I originally read this article yesterday in a newpaper while on vacation in North Carolina
This article by Kathleen Parker comments on a large number of pregnant teenagers at a high school. Speculation on the so called "pact" aside, Kathleen Parker tries to explain why... as she sees it.
Here's one: Where's Dad? Not the "fathers" of these unfortunate pre-borns, but the fathers of these pregnant girls. Where, in other words, is the shotgun?
Back in the day when birth control and abortion weren't readily available to high school kids, fathers were pretty good deterrents to pregnancy. Boys knew they'd have kneecap problems if they got daddy's little girl pregnant. If they were lucky, they'd be married by the morning after.
AH the good ol days... when girls couldn't think for themselves and boys are uncontrollable sex machines held at bay with threats on their lives.
The article in general had a very judgemental view of "illegitimate" children/pregnancies, and tried to focus on anything OTHER than sexual education in schools. She went on to speculate that the pregnant teens came from fatherless families, because they had sex with boys cuz they wanted male attneiton cuz they dont get it at home. Sounds a little too Freudian to me. According to her they were also influenced by movies like "Juno" that "glamorized" teen pregnancy.
The clear issue (that absinence only education doesnt work) was completely clouded in this opinion article turning it into a "kids these days.." issue, barf.
This is my first post, i hope its not too riddled with errors, i'd love comments/discussion on this, i'm sure there are plenty of opinions out there! :)
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One thing that always gets to me in articles like these is that whole "girls' fathers as deterrents to pregnancy" thing. It's such a trope in American pop culture that I don't think anyone really thinks it through to its conclusion. Who has ever heard of a boy getting a girl pregnant, and the girl's father subsequently shooting the boy's kneecaps off (as is implied in the article)? How absurd is that?! I really want to know if this sort of thing actually happens (or happened in the past), or if it is what I suspect: a story used to shame and ostracize single mothers and their daughters. It's amazing (and frustrating) to see the lengths people will go to blame teen pregnancy on anything but the lack of proper comprehensive sex ed. Thanks for the post!
_Maeowin_ posted on July 2, 2008, 6:23 PM: "AH the good ol days... when girls couldn't think for themselves and boys are uncontrollable sex machines held at bay with threats on their lives."
...and fathers blurred the line between overprotective and jealous.