Once taboo, pregnant teenagers are popping up more frequently on TV, in movies and on magazine covers. The problem? This latest pop-culture coverage doesn't show what comes before or after.
i think that teen pregnancy needs to slow down in the united states there is a time for every thing and for some teens it is not there time to have kids so they need to try to slow it down. teen pregnancy is the big thing here and it is geeting bad. so some teen girls need to stop having sex and geeting pregnant....................
The Wall Street crisis was planned the night of Obama's meeting at Bill Ayres home to put Obama in The White House. Together they put a beautiful plan into place.
This Strategy was first elucidated in the 1966 issue of 'The Nation' Magazine by a pair of radical Socialist Columbia University professors, Richard Andrew Cloward and Frances Fox Piven.
David Horowitz summarizes it as:
"The strategy of forcing political change through an orchestrated crisis. The "Cloward-Piven Strategy" seeks to hasten the fall of Capitalism by overloading the Government bureaucracy with a flood of impossible demands, thus pushing society into crisis and economic collapse.
unquote
Obama begin with ACORN by funneling millions into their organization. He then trained ACORN to stage protests in banks to force them to issue risky loans or they would be threatened to face racial charges. ACORN was trained to intimidate financial institutions into giving ???Ninja??? loans to people with NO assets, NO job and NO income, who couldn???t afford these loans.
That caused the housing bubble two years ago it was by ACORN's actions they were able to destroy our credit system.
As this played out, D-Barney Frank and D-Chris Dodd were able to cover up the millions of improvident loans to these bad risky house buyers. And Barney Frank and his chums successfully were able to block all of President Bush's attempts to put a rein on this problem.
So Fannie & Freddie was forced to purchase all these failed subprime mortgages.
Then both Frank and Dodd denied that there were any problems, and refused the Bush Admin. requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and they were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting sub-prime mortgage loans almost up to the 'minute they failed'.
Democrats then blamed Bush saying it happened on his watch knowing it would hurt the Republican Party in the election setting it up that Barack Obama could use this to his advantage.
Karl Marx once compared a Revolutionary struggle with the work of the mole, who sometimes burrows so far beneath the ground that he leaves no trace of his movement on the surface.
Barack Obama is that Marxist mole !
Movies and television share the commonality of including at least a section of 'teen pregnancy' in their scripts, but are they addressing the issue in the right way? I think not. When good ole??? ???June-Bug??? told her father and step mother about her pregnancy, the only thing they could say was "I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when.??? If there is something missing in the staging of these reactions, it???s definitely reactions. Parents aren???t going to be as calm and cool with their baby, having a baby! They never wanted to see anything like this happen to their own child, and yet, in these movies and T.V. shows, these parents can???t seem to lay any sort of derogatory mark on the table. Maybe the reason why so many teen girls find themselves pregnant every year is because they aren???t actually showing the consequences that are the parents??? reaction or when the mothers choose to keep and raise that baby. Hollywood has turned not only pregnancy into a glamorous fashion statement, but teen pregnancy into alluring state of being. Teen pregnancy will continue to be glamorized as long as the media makes it so.
