Sample Size of One
Glenn Reynolds deems it “a fair hit” to point out that Sarah Palin opposed sex education in connection with the latest privacy-invading over Bristol Palin’s pregnancy. To which I say, give me a friggin’ break. Abstinence-only education may or may not be a good idea, but pointing to one individual as “proof” that any policy does or doesn’t work is just plain stupid. One might as well “prove” that gun control is a good idea by pointing to one instance of a legal gun owner committing a crime with a firearm, or “prove” it’s a bad idea by pointing to one instance in which a law-abiding citizen used a gun to prevent a crime.
Besides, it’s not as though Bristol were the Palins’ only child, nor even their oldest. To the best of my knowledge, Track Palin has made it 19 years without knocking anybody up. Is he living proof that abstinence education works? Or are he and Bristol together living proof that it sometimes works, with a success rate of 50%? Or is each living proof of the opposite point, as their parents’ preferences notwithstanding, Alaska does not have abstinence-only education? Or is the entire Palin family living proof that some people just don’t know when to STFU?
UPDATE (9/4): Two days later, the Puppy Blender links approvingly to what he dubs an “an unfair hit” by Palin on Obama’s record because some yahoo at OTB thinks increased aid to Congo is a “major” reform and anyone who disagrees with that characterization must be a liar. Apparently, “fair” and “unfair” now mean “directed at Sarah Palin” and “said by Sarah Palin,” respectively. Or something like that.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:44 am
Touché
I’m not a fan of abstinence only education. I think it’s a valid point that teaching kids that the only way to be 100% sure of staying pregnancy and STD free is to abstain, but barring that here are other things you can do to protect yourself.
However, we teach the same thing when it comes to drugs – don’t do them at all. We don’t teach kids that if they are going to try drugs to do so in a safe area with sober friends around in case something goes wrong. We don’t pass out sterilized bongs and clean needles in high school. And yet kids still do drugs.
It’s almost like we’re human and tend to do what the f&*# we want.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:18 am
GOP cites Palin’s skill, but how relevant is it?
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Wait, now, say the Republicans. You think that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin lacks experience? You think t…
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 am
Through the years, Reynolds has made it quite clear he doesn’t think highly of Christians and social conservatives. It’s no surprise, then, that he uses the Bristol pregnancy as an opportunity to sneer at the Palins.
September 2nd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I suppose so, but usually he’s been less crass than that.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Um, I don’t get it, anyway. Forget about sample size. Even if one pregnancy in a girl who’d had abstinence-only education was enough to disprove its effectiveness, how is Bristol Palin an example of that? Did she have an abstinence-only education? Do the Wassila public schools not teach about contraception, just because their ex-mayor thinks they oughtn’t? I don’t see how Palin’s opinions on education could possibly affect the outcome of the education her kids actually get, from schools that she doesn’t control.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
See the update. The difference between a “fair”hit and an “unfair” ome has nothing to do with logic, and everything to do with who dishes it out vs.takes it.