I concur. Teens need to be made aware that not all teen mothers get to appear on "Dancing with the Stars".

Hey kj, hows the sex life? LOL

Are you kidding me? Teen pregnancy is glamorous? Wow, I didn't know having to get horrible stares from people when you use a food card (EBT) because the father does not pay child support, and the state won't go after him. Or, having to be humiliated if on welfare. Or, having to sit hours on hours in hopes of getting childcare. A man can leave with no consequences, and the young girl is left with having to do it all. And, at that age, I cannot imagine. Im a single mother of twins that I had at twenty four, and thank God, I had a decent job, but it was still unimaginable. There is nothing glamorous about teen pregnancy. We need to make these young boys more accountable and level the playing field. So sick of everybody taking it out exclusively on the young girl. Its unbelievable. Oh and by the way, I think the fact that Bristol is doing something to provide for her son is great. (I do not like Palin by the way) Remember she is paid to do that. Why not, at least she is providing without stripping like the guy did. Quit being so damn judgemental on these young girls. I would hate to be judged the rest of my life for making one mistake when I was a teenager.

Haha, you make me laugh. So righteous and judgemental. So you think that teen pregnancy should be de-glamorized? Normal teen girls should be led to believe that they can live with their pregnancy & resulting child as Bristol does. As far as Bristol - did you watch her debut on Dancing - she did a striptease... but I guess that is ok since she is providing for her son. And what I mean is that these teens need to realize that they will not be as lucky as Bristol to have the means to not have to do a damn thing to support her son. But she does get to drive around in an Escalade. So yea, I wouldn't want my teen daughter to emulate her because she is the exception.

I was a pregnant teen so I am not judging. Merely pointing out that it would be nice if they realize they do not live the Palin life and never will. If reality is bad for them then too bad - its all we have. Yes, compared ot most teen moms Bristol's life is glamorous - look she's on TV.

I can't believe that, along with the headline 'needs to stop being glamorized', there would not be any mention of starting with TV SHOW CENSORING, and VIDEO GAME CENSORING of teen sexual activity and glamorization! The story has absolutely NO significance without this! Parents need to start being held responsible for underage sexual activity a little too. Boys AND girls. Its Illegal activity in the United States according to the LAW. even though alot of people's grandparents and ancestors were married at 15 and younger. The Media is where is all starting from with glamorization and acceptance---PERIOD. Theres a show called TEEN MOM for christ's sake! It should be outlawed and Illegal..unless they start getting REAL points across about how bad(and illegal) it is to think about being in such activity. Most all actresses and actors are the so-called 'good-looking' people, and not just a 'joe smoe' looking person. If you dont think its a problem, then you arent alive and are ignorant to whats going on around you concerning this topic..and alot about this article wouldnt have had to be conceived. Wake up people! Or...well..theres always the citizen revolution..which is also non-stoppable. Alot of people are getting really fed-the-hell up with this stuff.

Clothing lines and styles need to change too(especially on the younger actors/actresses)...they are a big part of Glamorization and acceptance.

Nica, you obviously cannot read. I am fully aware that Bristol is in a much better position than that of the majority of pregnant teens, but it seems my dear that you are in fact the judgemental and self righteous. Education and support is what these young girls need, not a lifetime of critique.

Marika, what do you call the guys?

What black-and-white TV sitcom are you living in? Teen pregnancy was a problem 50 years ago, too. The only difference is back then there were two options -- and even you allude to them -- a shotgun wedding to make an "honest" girl of the teen-mom-to-be, or shipping her off to a home for unwed mothers until the child was born and given up for adoption -- all the while telling the neighbors she'd gone to stay with family for a while. Still had pregnant teens, societal frowns or not. And, by-the-way, a "gal" can still say she is saving herself for marriage. Don't tell me it can't be done -- I'm proof of that. And my reasons had nothing to do with prudish attitudes, empty religious convictions or any silly promise to my dad. My decision came from plain, hard practicality -- I knew better than to get myself in a situation to contract STDs or get myself knocked up.

