to do anything or even be exposed to anything like music or tv or even be around US!! outside of being at their house.... my cousin went out and got in a lot of trouble!! no thanks. if kids are never even exposed to anything, you aren't preparing them for when they are... and they will eventually be.

i do worry about my girls and i would like them to have enough respect for themselves. but my plan of attack involves spending time with their dad and getting that attention and reinforcement from him. emily is SOOO smart! her grades are great. she loves to read. she LOVES to learn. i encourage that. i hope that will help her make good choices.

[joshcryer]

86. It sounds like you figured things out. Great for you.

It's encouraging to read these kinds of posts, and I admire quite a many DU parents.

[Milspec]

70. Boys give 'love" to get sex

Girls give sex to get love. I'm sometimes glad I'm old.

[joshcryer]

85. That's a good, unfortunate, characterization. It doesn't apply to *all* of course.

But that's generally the society we live in. I do know several mates who enjoy both sides on a relatively equal companionship level, and that is my ideal. To be loved sexually and mentally rather than a one sided relationship.

[mitchum]

54. Bristol, not all girls share your low intelligence genetic makeup

Many do realize the importance of precautions

[democracy1st]

56. well she just like her mama dumb as a rock!

[Dappleganger]

59. It's not just about sex, dumbnuts.

Some girls really want babies so they can be as successful as their own moms.

[WCGreen]

61. Well, in the scheme of republican things...

She will be a sitting congressperson within the next decade...

[Liquorice]

63. To be fair, I think she means if girls REALLY knew what it was like

to take care of a newborn baby 24 hours a day, they wouldn't chance having sex. Judging from the article, it sounds like life is not very fun for Bristol right now. I kind of feel bad for her, even if she is going around preaching abstinence and basically calling her baby a mistake. I think Sarah Palin is making it as difficult as possible on Bristol so that Bristol will really "learn her lesson."

[Bucky]

103. Thank you.

Look, she's taking on the responsibilities that come with being a parent at that age. I don't know if her BF is playing his role in raising the child, so we owe her some props. I don't agree with any of their politics, but I don't see a lot of dysfunctionality in the Palin family--they're not like the Bushes or Cheneys from outward appearances. My guess is Bristol's setting up a book deal so she can afford some things for her kid. This is America, more power to her. Just keep her mom out of national office.

[dkofos]

65. I guess stupid runs in the family!!

[rasputin1952]

67. Sounds good to me, as far as R's go...

:D

[JI7]

69. Bristol didn't know that she could get pregnant if she had sex ?

[joshcryer]

87. Apparently not.

[tabasco]

74. The warped fundie mindset.

This girl is probably permanently fucked in the head.

Sure, Bristol. People should 'trust you' because you emanate pure wisdom.

[and-justice-for-all]

75. Sorry, but that is not true....

You can not stop the natural desire to procreate, the desire to have sex is actually our natural need to continue the passing on of DNA.

Without people having sex, it is a great risk for the loss of the species. Stop having sex and there could very well some day be no more people. People love to exclude us from the animal kingdom, but you cant, we have the same breeding desires as all other animals on the planet.

The continuation of the species is driven by DNA.

[DatManFromNawlins]

76. It's how you look at what she said contextually

Okay, show of hands for people who have been parents:

How many of you had a clue how much of the time you formerly considered to be yours that you would have to give up to meet the needs of your first child? How tired did you get of meeting the needs of your child AND the stresses of dealing with your SO who still wanted attention AND your job or your class work?

Nothing better than a bunch of petty adults picking on a kid.

[Canuckistanian]

77. The sex with Levi was that bad, huh?

What a shame.

[riderinthestorm]

78. Cover photo: cute snuggly baby, smiling Bristol in her cap and gown.

Talk about a mixed message! Bristol looks all together in that shot and that's all any teen passing by the newstand is gonna see. They'll never pick up the magazine and read every last bad detail.

One thing's for sure, she's opened herself, her baby, and Levi up to a lot of scrutiny. No more "lay off the politicians' kids" excuses from anyone here about this train wreck. That poor baby will someday read ALL this shit: the crappy stuff her mom just said about him, all of our comments.... Pretty sad.

[Imagevision]

79. Or... perhaps other younger girls without a husband can also end up on the cover of People Magazine?

[Colobo]

81. Oh please!

[Iggo]

82. You mean beautiful bebes and HS graduation?

Nice try, Bristol.

[JI7]

83. Teen Girls everywhere will now think they can have a baby and graduate and get on magazine covers

[joshcryer]

88. This should be our meme, she is a bad influance and role model.

Period.

[madeline_con]

84. This is bullshit

"Did it make her sad to have missed out on so much senior-year fun – to be spending graduation night not with a gang of friends but at home, giving her 5-month-old son a bottle while her extended family plays "Eskimo bingo"?"

They couldn't get a friggin babysitter so she could go to her graduation. what a bunch of assholes the Palins are!

[tinrobot]

90. She didn't see that her mother got pregnant several times?

Hard to believe.

[Norrin Radd]

91. That cover screams, "This is my FIRST baby -- no, really, honest!"

[Nay]

93. Consequences: she ends up employed and on a national mag cover. Way to

discourage all those 15-yr-olds.
:sarcasm:

[verges]

94. Geez....

1) Adults know. They still have sex.
2) Shouldn't some responsibility of learning consequences fall on the guy?
3) How would a girl learning consequences affect two gay men who want to have sex with each other?

[CreekDog]

95. If girls knew sex caused their crazy mothers to run for Vice President, then I'd agree

:eyes:

[AzDar]

96. An entire family of opportunistic idiots.

BTW...Didn't she say a few months back that abstinence "wasn't realistic"?:eyes:

Deliver us, oh Dog, from the Palin Plague.


:puke:

[NC_Nurse]

97. Sure they would, they'd just protect themselves. That is, if they were smart.

[Jennicut]

98. Its kind of obvious Sarah set her up to say this. Bristol, you are 18 now.

Act like and adult and make your own choices.

[rucky]

99. Better book a lifetime of therapy for her kid - NOW

[Bucky]

101. self-delete

She's still just a pawn in this PR game. No attacks on Bristol from me.

[pipi_k]

102. Bullshit

People know the consequences of all sorts of things and they still do them.