I had a very interesting conversation with a teen the other day. She told me that she was reading some of the various comments with regard to teens having babies. This 15 year old told me that she is very angry about the terrible comments aimed at teen parents, especially teenage moms. When I questioned her on why she felt angry with this topic, she exclaimed that it was, "none of an adult's business to police a teen's body when it comes to sex and babies because they are all just jealous of how teens can make babies faster and easier than old folks; let them all shut up and let us run our own bodies because we are smart people and in charge and more richer and mature these days!" Upon quizzing this little upstart on why she feels so empowered and opinionated on an ADULT decision to have kids, she replied that her 17 year old sister has twins(a girl and a boy) who complete the 17 year old's life and therefore she must follow the same path. I pushed harder for details, getting only her mushy and dewy account of her version on parenthood. When I reminded her of how expensive and important such a responsibility is in parenthood, she shot back with, "That's why we have the government, stupid! They are there to pay for everyone even if they are teens or illegals. That's why my parents and grandparents pay taxes and why my sister can have kids now and finish school if she chooses to later on ! Family first, school and all that jazz later. She's gonna be cool and neat just like Jamie Lynn Spears!" Aha! No wonder such resistance! There is her great example and idol! It's right out of the mouth's of babes. Of course, not all teens or kids will feel this way, but look at the ones who do. It's bad enough that kids/teens are underdeveloped in brain capacity via nature/biology. Now we may have somone such as Jamie Lynn as a fill-in for parents who don't educate and caution their children on sex before kids are 18 and over or married. This kid was wrong in seemingly every angle of her arguement and conclusions and also used a richer-than-most teen diva Jamie Lynn as an example of real life in her "world" (along with her older sister with the twins). Government exists for this? I'm stupid? Sorry baby girl lost. You probably have parents who could care less about your future or your sister's present path in life(perhaps like Britney and Jamie Lynn"s parents). I'm proud to say that at age 40, I was taught better than those how seem to have less morals, standards, and values. It's still safe to say that well, ...........some people are just too dumb to know how dumb they are!
People, People
Teen Pregnancy is by no means a new issue, an epidemic, or a crisis. It has been happening since we lived in caves and swung down out of the trees. Humans are sexual creatures. We enjoy pleasure both physical, spiritual, and sexual. A female???s body is capable of procreating even before the onset of menses. However is up to society to judge the appropriate time and circumstance for sexual behavior to commence. Do I need to remind everyone that sexual behavior begins far before a person engages in intercourse. The idea that ones son or daughter is to young for sexual thoughts, acts, or behavior is as ludicrous as the idea that the idea that the availability of condoms, birth control, and or the depiction of sexuality in the media influences the behavior of an individual. This is a dangerous concept. It absolves the person of their personal responsibility to themselves. I am a forty-five year old single father with two teenaged daughters. 16 and 18; one is sexually active while the other chooses not to be. Are these decisions that I would have made for them. That is a pointless thought. It is not my decision to make. The sexual expression of a person is their own personal choice. I can preach chastity, abstinence, or sexual irresponsibility and it would make very little difference. What then is the key? It is education. I began with my daughters when they were young, about six or seven, giving them age appropriate information on sex. I explained the mechanics of sex, periods, birth control, STDs, abortion, adoption, and any other variations on the topic I could imagine. I gave them the facts. I take them for their yearly gynecological check-ups. And, swallow, when they began sixth grade I made sure that in their purses they along with their feminine hygiene needs they carried an ample supply of condoms. My eightteen year old only recently decided to become sexually active. When she made HER decision and before she engaged in the behavior she came to me we discussed it, she made HER decision and I assume engaged in sexual activity.. My youngest is has decided for now she will remain celibate. I know the course of action I took is radical because it places the responsibility for my daughters??? behavior squarely on their shoulders. I know this concept is new and foreign to many but it seems to have added benefits. I have escaped problems with other behaviors using this approach, namely that of drugs, alcohol, delinquency, acting out, and other such behavior.
Maybe Father Does Know Best
I was a pregnant teen at 16 years old. I was with a boy I thouught I loved. I kept my baby and though it wasn't easy I raised him with the help of my parents. This was a difficult situation for them but they were always supportive and helpful. I graduated from highschool and went straight to college. I was determined not to be a statistic. I met my husband at 19 and married him at 20. He has been a terrific father to my son and our other 2 sons. I am now 33 and my son will soon be 17. I can't imagine my life with out him. I don't sanction teen pregnancy. I do believe you can take responsibility for your actions and be a good teen parent. I now am a teacher, a parent , a wife and I have a great life. I don't think pregnant teens should give up and drop out of life. Keep going, be sucessful, finish school and make a life for your child. It really can be done. I am proof.
