It is what it is.. "Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old," he said. "I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby . I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information." He is such a free thinking progressive genius.. What a joker. Obama Pregnancy Cartoon
I understand the ire, and it was a stupid choice of words, in my opinion. My read of it is "punished," as in "lesson for a mistake." If you read the whole thing, he was saying he didn't want the price of learning to be an unwanted pregnancy, and if I had a daughter, I wouldn't want it, either. I don't get the guy believes pregnancy is evil incarnate. Here's more: http://mediamatters.org/items/200803310013
Its funny though.. Who would string words together like that? He is very comfortable using words like that.. Is it just a poor choice of words or just his everday use of them?
This is nothing new. He's been stringing the wrong choice of words together most of his life. I'm pretty convinced it's not an accident.
I agree with Obama on this one. Being pregnant at 16 is punishment for sure. How in the world can a 16 year old take care of a new born?
I used to think that too. Our most valued and longest running employee's mom died a few years ago. Come to find out she had him when she was only 16. She died suddenly, and very young. Not even 40. The had a daughter a couple years later. Married her high school sweet heart and lived quite a good and productive life. Seems to me, had she waited she would not have had as much time with her children has she did. In this case at least, a pregnancy at 16 was kinda like God's way of making sure she and her children had the most time they could. Want to stop unwanted pregnancies? Try a little more education and parenting. I'm not saying it prevents it, but it sure can't hurt. And if it does happen, 16 or 60, no child is an unwanted pregnancy. There's a reason God choses to bless you with a child. I really don't think I was any more prepared at 32 to have a child than I was at 16. You make do. Punishment? That's not a very good choice of words. Obama as president? Now that's punishment!
As usual, I wish someone had said this. Oh, wait: Perhaps in Mia's case, that might be true - we'll have to take him at his word. I know for myself, financially, emotionally, experientially, I was, uh, better prepared at 32 than I was at 16, to be a dad. I personally think most 32 year olds have learned some things from the additional 16 years that can, well, be useful in raising kids.
I think everyone is missing the point. What Obama is really saying is he supports abortion. I think this is pretty relevant to the subject. Obama's own daddy was punished too.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J19zwKLdSs8
Actually, I am not sure many are missing the point at all. NBC's Mitchell falsely suggested Obama was discussing abortion when he made "punished with a baby" comment. Jeremy - red reps don't help. Going to non-P&R threads to do it is also considered abuse of the system.
Even if you were not more prepared at 32, most people would be. Whether or not all children are a "blessing from god" is highly debatable. First, it assumes belief in a religion that not everyone shares, and I've seen...families (term used VERY loosely)...in which the children were no more a blessing to the parents as the parents were to the children. If you believe some god puts children in these dysfunctional situations on purpose, then it is definitely not a god I would choose to worship. Neither would I consider that existence a "blessing".
Well then, my apologies. See, from this line, I was under the impression you thought Obama's statement that teen pregnancy could be considered punishment was inaccurate because there is no such thing as an unwanted pregnancy; that they are all part of God's plan...therefore a "blessing". You backed up this belief with one personal experience that evidently changed your mind about the entire situation. Now I was merely trying to point out the logical fallacies of your argument. Your position requires belief in a God that not everyone shares, and there are numerous situations in which a child may not be considered a blessing...they may even be considered unwanted. If I am off the mark of what you intended, please elucidate your original response so I can refute what you were truly trying to say.
I cannot argue a point with people that have God complexes. A child may not be expected. That does not mean the child is not wanted. I did not expect my first, so I take the assumption that a higher power was at work. People who consider an "unexpected pregnancy" unwanted or punishment have got bigger problems than I could hope to imagine. I'm simply happy to believe that the creation of life is not up to me alone. I'm also perfectly happy to accept responsibility for caring for a life, unexpected or not. NEVER UNWANTED. You've got to have children to understand; I guess.
If you would have used your higher power you would have used a condom or pulled on time if you knew how, so maybe it is not so much a "higher power" at work here rather than personal power not been exercised at all. To think that a "higher power" was at work cause you knocked up someone is naive thinking. That's like saying a "higher power" wanted for a Tsunami to happen and wipe out hundred of thousands of innocent people. That kind of thinking (in my view) is paleolithic. For every cause there is an effect. And pregnancy is no exception.