LOL! Hardly. In those days, teen pregnancy was at it's highest. Those girls just "went away" to Aunt Margaret's, which was really a home for unwed mothers, where she was forced to give her baby away for adoption. Or, she got married at sixteen, had a passel more of kids and lived a very unhappy life, chained to man she didn't love in a life where she did nothing more than clean house and raise children. Not that finishing high school meant that she would get anything better out of life. Even if she DID manage to get to college, it was just to get her MRS. degree......IOW, land a husband. In that case, she just landed a man with a degree and had a life in a higher class. She didn't marry a working class schlub. She still had the same kind of life, but just wore pearls while she vaccuumed and joined the country club.

Marika, do you give medals to the guys who got them pregnant?? Thank god for the women before me, so I don't have to put up with your uninformed biased views

Many school districts have at least one school with daycare for early teen mothers. If we went back to the old way of expelling women that decided to deliver babies despite full control over their reproduction, there would be fewer teenage mothers. Instead, Feminist activists have convinced us that our property taxes should subsidize childcare, evicting the father and replacing him with government services.

Many school districts have at least one school with daycare for early teen mothers. If we went back to the old way of expelling women that decided to deliver babies despite full control over their reproduction,

If you are still in high school, what makes you think they are women? These are girls, and most of them don't have access to birthcontrol or control of their reproduction and the schools haven't done much to educate them about the effects of sexual intercourse. The boys are just as bad or worse......oh don't worry baby, no one gets pregnant the first time.....I heard that line 35 years ago.

And just because a girl has made the mistake of having a baby before she should, I give them alot of credit for going back to school and trying to get an education. My best friends daughter Erin, went on the pill at 16 and had a baby at 16, why because they didn't give it long enought to work.....take a pill, can't get pregnant....uh wrong! Erin just turned 40 last week and is now a nurse and is going for her masters, why because her parents told her she had to go back to school. They took care of MacKenzie, while Erin graduated, got a job and went to night school.

She certainly didn't have a glamourous life, because Pete (the sperm donor) couldn't be bothered to take care of his daughter. Part of the reason your property taxes pay for these girls, is because the (sperm donors) don't.......Remember, just because you can bleed, don't mean you should breed!

Ian, what consequence would happen to the man who got the girl pregnant?? So hypocritical!

Unless the girl was raped, she willingly took a gamble by having unprotected sex and lost. Is the guy responsible? Sure, 50% responsible I guess but what does that matter. We're talking about teens here. Are you going to garnish the paycheck from his part time McJob to pay for diapers and food for his mistake of a kid. Maybe we should start holding the parents responsible for paying for their children's unintentional offspring. It would be better than having the taxpayers pick up the tab.

You guess? There is no guessing to it. Taxpayers do pick up the tab when men don't pay. And yes, if he does work at McDonalds then yes garnish his check, at least the mother will not be on welfare. It matters because young girls are taking all of the brunt, not the men who were 50 percent responsible. They are not put down like the girls.

Yeah, Ian, that's it! Keep those dirty sluts ignorant! That will teach them a good lesson, right? Let's just keep them uneducated and in poverty and keep that cycle going! That's the way to break the cycle and end the problem! (yes, I am being sarcastic!)

The terminally stupid never cease to amaze me.

One thing to point out about OLD mothers, you never hear of a 40 something mom (or dad) of a toddler beating it to death or neglecting it. MATURITY makes better parents. I don't care about what some dumb, know-nothing 20 year old thinks.

I love how all the posts firmly state that the mother should support the child, not taxpayers, yet, when Bristol gets paid for Dancing with the Stars, all of the same people bitch and moan and say that she is being glamorized. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Sounds like if something doesn't fit into your mold, then it is just plain wrong.