Also for the young ladies out there who have boyfriends who say they hate wearing a condom. I would just ask are you ready to be a father? Because I am not ready to be a mother. If he does not respect your decision- DUMP HIS STUPID BUTT! Unless a man is willing to put a band on your hand and build a future with you- don't believe he will stay around and support you within a pregnancy, especially a TEEN AGE boy! In this day and age when birth control is readily at your finger tips and you can get it without parent consent- just lets you know how STUPID some of our children are. It also makes me wonder if some are so stupid that they can't prevent a birth with all the information out there, then how much do they know about preventing DEATHS! I am now talking about AIDS/HIV. I feel we need to stop putting the blame for what our children do on others doorsteps. We really need to get back to basics and take RESPONSIBILITY for our OWN children! PART 3
GET OVER YOU SELF AND QUIT LEAVEING SO MANY COMMENTS!!! you remind me of my mother, who i HATE. i dont hate her just because im a teenage. When i was SIX i hated her, ok. your kids are probabley just like me, they probabley hate you, and guess what, they just might be haveing sex. I am and im 14. only with one guy ever and i went out with him for 18 monthes and were still together. im not prego and ive done it with him more than once. Teach your kids to have safe sex, not to never have it and with some one they trust and they know well.
YOU PEOPLE NEED TO STOP WORRYING ABOUT WHAT JAMIE LYNN IS DOING AND START WORRYING ABOUT THE CHOICES YOUR KIDS ARE MAKING!!
thank you
I have an idea lets not tell the teens to where condoms .tell the teens not to have sex before thay are married.duh!!!!
Thats not going to work for a teenager THEY DONT LISTEN!!!!!
THAT WONT WORK DUMB A**
jesus was born without sin to save the world from theirs, including mary. That is why she and joseph went to sacrifice.
not every one thats waiting untill marriage is christian you ass hole
While the article addresses the situation in a lucid way, it also glosses over the fundamental cause of youthful pregnancies. Where are the parents when their teenagers are are out exploring each others bodies? The dissolution of the nuclear family; parents being unfaithful to each other, let alone to their chlldren; the inability of a huge percentage of adults to provide practical guidance, by that I mean the "Do what I say, not what I do" mentality that pervades much of American society. These things must be addressed before any solution to the problem of babies having babies can even be approached. It goes back to the Vietnam era concept of "Make love not war." We have not only given our children permission to have sex starting immediately after puberty, we have demonstrated, by our own actions, how and where to do it. And we are led down that path by the inability of our politicians to be honest on any matter.
Where are the parents? They are at work. More than one study has shown that most teens aren't getting into trouble at night, as most adults had once suspected; but the first three hours after school lets out when mom and dad aren't home to watch what they're doing. And I know that's when my friends and I tried all the things our parents wouldn't have approved of if they were at home to tell us; "NO!".
No matter what time of day if a child wants to do something they will
Exactly. The best way to address the issue is for parents to have honest discussions with their kids and make sure they are educated about safe sex, and make sure that the kids know that they can talk to their parents about it. It's completely unrealistic to try to somehow prevent kids from experimenting with sex by either "keeping tabs on them" or avoiding the subject.
If you should teach your child how to carefully cross the street before they start school, why is socieity so afraid of teaching our children how to safely have sex when the time comes? It's all part of being a parent...you need to teach your children your values. Why are parents afraid to be parents? Why has NO been taken out of our vocabulary? I agree that even in two-parent households, both parent's have to work to keep food on the table and gas in the car. Schools are not child care providers and if you think just because your child is "legally" able to be home alone - think again. The statistics will prove the comment bout kids getting into trouble the hour after school lets out. I raised a "latch-key kid" (now in her 30"s) and I worried every second until I arrived home. I was lucky - nothing bad happened to her. Perhaps it was because I kept the lines of communication open. This was before cell phones...TALK TO YOU KIDS! Tell them sex is more than just what they see on TV. Share your values and share your mistakes and why you wished you had done things differently.
