Say Anything Blog

On Friday, 21 Aug 08, ABC News reported that the U.S. leads the world in infant mortality rates. As an example they talked about a 12 year old girl who did not get any prenatal care and who hid the pregnacy from her family until about 2 weeks before she was due to give birth. In true media fashion, they focused on the fact that she was Black. Though Blacks have a disproportionately higher rates than others, I am sure that this trend transcends all ethnic barriers. A Black doctor said that we should be ashamed that society is letting this occur. He claimed that we should be shouting from the rooftops and marching against this outrage. I wonder what this is supposed to do. Is it to get the government more involved in something which they really have no power over. I am talking about personal responsibility here. These young girls should not be allowing themselves to get pregnant. I remember several years ago, many girls said they wanted babies because they would have someone who would love them unconditionally. Liberals associated that with the fact that many lived in poverty or high crime areas. Some claim that these girls do not have access to maternity care. I thought that was what Planned Parenthood was all about: providing prenatal care. Maybe I am wrong or ill informed. But I think this a classic case of victimization. And I am tired of it. These girls have made a choice to have unprotected sex. Then they put their health in jeopardy by hiding it from their parents. There are those who advocate that improving living conditions would be an answer to the problem. I think that parental involvement, discipline and a sense of self-worth would go along way toward ending this blight on American society.