I feel Sarah is too career minded and has little regard or a realistic view of how much influence and nurturing a child needs.Hiring nanny’s and such to raise your kids is not the purpose of hired babysitters.

She needed to have an influential role in her children lives.

Obviously it was her choice to return to work after giving birth to her son in April. Three days when usually there is a 6 week maternity leave for most women to bond and their body’s to recuperate for the birth.

I find her absentee parenting appalling.Women can do both and have both worked and raised a family.

I do admire Obama’s professionalism and courtesy as to keeping private matters private but the Republican party has exposed Sarah.

Here’s an analogy. There are two drivers in their cars, driving down a highway. Both drivers are good drivers. One lane is smooth, well cared for, kept clear of debris and pedestrians. The other has pot holes, crap that has fallen out of other cars, police barriers, eroded shoulders and so on.

Both of them have to deal with bad traffic conditions, weather, etc. The one in the better maintained lane gets to his destination first and demands to know why his companion was late? She must have been slacking off. They were both driving on the same road, after all.

They may get married, but it probably won’t make their situation much better. It’s just a band-aid for the Repubs “family Values” crap. All we can do now is pray for Bristol, Solange, Jamie-Lynn, and all the other young ladies who have accidently or purposely made the decision to take the hard road to parenting.

I agree with Obama’s sentiment on the situation. However, I’m sure we all know how different this would’ve been if had been one of Obama’s daughters that was the pregnant teen

I was a single mom at 20 and I was called white trash. I never understood why my skin color came into play, still don’t. All I knew was I was the luckiest gal alive with a beautiful baby girl.

I cannot begin to understand where race comes into anything… and I’m so glad I don’t.

As always your post is very thought provoking. Thank you for sharing and I respect your opinion.

It is still true minorities are disproportionately in the lower income brackets. The central issue then becomes a question of why and what can we do about it. Critical determinants of income and economic standing ARE such things as whether or not you are in a single or two parent family, for example.

As to your last point that things have changed but we can do more? I have no disagreement with that statement. We likely differ as to what it is we may think is needed, however, as I think the issues raised with respect to elements internal to certain cultures bears greater attention these days. Bill Cosby might have a generational disconnect, but his sentiments have merit. A younger individual such as Chris Rock through his stand up and sitcoms are going a long way towards getting some of these simple points across as well.

I dimly recall an article in the Wall Street Journal that discussed essentially the bifurcation of the black community, with the split being largely generational. The younger blacks had a greater proportion in what were called the middle and upper income brackets and harbored sentiments with respect to inner city problems far more along the lines of a Rock or Cosby. Older blacks were generally less affluent and more sympathetic.

Obama’s had to do quite a tap dance around that, which I thought he articulated quite well in his speech on race when he was discussing Reverend Wright as from another generation. This middle aged white male got it, but apparently it did not resonate with society.

So, yes, there’s more to be done, but part of that is a push back to demand more personal accountability as well. A number HAVE succeeded under the existing structure. What’s unique to them versus those still languishing?

Ten to one family structure is in there. It may not be the Donna Reed “mom and dad” structure, it could be a couple strong Aunts, Uncles or grandparents, but I’m willing to bet a supportive nuclear family is in the mix.

We can’t legislate morality, be we sure as hell can stop issuing transfer payments that enable counter productive situations.

Yet I think if we observe society closely, we will notice how even wealthier nonwhite women are treated – by their doctors, their neighbors, their friends. Whiteness still confers more humanity on those with white skin.

Sure, things have changed for the better, but we still have a long road ahead of us. We can admit as much.