I dont agree with "where's the parents?" in this. Parents canNOT be with their child 24-7, 365 days a year until that child is 18 years old or married. I am a parent of 3 boys. In a typical household, both parents have to work. A child is NOT in school for 8 or 9 hours a day while the parent is working. HOWEVER, I do agree that most parents now do rely on " Do as i say, not as i Do". LOL. The business world today is promoting cheating. Yes. I said it. All those commercials for those 900 #'s for chats, with "discreet" flashing on the bottom of the screen, even the slogan " what happens in vegas stays in vegas". What's worse is now those hot chat commercials are on late at night on Nickelodeon. Yes, kids should be asleep, but some wake up at night, and leaves the tv on.... Come on, why'd you get married if you want to cheat. (i know this is way off the subject of the 11 year old being pregnant. it is a reply to this particular post.)
When a teenager gets pregnant, not mentioning the reasons, she should take care of the children because is a way to deal with the consequences of an unprotected sex and she must not give the children to adoption or doing an abortion, the new mommy now has to deal with the situation and grow up with the new experiences.
If she doesn´t want this way ,it was better to think first. and so the family.
I´m from Brazil, sorry the mistakes.
Quite simply, kids shouldn't be having sex. That would eliminate the problem, but reality says that teen sex is something we will continue to have to deal with. And we aren't doing it very effectively. We need to not only preach abstinence, but consequences. Sex can lead to a variety of problems, and pregnancy is only one. The media has started glorifying and glamorizing not just teen sexual behavior, but also teen motherhood. And teen motherhood is NOT glamorous. Jamie Lynn Spears could have done the world a favor by not having sex or using protection, but once she and her boyfriend got themselves into this situation, they could have made a noble choice and given the child up for adoption to a family that has the wherewithall to actually raise the child in a stable and loving environment. Yes, that's a tough choice to make, and it has repercussions, but sometimes you have to put the child's best interest ahead of your own. I work with kids in this age range, and I so often hear, "No one will love my baby the way I can." Then not too long after that, the child ends up in the care of the state because the teen can't provide appropriate care. Wouldn't it just be better to place the child in a better environment from the get-go?
It would be even better if Hollywood stopped glorifying teenage sexual behavior and embraced a new sexual revolution. Teens -- and adults -- need to understand the virtue of chastity, which is far more than abstinence. An expression of selflessness, chastity informs how and when to express sexuality properly in a relationship between two people. It helps people to refrain from using others as objects of sexual satisfaction.
Teenage pregnancy now a days is becoming more and more common, I know when I went to High school during my freshman year there were a handful of girls pregnant, then my sophmore year I was one of them and so was a lot of other girls, I am now 19 with two kids and seriously half of the students I went to school with then are now parents of one or two kids. It's sad but very common around were I live. I did graduate High school and so did the majority of the other girls that got pregnant, I am in my 2nd year of college, and I am getting married in two months, but I owe all my success to my family being there, my mom and gap and gma mostly. It???s sad to say that teen pregnancy is a common thing now but it is and parents need to talk to their kids about sex and do whatever it is possible. Hell if I had I teenage daughter and I couldn???t get her to take birth control and didn???t trust her judgment I would give her the pill everyday and just tell her it was her vitamin or something. LOL. There has to do be something someone can do, Motherhood is the best experience in someone's life but if you really think you'll be a good mom to your child, than the best thing you can do is to have WAIT, and who really knows when that it is? No one, but the idea is to wait until you can be able to support you and your family on your own. Give your baby the life you had or always wanted to have by waiting. P.S I love my kids more than anything and I wouldn???t trade them for anything in the world, and ???I love being a young mom, just not this young.???
