Rumors and Truth

[Nirvana]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080901/...palin_daughter

Looks like Gov Palin's daughter is pregnant right now.

[regular.joe]

Um, so what. She has kids who are being kids. Kids do the damnedest things. They drink, experiment with drugs, have sex, and generally test the waters of life.

I don't see why this is newsworthy, or why it will impact the vice presidency if McCain is elected. Oh, other then I can definitely relate to this ladies family life a little bit.

This all reminds me of an old quote attributed to Samuel Clemens. "If you don't read the newspapers you are uninformed, if you do read the newspapers you are misinformed."

Not much I hate in this life, I sometimes hate the media.

[Nirvana]

I think it rebuts perfectly that nasty rumor that Palin hid her daughter's pregnancy and used it as her own. I find spreading false rumors for political gain repugnant and telling the truth refreshing. Obviously Mrs Palin felt the same way or she would not have made this announcement.

[richlevy]

McCain is trying to sell her to conservatives as an effective traditional mother and politician who is able to balance family and career. While parents may not be responsible for the actions of adult children, they are held responsible for their underage children.

McCain's camp says that he knew about all of this and chose her anyway. Personally, I think that's bullshit.

While it's refreshing to see a Republican sex scandal that does not directly involve the candidate, it's still trouble.

BTW, determining the age of a fetus is not an exact science, so the "she couldn't be pregnant then because she's pregnant now" argument may not fly.

I'm not sure if even liberals would be able to ignore something like this.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by richlevy

I'm not sure if even liberals would be able to ignore something like this.

Exactly what is the scandal? Where she and most Americans come from, an abortion would be the scandal. I think liberals will be the only ones not ignoring this. From here it looks like a family addressing a problem inside the bounds of their belief system.

[Nirvana]

I agree its trouble but it does not speak of Palin herself as the one committing the subterfuge.

[Nirvana]

Some may find pregnancy at this age morally repugnant, but the age of consent in Alaska is 16. This is the age at which an individual may consent to have sex with someone over 18, legally. I am not sure underage would apply to her daughter if you are going by the legal definition for that state. The minimum age to marry in Alaska is 18. People under the age of 18 can marry with the consent of both parents.

[richlevy]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

Some may find pregnancy at this age morally repugnant, but the age of consent in Alaska is 16. This is the age at which an individual may consent to have sex with someone over 18, legally. I am not sure underage would apply to her daughter if you are going by the legal definition for that state. The minimum age to marry in Alaska is 18. People under the age of 18 can marry with the consent of both parents.

Again, one of the reasons for her selection was her appeal to social conservatives, with the implication that she could be a mother of 4 underage children (1 with special needs) and manage the number two job in the US. This incident does not support that. Will her husband be Mr. Mom while she is VP or will she require a nanny? Who will care for her baby when she travels overseas, especially to countries to which embassy personnel are discouraged from bringing dependents.

Most liberals and real libertarians won't care, figuring that anyone has the right to mess up their own family, but social conservatives will have a mental image of the baby crying for his mother while she boards Air Force Two. The fact that she already has a family crisis while simply a state governor is not going to reassure anyone.

From here

The Alaska age of consent laws are unique. The age of consent in Alaska is 16. This is the age at which an individual may consent to have sex with someone over 18, legally, in Alaska. It applies both to heterosexual and homosexual acts

In Alaska, as in many other states, the laws on statutory rape depend, in part, on the age difference between the two partners. The law recognizes statutory rape only in cases involving an age difference of more than 3 years. A 20 year old man who has sex with a 15 year old girl, in Alaska, is guilty of statutory rape. A 17 year old male who has consensual sex with a 15 year old girl is not guilty of statutory rape, under Alaska law.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by richlevy

Again, one of the reasons for her selection was her appeal to social conservatives, with the implication that she could be a mother of 4 underage children (1 with special needs) and manage the number two job in the US. This incident does not support that.

The fact that her 17 year old got preggers does not refute it. It really means nothing more than her 17 year old had un-protected sex. I mean really weren't you 17 once? Did your parents control your actions when you were 17? Have you heard the 17 yr old on this very forum talk about what they have done? Drugs and sex have been part of it. Why have their parents not controlled them and prevented it? Why attack the girl, why didn't the boy wear a condom? No parent controls what their 17 year olds do. I have been through it twice with 2 kids and we have another about to be 17. How many 17 year olds do you have?

Will her husband be Mr. Mom while she is VP or will she require a nanny? Who will care for her baby when she travels overseas, especially to countries to which embassy personnel are discouraged from bringing dependents.

Who cares. That is their problem. Who cares for the babies of our deployed and deploying soldiers, sailors, marines, and AF personel? Who cares if he becomes Mr. Mom. Sounds like a personal choice they made when they got into the race as a family. Who cares if they have to hire a nanny. Why don't you think women should be successful and still have a family? You don't think they can do both? She has already proven that she can do both.

Most liberals and real libertarians won't care, figuring that anyone has the right to mess up their own family, but social conservatives will have a mental image of the baby crying for his mother while she boards Air Force Two.

Who says she "messed up her family"? You think that plenty of normal families have not gone what they are going through? Or is the fact that her 17 yr old made some poor decisions make them different. Social Conservatives will more likely look at them and think at least they supported her 17 yr old in her pregnancy and did not run out and get an abortion. Most people who support her in her run will not focus on some fantasy of her baby crying while she boards a plane.

The fact that she already has a family crisis while simply a state governor is not going to reassure anyone.

I still don't get why you are perpetrating the myth that a 5 month pregnant teen is a crisis. It is a crisis come and gone. The crisis occurred when they found out she was preggers, not 5 months after that. Or are state governors not allowed to have family crisises. Maybe you think they should just not have families. Hey, let's take a look at the things Clinton did while he was governor and see if any of them could be raised to the level of a "family crisis".

[Pico and ME]

My fear is that, unfortunately, as a result of this VERY high profile teen pregnancy, teen pregnancy rates will climb. Thats not a good thing.

[bluecuracao]

She would be considered underage, if she needs the consent of her parents to get married.

I wonder if Palin secretly wishes now that she had taught her daughter to use birth control...since the abstinence teachings obviously didn't work.

[Nirvana]

Originally Posted by bluecuracao

She would be considered underage, if she needs the consent of her parents to get married.

I wonder if Palin secretly wishes now that she had taught her daughter to use birth control...since the abstinence teachings obviously didn't work.

That is not how the law reads BC. There are two different laws and they do not necessarily work well together.

[bluecuracao]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

The minimum age to marry in Alaska is 18. People under the age of 18 can marry with the consent of both parents.

So this isn't what the law is in Alaska?

[Nirvana]

Do you think Obama's kids will be crying for their Daddy when he boards Airforce 1?

[Nirvana]

In Alaska, as in many other states, the laws on statutory rape depend, in part, on the age difference between the two partners. The law recognizes statutory rape only in cases involving an age difference of more than 3 years. A 20 year old man who has sex with a 15 year old girl, in Alaska, is guilty of statutory rape. A 17 year old male who has consensual sex with a 15 year old girl is not guilty of statutory rape, under Alaska law.

Moot point, the girl is 17 and could have been 16 at the time of the event depending on her exact BD which would have been the legal age of consent. Statutory rape does not apply.