Elizabeth Hasselbeck: Bristol Palin Perfect Face of Abstinence

by Tina Kells | May 7, 2009 at 05:11 pm

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The View co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck is on a publicity tour promoting her new book, The G-Free Diet, but during an appearance on Larry King she talked everything but dieting.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck, a long time Republican supporter, commented on Bristol Palin being chosen to sell abstinence to America's youth by calling the teen mother, and daughter of one time vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, a "perfect choice" for the job.

In answer to critics who say Bristol Palin is a terrible choice as a spokesperson for abstinence Hasselbeck took an aggressive position calling them "sadistic" for questioning the appropriateness of a teen mother preaching "don't have sex" to her peers.

King also talked with Hasselbeck about Bristol Palin, the daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, being a spokeswoman for abstinence.

King: What do you make of that choice?

Hasselbeck: I think she's the perfect choice. She has a tangible, living example of what this new responsibility is in her life. I believe that there is a sort of sadistic giddiness on the part of some true radical leftists, who are laughing behind-the-scenes about Bristol Palin's situation.

Why are they so obsessed with her being a spokesperson for this? She's promoting a great thing -- abstinence. Find me something else that works 100 percent of the time.

"Why are they so obsessed with her being a spokesperson for this? She's promoting a great thing -- abstinence." Hasselbeck commented. Why the criticism? Really?? Could it have something to do with the "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrisy of having Bristol Palin speak out in favor of teen abstinence?

Understanding why teen mom Bristol Palin would be under fire as an inappropriate choice to be an abstinence spokesperson should not be that hard, and it is not just "radical leftists" who object.

Bristol Palin may have learned the "hard way" that teen sex can change one's life but she has never said it changed her life for the worst. In fact, Bristol Palin has alluded to the opposite time and time again by saying that although teen motherhood is "hard work" her child is a "blessing."

Bristol Palin appears to be a loving and happy mother, hard work and all, and while both of these are very admirable points if she is telling teens NOT to have sex shouldn't she be speaking to her regrets? Bristol Palin has come out and stated that she has "no regrets" about being sexually active and becoming pregnant.

Campaigning against teen pregnancy on the TODAY show Wednesday, Bristol Palin, 18-year-old daughter of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, told Matt Lauer that a baby “is not just an accessory on your hip. This is hard work.” But she called her 4-month-old son Tripp “not a mistake at all. He’s a blessing.”

Bristol, her baby, and her father, Todd Palin, were visiting the TODAY show to promote the Eighth Annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The event is sponsored by the Candie’s Foundation, for which Bristol has signed on as a national spokeswoman in the battle to fight teen pregnancy in the United States.

Teen or not motherhood at any age is "hard work" and if that is the only thing that Bristol Palin has to say to actively dissuade her peers from following in her footsteps it is hardly a powerful message. Bristol Palin clearly loves her child, a little boy named Tripp, and I doubt she would say something now that could hurt that child later.

What kind of mother would publicly say they regretted their child; children grow up and learn to read and the Internet remembers everything. I have not observed Palin to be that kind of mother; she is a loving parent and that is unmistakable. Bristol Palin had sex as a teen and she has a child she adores, fame, and now a job as a spokesperson; what lesson should teens take from that?

She would be a good choice for representing why teen mothers might keep their baby but as an advocate of abstinence she comes across as a hypocrite. A better choice by far would be a young girl who is in the public eye AND who is genuinely abstaining from sex. I hear Miley Cyrus might be angling for the job...

Miley and her family are also Christians and believe in abstinence until marriage. And in a new interview with the Daily Mail, Cyrus said, "I want to keep my virginity until I marry" citing her Christian faith as a reason.

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Roy C

at 17:44 on May 7th, 2009

I like "responsibility education". Either you use birth control or you abstain or you don't consummate. In any case, know that there is no money to take care of your baby.

Now, what I would recommend were group living situations with single mothers or fathers and their children where you could get help but you had to contribute mightily.

We also need to scare the young men by letting them know that their wages will be garnished by the state to pay for that kid they produced.

The real problem is that we have stopped the criticism of single motherhood. I remember in a school where I was teaching, another teacher told me to say "single mother" not "unwed mother".

OK. But that is the problem; "Unwed" mother without the support of the partner who produced the child.

I don't care if you are an atheist and purely believe in evolution- the pair bond was the product of this evolution, and society recognized it as land got scarce and people has to become accountable for the results of their sexuality.

Destroying this sense of family as the basic unit was done in the name of what? Getting even with men for their abuse. Now the single mother gets no support or the support of the state. Not fair to ask us all to help when the father is around and kicking.

We should help those who needed help, not those who need to help themselves.

Tina Kells

at 18:04 on May 7th, 2009

I agree, I think that teen moms can be great moms but they need a strong support system. Bristol Palin is fortunate because she has wealthy parents but this is not the norm. Many teen moms face poverty and this is lost with a spokesperson like Bristol.

"We also need to scare the young men by letting them know that their wages will be garnished by the state to pay for that kid they produced."

Bravo! Parental responsibility should be pressed upon the boys in a way they will understand. It isn't their body but it is their child and laws/technology have progressed enough to hold them just as accountable as biology holds girls.

albertacowpoke

at 19:25 on May 7th, 2009

I agree Bristol Palin has a great support network. Child support should be mandatory. In Alberta they now do not issue drivers licenses to deadbeat dads. I have also seen the garnishing of wages in Germany. It is automatic as soon as the dad defaults. What a great idea.

albertacowpoke

at 19:25 on May 7th, 2009

nyctuber

at 19:37 on May 7th, 2009

She's the perfect face for the Religious Right's psychotic agenda.