Reaves, Bristol is not on Dancing to support her son - don't tell me you honestly think that. She is on it for promotion - herself. Wouldn't it be better if she got a regular job & stayed home with her son rather then jetting all over the country?

Not sure what all your comments mean. But you seem to be off on at least a few. Physically, a teenager should not have more energy than a young adult in their early to mid 30's. Males actually don't reach full adult hood until their early 20s. But this is not the age of the caveman so none of that makes much sense anyway.

The longer you wait to have children, the better both financially and emotionally you will be able to deal with them, the less stress you will have in your life, and the better parent you will likely be.

Kayla, you make very little sense.

Kayla wrote "Men are no longer shamed for leaving their families and for not taking care of their wives and children."

Incorrect. Women are proceeding to have children without fathers despite the female's complete control over her reproduction and the absence of a father secured through marriage. Family courts should be more accurately renamed family liquidation courts because they operate outside the due process of law, existing only to part a man from his money, with nearly zero going to his child after he is bankrupted by the proceedings.

Ian, I wish I didn't have to file bankruptcy while trying my damnedest to care for my son, maybe I wouldn't have if his father (sperm donor - exhusband) paid some of the over $140,000.00 he owes in back support and interest. You may have gotten the shaft in your own case, but I'd be willing to bet, more women and children get screwed over more often then the man does.

Ian, your incorrect. Many women do not have a choice when the man leaves and does not pay child support, and the state is horrible at best about going after them. Only if he is pulled over for a traffic ticket, can they actually incarcerate him for non payment, or if he is arrested for something else. Sounds like your mad because you have to pay child support.

That's what I think too.

Look, obviously there's two issues with teen pregnancy. The first is that the teens are too young to support themselves let alone a baby and the second is that the "relationships" these kids have are generally not particularily long term and certainly not marriage.

It is still possible (though difficult) for an 18 year old to support a small family so if they go and get some 16 year old pregnant but move in with and marry that girl and support her and the kid on his little paycheck then I don't have a problem with that. He's likely hurting his chances at a good career by doing that but he made his choice and its his money so I have no problem with it. The problem is that that seldom happens though. Most of the time these couple's don't stay together and the teen mom ends up leeching off the rest of us through welfare. And most of the time the father can't earn enough money to support his child.

I see nothing wrong with two highschool sweethearts deciding they want to get married and have children at 18. Its very rare these days and it was obviously very common decades ago. But that is a situation that causes a small minority of all teen pregnancies. Most of the time teen pregnancy is a mistake.

But, what you don't understand is that the girls would not be on welfare if the man was paying child support. And yes, the mother should work too.

are u the same one who agreed that women OUTNUMBER the men in backdue child support? so this statement u just wrote is basicaly playing both sides.. bottun line is hold mothers acoutable if they break the law when it comes to vistation..women complain that men skip out but play games AND denie vistation while holding out there hands..didn,t acoure to u that men will not just pay so u can keep the child they help bring into this world away from them? there is no more having your cake and eating it to..those days are dying..trust me. i can point out the flawed thinking in your statement above but i dont got the time.

Are you an idiot? The men percentage that don't pay far exceeds woman. Women only make up ten percent of those ordered to pay, so even if all did not pay, it still would not even come close to the sixty eight percent of men that don't pay. I guess you failed math along with failing spelling. I was trying to be civil and have a rational debate, but considering that you are force feeding hate to your son, and writing statements like "dont got the time," I would simply be wasting me time. Go, off with you now, hurry, run along and go run over all the women you can, you'll feel much better. Bye bye.

I agree with much of your statement, particularly the mixed cultural messages that are seen in every form of media.

