McCain, Palin, and the meaning of "choice"

Maybe I am mistaken but would appear that abortion is a much bigger issue in the US than it is in Europe. The rights of a woman to choose is not something that would be debated at an election. I don't believe the state has any right to interfere in this family issue (and I would bet that most of the UK and Europe would agree).

Does this make us bleeding heart liberals?

The US continues to have an inner war between those who try to control with customized interpretations of "The Word" and those who refuse to be told what to believe or how to live.
Abortion? Gays? Both hotbed issues.
Europe murdered their most religious fanatics and shipped the rest overseas to the US a few hundred years ago.
We've been fighting amongst ourselves ever since.
(insert "The More You Know" theme here)

you can have a choice as long as it coincides with our religious beliefs

:/

First, let me say I am no fan of McCain's.

I think we need to make a distinction between "choice" (whether or not to actually continue a pregnancy) "choices" (e.g. keep the baby, adoption). This isn't about "choice" for his daughter's imagined pregnancy; this is about choosing amongst adoption or parenthood. I don't think abortion even entered into his thinking, nor would he allow his daughter to have an abortion (which in Arizona he could do, due to the parental consent laws there). Bristol Palin, as an Alaskan citizen, could have chosen an abortion, as the laws there are not restrictive to minors. I was surprised to see this, as I would have thought maverick Sarah Palin would have made it a priority to amend those laws.

This article makes a lot of assumptions about all parties concerned. I think it is critically important to remember that the decision to terminate a pregnancy is a highly personal, sensitive and private one. All of this speculation about Bristol Palin's motives are just that, speculation.

The Palin child’s pregnancy is a microcosm of the difference between the two idealologies-

education vs. abstinence

evolution vs. creationism

diplomacy vs. arbitrary war

intelligence vs. narcissism

science and liberty vs. right-wing self righteousness

The GOP know as the party of family values is no longer! You only have to got to the leader George W Bush to know why- it was Bush that killed the GOP party no one else! The hypocrites are among us they are the neocons!

Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin
The choice is more clear than ever!

The republicans believe that you have the right to choose what they have decided for you. This decision process begins with abortion and soon will cover all aspects of your life.

I feel bad for the daughter though, her boyfriend doesn't want children. That will make for a fun marriage.

A woman's right to choose is hers alone and for no one else. Are we really going to allow the Republicans to decide this issue for us and to continue their world endangering energy policies?

The polls are not looking very favorable and if we do not take action we will have a government of McCain/Palin and that would be one hell of a nightmare.

I hate to bring this up but are we totally sure that Sarah did not cover up for one of the two daughter's being preggy.

We the People have been so badly treated by the press and both political parties that perhaps we have reached the point where we finally admit that our government is run by utter sleaze-bags and we can trust none of them, since they believe they are above the law and entitled to do anything since they are protected by the rich and powerful.

'Shotgun wedding is case of wife or death' I feel bad for the guy, I highly doubt he is quite ready to marry this girl.. but I guess it's all part of being anti-choice.. at least divorce isn't illegal yet!

I don't know, the whole thing seems scandalous to me.. First people aren't sure if the 5th child is Palin's, now they come out and say the daughter in pregnant now to try to combat rumors she was pregnant before.. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that the debates are now to be held on the Maury show.

They've been preapproved for The Jerry Springer Show.

Sarah Palin governs her family.
Sarah Palin has say in what happens in her house.
She's the boss.

We know how she feels, she tells us.
She has to, she's a politician.

So in her house, abortion is not an option.
When she was asked if her own daughter was raped,
if she would allow an abortion, she said, "I would choose life."

Bristol has NO OPTION.
Bristol did NOT MAKE ANY DECISION.

She's 17, she's a kid, living in her parent's house.
She has to do what they say.

And Sarah Palin says keep the baby, even if it's from rape.

Sarah Palin is fighting to remove the right to choose from women.
Even for her own daughter, and there's no doubt about it.

So why would it be different in her home?