Teenage pregnancy now a days is becoming more and more common, I know when I went to Highschool during my freshman year there were a handful of girls pregnant, then my sophmore I was one of them and so was a lot of other girls, I am now 19 with two kids and seriously half of the students I went to school with then are now parents of one or two kids. It's sad but very common around were I live. I did graduate Highschool and so did the majority of the other girls that got pregnant, I am in my 2nd year of college, and I am getting married in two months, but I owe all my success to my family being there, my mom and gpa and gma mostly. It's sad to say that teen pregnancy is a common thing now but it is and parents need to talk to their kids about sex and do whatever it is possible, hell if i had i teenage daughter and i couldn't get her to take birthcontrol and didn't trust her judgement I would give her the pill everyday and just tell her it was her vitamen or something. LOL. There has to do be something someone can do, Motherhood is the best experience in someone's life but if you really think you'll be a good mom to your child, than the best thing you can do is to have WAIT, and who really knows when that it is? No one, but the idea is to wait until you can be able to support you and your family on your own. Give your baby the life you had or always wanted to have by waiting. P.S I love my kids more than anything and wouldn't trade them for the world. and "I love being a young mom but not this young."
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Yes teenage pregnancy is a traumatic experience for both the expectant mother and father, but the absence of a support system is what makes the circumstance a lot worse. When a teenage girl finds out that shes pregnant, she is frightened to tell her parents because of the fear of getting kicked out or ostracized from her family. In most instances, her instincts are unfortunately right. To me that is the most horrible thing a family can do to an expecting teenage mom. Yes she had sex and was careless enough to get pregnant but in reality, the outcome of the situation is a new life, and why should she be punished for bringing a new life into the world? I think the reason for the killing of newborns as mentioned by ProudParentof3 and other horrible occurrences is the absence of a family support system. If a family fostered an environment where in the event of such an unexpected teen pregnancy were to occur, they would be there to support emotionally, mentally and financially. In my opinion this will lead to an increase in teen mothers continuing their education, a decrease in newborn murder, and the list of positive benefits goes on.
I'm not saying for parents to let it seem as if the child messes up it will be okay, but i think a parents love and support for their child should be unconditional and not subjected in certain conditions.With that being said, my advice to teenagers who are sexually active is to use birth control at all times until your married or old enough to support a child on your own.
I am so thankful there's finally been an article printed discussing some of these issues. I was completely outraged about the article in OK magazine about Jamie Spears. It disgusted me how the article made it look like being a teen mother is so easy and carefree. Sure, if you are famous and can afford a nanny, a 300 thousand dollar house and all of the other costs of raising a child. I had my son when I was 17 years old and I can tell you that it definitely wasn't easy. There needs to be an article on real teen mothers so teens know the truth. I had to work to support myself and my son, plus go to school. I can remember waking up in the middle of the night crying out of frustration b/c I got no sleep and my son was always crying. I was lucky enough to graduate from high school and because of the wonderful support of my mother and my now husband who I met 4 years ago, I will be graduating from college next year. Most former teen moms don't get to say that. Still, I didn't get to be a teenager, I didn't get to experience the college life, and I had to work my butt off to accomplish what others can do much more easily. I love my son and wouldn't trade him for the world, but he came with a cost and teens need to be aware of that. Parents should be educating their children about sex and pregnancy. And it IS the responsibility of those in the public eye to educate teens about the risks because they have the power to do so and should be role models and educate others about the mistakes they've made.
I am 16years old and have an 11 month little girl that i love more than anything in this world. All i have to say to all of you people that act like having a child young is impossible is to get a life. No matter your age, having a child is the most precious thing in this world and the fact that just because someone has a child at a young age for some reason you frown upon it. I think that people who discriminate against teen pregnancy just need something to talk about most likely to make them feel better about themselves. and "twoodoo1" i think that is so sad that you would ever regret having your child, i find that so selfish. i guess motherhood isnt for everyone, i feel like i have gained from my experience.