However, I wanted to stress to you that the concept of “"self confidence and higher aspirations" is a pretty pie-in-the-sky pop psychology idea” is actually erroneous. A number of research studies have found that those adolescent women with higher self-esteems tend to delay sexual activity, as well as use birth control more consistently. It is actually only partially related to looks (and obesity) and is more about instilling a sense of self-worth. Girls in this category (higher self-esteem) are more likely to be active in afterschool activities (sports, clubs, jobs, etc - which also helps to prevent pregnancy) and are more likely to have plans after high school. In other words, as wishy-washy as it sounds, these girls respect themselves and have hope for the future: two characteristics that do not go hand-in-hand with wanting a baby at an inopportune time.

Of course, this is just one of the factors that impact adolescent pregnancy. Involved parenting, sex education, access to birth control, and so forth are also all very critical factors. I just wanted to also point out that while appearing to be “pop” psychology, building self confidence and encouraging adolescents to make plans – whether it is college, trade school, etc – are also important pieces!

Rural Washington wrote "I think part of the issue is that the USA tends to be prudish and Puritanical when it comes to educating their young about sex and pregnancy prevention."

The USA also has the most liberal immigration policy of any industrialized nation. We know the population segment responsible for the greatest percentage of children born out of wedlock.

Tessy, you keep referring to these girls, what about the guys? Does any hate or resentment ever get directed to these guys who don't pay child support and force these young girls to go on welfare? How in the hell are they rewarded? They are the ones having to do everything.

Right. Make the innocent infants suffer to teach the bad little mommies a good lesson. That makes total sense. That'll take care of the problem right quick.

Reeves wrote "Tessy, you keep referring to these girls, what about the guys?"

The young women are not being forced into sex. There are over a dozen methods of birth control, including IUD coils, morning after pills and abortion and adoption. These young women have children *only* because they want to. The young man is an unwilling father and functions only as a sperm donor.

This is RIDICULOUS.

Young men who are "unwilling" to be fathers can use condoms. Many do and successfully avoid fatherhood until they plan for it. They are JUST AS RESPONSIBLE!

Reaves, you asked what about the men, how are they rewarded? Why they get to go and play with another girl because they're not home taking care of the baby/babies. Kind of like this guy!

The 29 year old, Desmond Hatchett, who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, has fathered 20 (maybe 21) children with at least 11 different mothers. His children range in age between 11 months and 11 years old. As with all children they require food, clothing, etc. which doesn't come cheap. Their minimum-wage earning father says it's a problem. .

"I had four kids in the same year. Twice." Hatchett says.

Last week when he went to court, he appeared on the docket eleven times to answer for 15 of his 21 children who haven't received child support recently. The mothers of Hatchett's children are supposed to get between $25 and $309 a month, but the government is only allowed to take up to 50% of his pay check. Some of the mothers only get a $1.98 a month

This clown goes on the say he's a good father, because he knows ALL his children's names and birth dates. Too bad he doesn't know enough to put a condom on. Now, where are all the guys who were bitching last weekend about how men's lives get hijacked because they have to pay child support.

Of course, I'm not going to let the 11 mothers off the hook, but come on..... 21 kids in 11 years.

Ian, blaming the woman, or girl entirely only shows that you are bitter against them. Men also have a choice, and be honest, at that age, boys keep and keep pressuring these girls promising undevoted love. Not diminishing the girls responsibility of , but equal blame is required. And equal provisions should be equal as well. Not a lifetime sentence of put downs for girls only.

kj031056-1, you're talking about some crazy redneck earning minimum wage. The guy should be sterilized, but he simply doesn't have much money to support all these kids. His is a poor example of a man who's life has been hijacked by an excessive child support payment.

Your holding the girls who had sex accountable, so why not this guy? He played too didn't he? There is always two sides to every story. He might be complaining that he is going bankrupt because he has to pay 3 or 4 hundred dollars. You never know. I don't care if I had to go bankrupt paying child support. My children will and always will come first. I don't care if I had to work four jobs; they are going to be taken care of and with no complaining. I can't stand guys bitchin because god forbid they have to take care of the children they made.

