The neverending Palin reality show

On the subject of why Bristol broke up with Levi—again—a week after getting engaged to him—again—I sent this ABC story to Laura Wood, with a question:

Why should Levi’s having gotten another girl pregnant interfere with Bristol and Levi’s getting married?

Laura replies:

Bristol, who is only 20, probably feels that she and Levi have a strong and unique bond because they have a child. So I would think it would be tough for her to handle the news that he will have the same strong tie with another woman.

This entire fiasco confirms what Bristol’s pregnancy suggested in the first place: here is a girl who is raising herself. It shows what happens when adolescents are basically left on their own, with little authority or adult guidance and with the expectation that they can make mature decisions about the rest of their lives while handling many opportunities for sexual interaction. What’s amazing is that this should happen in a family that depends on an image of wholesomeness. If even the Palins cannot raise their adolescent child responsibly, then imagine how hard it is for normal people to do so, given the prevailing view that a 20-year-old is essentially a full adult and can smoothly negotiate the challenges of complete sexual freedom.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at August 05, 2010 12:46 PM | Send