People don't see you as a mother, they see you as a Immature, Nieve, Whore
it should be "an immature" you idiot
There is no need to say that to people, your ignorance isn't helping anything.
the way i see it is that ya you should probably wait to have sex until you are married but if you decide not to and you get pregnant you can either be immature about it or face the fact that you are having a child and do what you feel is best for your baby and i dont think that should be anyone elses business, ya maybe its not the traditional way to live but ya know life happens and you just have to make the best of it.
Like i said before, the fact that you feel the need to say something like that apparently means that you are trying to make you feel better about yourself... only shows lack of something on your part. so you can go ahead and shove it because you are worthless and you a waste of skin and bones!
agreed. Hey sometimes the truth can be painful but in the long run can become a eye opener.
Perhaps immature & nieve...........but that's most teenager!! I know I was and that OK! However that's also why it's hard to be a parent at such a young age.
Yes! It's all rosey and beautiful when someone else is paying the bill! I doubt that things would seem so rosey if you and your family had to pay ALL OF THE EXPENSES! Immature, irresponsible, and selfish are the words that come to mind - certainly not adult behavior. Was your mother a teen mom? Do you know who your father is? Did you sleep through sex ed? Why should the rest of us be forced to pay for your decisions? We are not 'discriminating against teen pregnancy'...whatever that's supposed to mean. Am I 'discriminating against murders' because I don't condone what Charles Manson did? How does one 'discriminate against' a choice anyway? Your ignorance, immaturity, and selfishness deserve 'discrimination'. Until you begin to take complete (i.e. no government support) responsiblity for your foolish decisions, you will deserve public scorn. I just wish that you did not have too drag down your offspring with you to repeat this foolish cycle.
That is wonderful that you have a idyllic attitude towards your baby for now. It's too bad that we won't find out how rosy it is in ten years when the child is wanting so much more and you may not be able to fulfill the wants. That is one of the hardest things a parent has to do is saying 'no' because the checkbook just can't handle it. Rent or mortgage, car payments, food, electricity, cable, phone, gas for car....it all adds up. I'm guessing that you're living with your parent(s) and not working. Good for them for being so supportive, but you did an adult thing by having a baby and you need to be the adult and support your own child like your parent(s) did for you and are still doing it by my guess.
Hello 16 year old! My question to you would be, "Do you want your 16 yr old boy/girl to be having sex?", "Do you want to be a Grandparent are age 32?" The bigger questions are STD's. I work at a Health Department and STD's among teen ages are a problem. Also, do you support your baby 100% financial or are you using state aid? If you can afford to have and support your baby 100% and are protecting your self againg STD's I say "Go For It!" Of course you love your baby but in general most people are looking at the bigger picture in our communities. Where I live (and in lots of other communities) teens with babies are supported by Medicaid, WIC, food stamps and the local health department. This is a drain on the state and local communities. Teen pregnancy is an issue because most teen are still in high school and can't afford to raise a child. And now without a HS diploma your earning potential is well.......not much and kids are expensive!! So again, I say if you are supporting yourself and your baby 100%, plan to stay in HS, get a good job and do not need state aid.......Go for it!!
I don't regret my child he is a grown man now, I am just saying that if I had waited until I was older, I would have been able to give him a lot more. He is loved for sure. But it is hard to have a job, a baby and go to college, it is hard, life shouldn't have been so hard for me. I made it out ok. Not on welfare, I have a BA in Psychology but there is a time in your life when you need to shine and you can't get the full effect of that with having a baby at a young age. I am not discriminating anyone. It is a fact, look at the statsistics on this issue. God bless you and I hope you have all the energy and strength to be a real good mom, I say I was a "lousy mom" becuase I look at what I could have accomplished if I had waited. I was a good mom in the since that I did what I knew too to get by. Things would have been better had I waited and I think that is is true for all of us who have children at a young age. I hope that you have insurance to pay for your hospital bills and your babies, I see that very difficult at 26 to accomplish but if you do hats off to you, and what I mean by insurance is not from welfare or medicaid. So you are a young adult with a job and have full benefits, from your place of employment to care for you and your child. I am happy if you are a self suffiecent young women.
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