Dan Quayle Was Right about Murphy Brown
In 1992 Dan Quayle made a courageous speech about moral values. He knew the liberal media would make fun of him but he stood his ground. He rightly criticized the TV series Murphy Brown for the immoral message it was sending to America’s youth.
After several seasons, the series’ star, TV journalist Murphy Brown (played by Candace Bergen) became pregnant out of wedlock. The child’s father refused to marry her, so she decided to have the baby and raise it as a single parent.
Liberals and elitists tried to put this in a “positive” light, since after all she decided not to have an abortion. I myself was one of those naïve idealists back then. In those days I hadn’t found Jesus yet, and I just couldn’t imagine what all those simple Biblewipes were so upset about.
But Dan Quayle stepped up to the plate. He braved the hatred and ridicule that he knew would be heaped on him by the elitists. He warned us that Murphy Brown was setting a terrible example. From now on, he thundered, it would be perfectly acceptable to have a child out of wedlock. This abominable sin would no longer carry any sort of guilt or stigma, and America’s moral fiber would be ruined.
They laughed at him, but sixteen years later Dan Quayle has been vindicated. We should have heeded his warning. Just look at the filth our country is wallowing in. It’s everywhere!
Just to demonstrate how this immoral sludge has been oozing into every corner of America, let’s take a completely random example. We’ll zero in on a typical Middle American family …OK, we’ve found a family in a small town in Alaska. Both parents are gainfully employed and they have five children. One of their children is seventeen years old and — GASP! — she’s PREGNANT! Out of wedlock!
This is a disgrace! God have mercy. This is exactly what Dan Quayle warned us about sixteen years ago, and nobody listened. Are we happy now?!?!?!?!
Well, we can be grateful for one small favor: there probably isn't anybody in this anonymous family who's famous or has any sort of political ambitions.
cross-posted at Bring It On!
posted by Tom Harper @ 12:14 AM
26 Comments:
Witty post and I think it draws attention to an issue that is so hotly diputed today. On pro-life, pro-choice; why do these have to be separate issues? Seems that Palin & daughter had a CHOICE and chose life. Good for them! But now the arrogant Smurfette is spewing forth how she thinks we should take that right away from millions of American women because they might not make the "right" choice. How ironic is this?
Dan was right, the moral fabric of our beloved country is frayed, but repairing the seams doesn't start in front of an abortion clinic, but in our communities and churches and schools. Educate, inform and support our girls so that they can make intelligent choices.
And they accuse the Dems of wanting to create a nanny government, geez!
Rockync: I think this situation with the Palin family will bring the whole "values" debate front and center. The Right keeps trying to have it both ways. They want to use "family values" as a billy club, but when they themselves get caught committing a "sin," they say "oh, but, you see, this is different because..." If these people are going to use "values" as a club, then sometimes they're going to get clubbed with it too.
You're right about trying to fix the moral fabric through churches and schools and the community, and not by threatening abortion clinics.
That family in Alaska is dealing with the situation according to its deepest convictions. You and yours would have aborted the baby and tried to pretend there was nothing wrong with the resolution.
It defeats me how anyone could be so completely clueless about right, wrong, and recognition of responsibility as you lefties are. The flesh is weak -- teenagers demonstrate that daily, just as Bristol Palin did -- but at least Bristol Palin won't resort to murder to "undo" her transgression. And her family will be behind her every step of thew way.
Have a nice life.
OK, simmer down now Francis. Take a deep breath. Count to ten. Say "piffle."
You have no way of knowing that "I and mine would have aborted the baby." That's a personal choice than an individual should make, not the government. You know, the "individualism" and "limited government" that you people are always preaching about.
As Rockync said in the previous comment, that was a commendable choice that the Palins made, but it was their choice; and they want to deny that choice to millions of other people.
You've gotta admit, this is a bit awkward for fire-and-brimstoners such as yourself. Spewing Biblical hatred at all of those "sinners" out there, and then when somebody you like falls into that same category, coming up with some fancy rationalizations that it's somehow "different" in this case. You're on a tightrope right now; try not to fall off.