Blue Crush

at 19:37 on May 7th, 2009

Yeah, I thought that was quite the JOKE when I heard her saying that on Larry King last night. Then again, I'm no fan of either Bristol Palin or Elizabeth Hasselbeck.

I think MILEY CYRUS would be a much better choice also.

Pythiian1

at 19:52 on May 7th, 2009

I agree that it's more appropriate to use a spokesperson who actually practices abstinence rather than using Bristol Palin.

QueensHart

at 19:55 on May 7th, 2009

Single parents contribute wounded children (in many not all ) cases. The children are angry for they do not receive the attention much less love for the Mother is tired . They are passed around to poorly paid sitters or childcare workers. The Mothers are negative toward the masculine and this gets assimilated . Children need and deserve two parents and that is still

a lot of work. Here also if they are not given a ethical or moral foundation they end up

being bullies or the bullied. They act out. ...learning disabilities rarely get fully addressed for

the parent is too tired or lazy to consistently help the child with homework.

I know a parent who brought a child home from an abusive situation. She jumped into working full time and handed him to sitters , day cares. He today has been in prison once and now on

probation. He had severe learning disabilities that were not acknowledged. She kept blaming

the teacher's . He failed and failed. and finally got kicked out his senior year. It's a common

story. The child had no masculine role model. He was swallowed by the presence of too

many women. Now a con and compulsive liar. The mother rescues him from every fiasco

he gets embroiled in... wrecking cars . The sick , smothering psuedo love of a woman is

castrating to boys. They never are able to cut the strings.

I also know the low class culture in this area literally have babies to get a check and then

they don't give a damn about the child and pass it around. They are trouble by the time

they get to kindergarten and some won't be accepted in day care for they are so disruptive.

The welfare system has contributed to this. When a girl has four babies by the time she is

21? The state will not tie their tubes until they are 21 despite the fact she has no father to

help support the child.. Many times they don't know who the father is.

It is due to several factors but bottom line in my opinion if they do not have some morals

or ethics and respect for human dignity they don't care and produce more who have the

same outlook.

Tina Kells

at 20:04 on May 7th, 2009

I respectfully disagree - I was raised by a single parent and am one myself - children can suffer in loveless relationships as much as in a single parenting situation. It is the quality of the parenting, not the marital or relationship status of the parents, that counts.

Roy C

at 12:30 on May 8th, 2009

I think she is talking about the tendency, not the absolute. But, I will say that you, Tina, are a woman. Women raised by single mothers do much better than boys raised by single mothers.

And boys raised in neighborhoods where single mothers are the norm become gang members way more often than in neighborhoods where fathers play a role.

Boys need men as fathers, and a teacher and some guy down the street, not really involved, do not substitute, as we saw everyday in Central Juvenile Hall.

QueensHart

at 20:47 on May 7th, 2009

Respectfully your picture of health and emotional wholeness may not be measured in the same way that I refer to. Most adult children do not address the hole that is in their heart until their fourties for patterns of inner pain. Some never do.

Denial is a very powerful defense that protects us from dealing with pain until we are in dark nights and ready. You may be lucky and never have such an experience.

It is truly wonderful that you have had the upbringing that you had and feel you also did the same . You are very lucky.

The problems in our schools, churches and country suggest otherwise for most individuals. One of my favorite authors, Carl Jung said back in the 50-60's that 40% of people are mentally ill. I think that has gone way up.

Julie Koestlmaier (not verified)

at 13:43 on May 12th, 2009

I don't necessarily have an opinion on Bristol as spokeswoman but I'm sure that her experiences will help teens understand why abstinence is a good idea.

I have heard teen pregnancy referred to as a "Public Health Issue" and other related but not accurate terms. I do understand that there are teens who have a child for all the wrong reasons or because they did something that they may or may not regret, but the same can be said of women of every age. There are many services available to teen mothers in British Columbia and the women are encouraged to use them.. It is very possible that there is more help in my area for teen mothers than there is for mothers who are older.

I became pregnant with my son when I was 17. He was born three months before my 18th birthday. I graduated high school with honours before his first birthday. He was an extremely happy and well adjusted child when I left high school with an early acceptance and scholarship to attend university.

Throughout elementary school he has been on the honour roll every term. He has had babysitters just like other children with working mothers but when we're together our time is spent being together. No one can say that I've been lazy or neglected him. He is now 12 years old, has an A average in school, plays football, and is in Air Cadets. He has the same ups and downs of all 12 year old boys do regardless of how old their parents are or what their parents do for employment.

My son knows that I love him unconditionally and has done extremely well for himself over the years. Being a teen mom was certainly not something I dreamed of becoming when I was younger. There is a reason that fairy tails don't start with "Once upon a time there was a teen mother". As a society though, we are able to adapt to anything. It's not easy being a teen mother but it can be done. It's also not easy living in Alaska or the deserts of Nevada but it can be done as well.

I do not condone teen parenting but I will support any young mother who needs help. We all make mistakes during our lifetime but as a society we should be willing to give these ladies another chance and the help that they need to succeed.