So the Republicans are praising that they gave the
daughter a choice? Yet they want to take that choice
away?

Is there anything more hypocritical than this?

I believe that Senator Biden made the best analysis of this whole situation.

Children should be OFF LIMITS when looking into the background of nominees and their picks! How would you like it if you went to a job interview and and your possible employer wanted to probe YOUR children?!

I think Bristol was given a clear choice. I'm sure after informing her mother of the situation she was given a choice of items she'd prefer to be beaten with.

Inbetween strikes I'm sure Sarah Palin would pause to read passages from the Bible while screaming, "Whore!"

Okay, okay. That may be a little unfair, but its just the impression I get of the ultra-conservative, ultra-religious Sarah Palin.

Hugs and reassurances that she'll stand by her daughter no matter what?

I really don't get that vibe.

A 15min beating with a wire hanger? I definitely see that as a more likely response from our "regular Hockey Mom aint-she-just-like-us?" Sarah.

Fools on parade.

Oh wow, they let the clueless 17 year-old make the decision herself. Did they let her make the decision to have sex herself too? Did they explain she hasn't seen anything life has to offer yet? What about Jesus? Doesn't he specifically say don't have sex until you are at least legally an adult and capable of handling the consequences in the Bible? Why? Why not just let her run the country while she's at it?

What about the unborn child's right to be brought into the world as WANTED? Who was standing up for that?

If it were me, I would rather be aborted any day and wait for the next time at bat rather than have my innocent life brought into the world in compromised circumstance.

Since apparently celebrities are the only ones that matter in our society according to the TV, I'll use them as an example. How many famous and therefore "important" people have been lost to abortion? NONE, because they didn't exist!

Hmmm...guess sex isn't so much fun when it comes with the ultimate life-long ball and chain attached to it.

Poor kid.

One minute you're watching your role models on TV having fun and getting knocked up, the next minute you are in the nation's spotlight as a example of what not to do.

Yep, I guess we saw this coming.

This is exactly why I won't sleep with a girl without having "the abortion talk" first as a "WCS" (Worst Case Scenario) back-up plan and why I'm terrified to bring a child into the world in today's culture.

Two words people: Self control.

It's really upsetting that even the "good" brainwashed-for-their-own-good Christian girls are apparently complete hypocrites. With all the religious nonsense indoctrinated into you, what good is it if it doesn't even prevent you from getting pregnant while still in school and living at home?

Seriously, that's some pretty ineffective programming.

Well, at least it puts the whole drama (and ultimately the entire story) front and center so hopefully they can guilt and shame other girls that are doing the things that lead to getting "preggies" so young to think twice.

It a shame to see so many lives broken in this way.

The one silver lining might be that everyone involved is so lucky, naive, and sheltered that they get married and stay married for life based on Palin's childhood sweetheart story. Still, I think it is insanely irresponsible to believe the rest of the world behaves that way (watch TV for Christ's sake) and make governmental policies as such.

When expected to live up to your own higher moral or intellectual standards, people will fail you everytime.

Pffft, yeah right. Palin probably coerced her daughter...Conservative bigots.

I know the father probably has been coerced too!! He'll decide marriage after they tell him he'll be taken care of $ wise and power wise. Yeah I'd marry her too if her mommy provided $ for the wedding/house/and child care for years to come.

I feel bad for the poor girl.

that's pretty sarcastic that Palin's daughter had child, and pregancy, but yet she talks about this "choice".

To top it off she now has to go through a shotgun wedding with a guy that doesn't want children (from his myspace page). Religions repression sucks.

great article. it's obvious that the only one who do any choosing with these people are them.

Very astute article.

Jon Stewart just made the same point to Newt Gingrich and he defended McCain and Palin's hypocrisy by calling Obama a baby-killer and saying it is just a policy dispute. Stewart pointed out that Palin said this was her daughter's choice and that her policy position is that it shouldn't be anyone's choice and pushed Newt on that, but the former Speaker of the House dodged the question and called it a private matter.