Guys, no need to be offended by Ian's words. His posts seem to be limited to three topics:

1) How women are ruining the traditional family
2) How women are responsible for the emasculation of today's men
3) How women make non-emasculated men look bad in every other way

Like a bitter, misogynist parrot, you won't get him to say much of anything else, let alone be swayed by a positive discussion about women. So please don't waste your time or lose sleep over it.

KJ totally agree with you.

Sorry bg, he wasn't an example of someone who pays too much child support, he was the answer to Reaves question of " what about the guys?" and "How in the hell are they rewarded?".......I said they get to go out and play with another girl/woman......

I must have worded it badly, or you may have missed the meaning.......

reaves is playing bothe sides typical BS manipulation..she agreed on how mothers outnumber and refuse to pay child support than fathers but here she is siding w/ bias indivaduales. u lost all credabilty.

Kuskus, you are quite right, haha!!

credibility

I'm all for making the grandparents on both sides pay for the kid until the parents have family supporting jobs. That's basically what happens in upper middle class households when a teen pregnancy happens. Of course in the parts of this country where teen pregnancies are most prevalent (the ghettos and trailer parks) many of these grandparents aren't exactly making a great salary themselves. Nevertheless, they should be forced to contribute something rather than just have the taxpayers keep paying for these mistakes.

For the most part, Bravo. Good post and thank you for it. I do, however, have to take exception to the comment about being hardwired for sex... such a statement makes it seem like we are all servants to our biological drives and therefore helpless in the face of them. It makes it real easy to say we have no control over it. But that is all a weak BS excuse. I'm sorry. We may have bodies and homones, yes, but we also have evolved brains that think and that can control our bodies. We are not - or should I say we don't have to be - helpless victims to primeval biological urges. Pushing the "hardwired" argument only gives people an out, an excuse. "It's not my fault -- I'm hardwired to do it. I couldn't help it - it is biology." I'm not saying only weak people have sex or anything stupid like that, but I am saying we make decisions and choices that lead to certain outcomes and we DO have the ability to make choices about when, where and with whom to have sex. Do people always exercise that choice or choose well? Hardly. Doesn't mean they aren't capable of better. I think emphasizing that sex is about choice might go a long way. (the choice thing obviously excludes rape)

Mrs. Spaceghost,

That is one of the most intelligent things I've read in these forums ever.

How do you think raising a child, when being a teenager, is without any consequence? Really? Have you ever been in that position? If not then quit judging.

We know you said yes to sex...unprotected...and as a teenager...Dont have to judge..you did that yourself..I agree some more responsibility for a child should me alot more on the father...and they need to go after legitimate deadbeats. Not the ones that were put-out because the mom simply didnt wanna have them around anymore, or want them to see their own children because they are mad at the dad..which has almost no chance for reprieve in any court, unless the mom is caught beating(or something) the child, or doing too many drugs....but those boys/men would probably stay with that girl/woman if there was incentive to do so...maybe.

Whizard dear, I am a single mother because the father was killed in a car wreck when I was pregnant. Second, I was twenty four with a good job. Third, I was married. Fourth, I actually was on birth control when I got pregnant. I am in the criminal justice field, and I see the fathers get away with doing nothing everyday. And, for your information, most fathers are not there because THEY don't want to be a part of the life of the child, not the other way around, as you seem to think. Im not saying that it doesn't happen, but not nearly as often.

yeah.. but they dont have the responsibility mind-set.... at 20..only about 3% of them have any notion as to what responsibility even is. Dont even go there.

And the men at that age are any better?

Kayla, many grandparents are raising their grandchildren at age forty or fifty and doing it wonderfully. So, there is no difference in a woman having a child at forty. Many are in better shape than those in their twentys, not to mention being more financially settled and more time to spend with them. Get off your high horse hon.

Fallen.. definitely fallen

In my 70s hometown, the very few girls who found themselves in that position were positively outcasts. Only one that I knew of kept her baby. Not too many repercusions for the boys, though.