Just so Francis can step down from her lofty pedestal, let me reveal here that I actually was faced with this dilemma many years ago and I also chose to have my child. I am not necessarily pro-abortion but I am definitely pro-choice. This is an intensely personal decision in which the government has no business interfering and neither do you. No matter what choice a woman makes and whether I agree with it or not, I will always support a woman's right to choose.
Rockync: Excellent response. But it probably won't get him down off his pedestal. (I'm pretty sure it's a him.)
Francis, a member of my family had to have an operation that involved the removal of a fetus. The fetus was only 6-8 weeks old. The operation saved her life. I am very glad that family member is still around and doing well, thanks. If people like Sarah Palin (and you, apparently) had their way, this beloved family member of mine would have died, even before the fetus was viable!
Grow some compassion, why don't you.
As for the Palin's daughter, I am glad she decided to have the baby. I am not in favor of abortions unless they are to save the life of the mother, and maybe in cases of rape or incest... and I vote Democrat... so sit on that one and spin for a while.
And as for the Palins taking their daughter out on the campaign trail, with boyfriend to join them soon, oh well... Dan Quayle WAS right sixteen years ago. But you know what? The Republican voters DON'T CARE about that because Palin and her family are Republicans. Had it been a Democratic politician's daughter having a child out of wedlock? I'd hate to see how venomous the "Christian" conservatives would be. Because this has happened to a Republican VP candidate, the GOP is scrambling all over itself to try and make everyone feel good about the whole affair.
Good for the daughter in keeping the baby. Shame on the mom for not having better control over her 17-year-old daughter. If McCain got elected but couldn't finish his term, how well would Palin be able to manage the affairs of our country if she can't manage her own children?
Snave: Good answer. Sorry you had such a trying medical situation in your own family. Glad everything turned out all right.
What these "pro-life" can't seem to grasp (or pretend they can't) is that pro-choice people aren't a bloodthirsty bunch of androids who want everybody to have an abortion. "Choice" means exactly that: Choice. I don't know if the Biblebots are really that dumb or if they just like to throw out stereotypes. It's easy to spew out Biblical quotes at some faceless enemy, probably some cheap slut who's thinking "I'm bored and I'm all out of drugs; I guess I'll go have an abortion today."
Then when this faceless sinner turns out to have a human face and a name, they have to do a bunch of fancy footwork: "Oh, I didn't mean her," or "oh, that was a courageous commendable choice she made, and Jesus is standing behind her," etc.
This is gonna be awkward for the James Dobsons and Pat Robertsons. They'll try to keep spewing out their venom at millions of "sinners" but at the same time show warmth and compassion for Sarah Palin and her family. It won't be easy.
It's also interesting how the Palin family trumpets their pride in Bristols "choice" in bringing this pregnancy to term. But Sarah Palins' political ideology is such that my daughter or Francis' daughter would not have a 'choice' available.
Tom, you don't have to go back to Quayle v Brown for an example of so-con hypocracy. Just a few months ago they were all in high moral outrage over the pregnacy of the sister of Britney Spears. Lamenting that unwed teenage pregnancy no longer carried the negative stigma it once did. The Hewitts, Limbaughs and all took the opportunity to inform us it was yet another example of how liberals had corrupted the moral fiber of the nation. Yet now, the exact same circumstance is an example of the supiority of a fine Christian family. My head wants to explode.
Hi Dave, long time no see. Yes, wasn't that a nice choice that the Palin family made, while they'd like to deny that same "choice" to everybody else. And these people can't figure out why their own fire and brimstone comes back to bite 'em.
I didn't know that about Jamie Lynn Spears, that the rightwing talking heads were blasting her for being pregnant. But it figures. So when Jamie Lynn Spears had a baby out of wedlock, it was an example of America's morals going to hell in a handbasket. And when Bristol Palin gets pregnant out of wedlock, it's a shining example of a fine young Christian woman making the right choice. OK, I think I get it now.
