Britney Spears' sister is pregnant. She's 16.
Britney Spears' 16-year-old sister, who stars as a schoolgirl in Nickelodeon's popular TV show "Zoey 101," is pregnant.The cable channel confirmed a report in the forthcoming edition of celebrity gossip magazine OK! that Jamie Lynn Spears is expecting a child.
"We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being," Nickelodeon said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters.
Having a baby at 16 isn't a good thing. Obviously.
But Ms. Spears has chosen to take a tough road. Choosing life is always a tough road.
Like hundreds of thousands of others teens she could have quietly and confidentially chosen to get an abortion. That is certainly a choice. Doing so would have spared her from any public scrutiny - no one ever reports on abortions. It would have probably spared her blooming career or at least not put a major crimp in it.
Instead she has chosen public scrutiny, the discomfort of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth, the trials of being a new mother. She has made a courageous choice.
And by all those who call themselves pro-life her decision should be lauded. Lauding her decision will hardly encourage a bunch of young girls to get themselves pregnant. It might, however, encourage girls who have gotten pregnant to consider keeping their child as a viable alternative to abortion. That could be a good thing.
As one who has participated in an abortion - I wrote about it in some detail in my book - I know that choosing one can leave deep emotional scars on both the pregnant woman and the man who got her pregnant. [Note - I am not saying it leaves scars for everyone. For many it leaves no scars or provides a long-term sense of relief.]
One of the deepest scars it can bring is a sense of isolation. Despite the fact that there have been more than 50 million abortions since 1973, few people ever talk about them. That is a hard thing to fathom. 50 million abortions means more than the destruction of 50 million lives/potential lives (depending on perspective). It means that there are probably 80 or 90 million adults who have participated in an abortion. (My rough math assumes that some people participate in an abortion more than once.) I am not saying that every one of those people lives in isolated guilt or shame. But even if we posit that half of them feel some sense of that, it means there are 40 or so million people in America who deal with those scars. In 2006, about 36 million people lived in California.
I am not talking about outlawing abortion or criminalizing anyone. I am not talking about shaming people who have had abortions - FAR from it. I am, however, talking about applauding those who choose the very public act of pregnancy because they are making a tough but ultimately rewarding choice. And the first people who should be in line saying that - and providing support - are pro-life activists everywhere.
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Elaine - Bravo!
One other issue is the fact that our society tells teenagers that sex is OK, but that they are still kids. Last statistic I heard was that most people consider adulthood to start at age 26, but the first sexual experience is 15 or 16. Yes, we will try a 13 year old as an adult, but we won't let him buy alcohol until 21.
We need, in our culture, a firm guide that says "at this age, You are an adult. As an adult, here are your privileges and here are your responsibilities. We now consider you old enough to engage in sexual activity. You have that right. You also have the responsibility towards any child conceived as a result of exercising that right. This goes for both men and women. If you do not marry, then the responsible thing to do is to give the child up for adoption."
I think 18 is a reasonable age for adulthood to begin. No being tried as an adult before that age and we should expect that people remain sexual inactive until that age.
I agree that single parenting is not in the best for the child. Unfortunately, in rare instances, it may be in the child's best interest, due to abuse by one or another parent. But overall, a person has a better life if there is a supportive home with two parents.
That said, I do think that Ms. Spears should put the child up for adoption. There are open adoptions now that can work quite well.
I see Thomas Nelson publishers in Nashville have at least temporarily canned Mamma Spears book on Christian parenting. What kind of world do we live in where an evangelical publishing house signs Mrs. Spears to write a book on Christian parenting presumably b/c they know the "Britney's Mom tells all" subtitle will sell a few million to drivel freaks right off the bat? God help us!
Donny:
I knew Murphy Brown. Murphy Brown was a friend of mine.
And Mr. ex-Vice President ... you're no Murphy Brown.
(PS -- You clearly have no clue that the origins to many of the ills you speak of are biological and not societal.)
I agree with Elaine and other posters-that's there an inherent danger in categorizing this as "courageous" and therefore glamorizing this. I just saw where Lisa Whelchel from the Facts of Life has called Jamie Lyn a "role model."
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/FallConcert/story?id=4032940&page=1
We should not be teaching children that this is model behavior. There are reports coming out now that Jamie Lyn and the boyfriend were dating when she was 13, he 16 (highly inappropriate) and at some point lived together. If all we can do in looking at this situation is claim some victory because she is keeping the baby, then we are living in a fantasy world and not dealing with the numerous problematic issues (moral, sociological, etc.) facing this pregnant teen and and others (who are not tv stars and loaded with $$) in the same situation.
Let's also not forget that the pro-life movement should not end with the birth of a baby to a teen mom. These young moms and their kids face the long journey ahead postpartum. They need help with healthcare, nutrition programs, coordination with reputable adoption agencies, counseling, GED programs, etc. Most teen moms that I have worked with are estranged from their families, emotionally immature and do not have tv show incomes or parents that can help them raise their children. We should hold pro-life politicians accountable when they cut programs that help pregnant and unwed teens and their babies.
And let's not also forget that many teen parents end up (not all, but many) abusing their child (physically, emotionally, or through neglect) or dating men who abuse their child/ren. And then their children grow up to be teen parents, etc.
Pro-life should not mean turning a blind eye to reality, as Jules has pointed out.
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