Bristol Palin’s new PSA here admonishes kids to, well, not do what she did. As the saying goes, “Not that there is anything wrong with that” (trying to help kids). Well, maybe there is. While it may help for kids to hear hard lessons from other kids, Bristol Palin still didn’t practice what she preached. Bristol is probably a good kid. She made a mistake, which many kids have. I wish her well and hope she has a good life. But the message seems to be pitched only at disadvantaged kids, not those whose mothers made, say, $75,000 a pop for an air-headed speech, more than a million from a poorly ghost-written memoir, and buckets of money spreading FAUX “news.” Not everyone can be so (monetarily, at least) lucky.
Listen to the PSA at the link above. That’s just a little hypocritical. After all, as the above-linked article shows,
Interestingly, the abstinence driven campaign is very much a reversal for Bristol, who told Fox News that she thought abstinence campaigns were “not realistic at all.”
The “abstinence only,” message she now preaches outside this PSA is a nice wholesome thought, but it is also wishful thinking. Research shows specifically that abstinence only programs do not work. And abstinence-only most certainly did not work for Bristol Palin. She’s a poster child, not just for the need for sex education, but also, specifically, for family planning. Given the evidence, you’d think that would be the end of abstinence-only programs. But that’s not in the Republican play book. The GOP has to appease the base. (Take note, Obama administration, you, who don’t appease your base (ever)). Instead, you throw money by the millions at the other side’s base. And they still act horribly to you). There is more and it may shock you…
These programs waste really, really big bucks. You may be surprised to learn that there is $250 million ($50 million in each of five years) for such abstinence “ed” plans in the health care bill!!!!! It’s another case of white-collar, radical, “right”-wing Republican welfare. Think of all the medicine for the sick and cancer treatment for the poor that could have been delivered for that much money! I haven’t even discussed here all the hundreds of millions wasted on such programs overseas. This is worse than pandering. It’s unethical to spend money on ineffective programs, however potentially benign the message.
But the Republican radicals are never satisfied. Now, in five Wisconsin school districts, lawfully delivering sex education classes including birth control information, permitted under a new state statute, meets threats of criminal prosecution by an errant prosecutor. You have to read the details of this story to believe it. This errant bully is twisting, contorting and taking the law into his own hands. And he hurts the very programs which reduce teen sexual activity AND reduce teen pregnancies.
So, a worthless program receiving millions at the public trough (an evil –because it is a complete waste of money and therefore theft from the public, at the expense of the sick) is OK with Republicans, and (alas) even the Obama administration. But those lawfully and effectively teaching classes delivering information teens need are treated as criminals by a Republican that might give Cuccinelli bad ideas. This is what you get from the political party which hoisted Bristol Palin to reluctant fame and fortune via her half-witted, half-governor mother (who winks her way into the Hypocrites Hall of Fame). Do they see any irony here?
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