I graduated in 1974, there were 3 girls from my class of 104 that had babies when we were sophomores, one got married, came back to school, graduated, got divorced and went to college, one dropped out all together, and one went to a different school where she graduated.

My grandparents who were born in 1897 and 1899 had a shot gun wedding....they had 8 children, 4 of which had to get married in the 1950's, they had 28 grandchildren and only one had to get married, because by the time my younger sister decided to have children the need to get married wasn't as strong. Jeri and Walter live together, raise their two sons together, but aren't ever going to marry. Jeri doesn't want to lose everything they've worked for because he drinks way too much......

In those days in my small hometown, pregnant girls were not permitted to attend school. They had to be tutored or attend special evening classes. They were rarely seen in public.

One girl in my neighborhood was sent out of state to a home for unwed teens. She never saw her baby who was adopted. When she returned home, most of us other girls were seriously lectured by our parents to not associate with her. No boy would admit to dating her. She really endured a lot of ridicule while the teen father remained a popular football star in our little high school. Wonder what became of her?

You know, reaves - I think you need to take a chill pill.

Reaves-1604837 wrote "Mel Gibson, who hit the mother of his child (who everybody defended)"

His gold-digger woman knows her future monthly dependents are highly dependent on the severity of her presentation. Dont believe her. Mel didn't hit anyone, though if she taunted him with a real abortion of his child, she deserves a proper beating.

Mel didn't hit anyone, though if she taunted him with a real abortion of his child, she deserves a proper beating.

Anyone who promotes domestic violence has serious issues...Really Ian???

WOW, Ian, you are really scaring me buddy.

Thank god for the women's movement. It is for people like you that it started. They have paved the road and made my life easier. Thank you to all the women that fought for my rights before me. I am grateful.

I completely agree!!! When being a teen-mom gets you on DWTS, gets you standing on the red carpet hob-nobbing with movie stars, and gets you speaking engagements which pay out several thousands dollars how could a teen NOT think getting pregnant is cool.

We NEED to see Bristol Palin hurting!!! Teens need to see the struggle of being a teen parent, instead of dancing around a stage how about seeing Bristol changing diapers and MISSING the dance because of the baby. How about she comes out in a dress covered in spit-up, or having to buy second hand clothing because she had to buy formula for the baby!!!

Madonna is the biggest slut imaginable. She is personally responsible for the childlessness of many decent late 30s women that believed they could defer child birth.

You people forget that these people can AFFORD to have these kids.

amen! i wish we can cut off the safety net or right after 2 years..then there will not be an encentive to do this and get a free ride.

Me, wouldn't it be better NOT to have those children at all!!! I say unless you can prove you can take care of a child finanically and physically you should be forced to abort the child!!!! Why should I pay taxes for some dumb B!tch to get knocked up and have to get welfare for the kid's life.

I would much rather pay taxes to some company so they can close the plant and move my job to India!!! I would much rather give BP OIL or EXXON Mobile tax incentives because after all those oil companies are struggling to make their shareholders billions of dollars!!

i agree Blue..but when u got financial incentive to make kids like that..even just one and u get paid double..one by the stAte the other w/child support...for 18 yrs..thats all they think bout. the urge is too strong. we can blame feminism for this.."get all u can get by hook and crook then play then weaker sex card" by the way that does not exist..women are capable like men for violence or even more so but the feminists have fed that MYTH for a long time now and its gone to the point of scaming by using kids as fiacial means.

"The fathers of these babies need to pay too, and keep paying. Their wages should be garnished, proportional to income, until the child reaches 18" thats the PROBLEM..the mothers know full well they get support from the state AND fathers so thats the encentive..not only do they push out the fathers and are not held accountable for breaking they vistation laws and they have no accountablity when it comes to how the the CS is being used. take away they the support from the state and held them to the same standards has fathers if they dont follow the rules. did u know mothers OUTNUMBER fathers in backdue child support? 60 40 is how much they outnumber dads.