Francis wrote: "That family in Alaska is dealing with the situation according to its deepest convictions."
Yes, and it appears one of those deep convictions is that Sarah Palin shouldn't let her career ambitions be hindered by the inevitable avalanche of publicity that will fall on her daughter. Somehow, it's OK to feed the girl to the media wolves like the National Enquirer and TV talking heads, just so her mother can keep the neocon horde happy and voting for her and McCain.
With deep convictions like those, God help them — and the rest of us.
SW: I sure don't envy Sarah Palin's daughter right now. Jeopardizing Mommy's career and being tossed to the National Enquirer as a sacrifice -- no thanks. At another blog, somebody was commenting on the abuse she'll probably get (or has already gotten) from her parents for this sinful indiscretion. Ah, those warm and fuzzy Christian values.
Hell with Dan Quayle and babies and abortionism. (except when it involves you hippies)
John McCain = POW.
Randal: Oh my God, I forgot all about that. McCain was once a Prisoner of War. How could I forget? He needs to mention that fact more often.
Classic example of Don't ask, don't tell.
Has anyone asked the good soldier about gays in the military? Since he is still fighting a war that ended in 1975, it's probably irrelevant to him.
For McCain, it seems, every war is a righteous war, whether it's an illegal war or one that we started under false pretenses. What's $10,000,000,000 a month got to do with it? This is a man who believes that one honors dead soldiers by adding more of their contemporaries to the list.
"It's always the old who lead us to the war, always the young who die..." Phil Ochs
If a democrat's daughter were pregnant, the right wing Republican bleating wojld be deafening.
I bought a tee shirt that says:
"John McCain
Is Not
My Drug of Choice"
google it for the site.
Tom, I don't necessarily think Bristol Palin will suffer abuse at home. Some recriminations, sure, but I don't think there's reason to expect abuse. She probably feels or has felt some serious remorse already.
I do hope she isn't being pressured into marrying the baby's father just for the sake of appearance, though. That seems to me to be the biggest risk.
Bob: That's true, McCain will always be fighting the Vietnam war. Times have changed and he hasn't. And all of these warmongers seem to share the belief that the way to honor dead soldiers is to create more of them.
You're right, if a Democrat's 17-year-old daughter were pregnant, the thunder and fury on the right would be deafening.
SW: I wouldn't want to accuse anyone of being abusive without knowing all the facts. But I've known families like that in the past -- religious, upright, all smiles and Kodak moments -- and found out later that the parents were just brutal. I know that profiling isn't accurate, but there's a vibe I get from their family photos in the news. I hope for the kids' sake that Sarah and what's-his-name are good parents.
The double standard is once again in full effect.
I found this funny. Kind of reminds me how they swept their man Rush's drug problems under the rug and acted like it never happened. they will still point fingers of shame at single mothers with the exception of this one just as they will call for anyone using drugs to be put in the electric chair except for Rush.
Ricardo: Yeah, the Right just loves double standards. And Sarah Palin is bringing them all into the spotlight. Besides having a pregnant teenage daughter, she recently vetoed funding for helping unwed mothers. Heck, the Palins are wealthy; let the rest of the riffraff take care of themselves.
Her administration in Alaska is turning out to be pretty corrupt, even though she's famous for battling corruption and standing up to the good old boy network.
And her husband used to belong to an organization that wants Alaska to secede from the U.S. He "hates America!"
The wingnuts are gonna have to do a lot of fancy footwork in order to rationalize all these things, why they're OK for the Palin family but anyone else who does this is a godless pinko.
Dan Quayle got it wrong. It's not Murphy Brown's fault, it's all Hilary's fault!
I just posted a long comment, but I Huh??? I don't know if it went through???
Lew: Aw heck, Murphy Brown, Hillary Clinton, those uppity women are all the same :)
AHB: Hope you'll comment again. Blogger has been really slooow lately; it probably ate your comment. I hate when that happens.
Tom, yeah, I don't get into town very often. Still want to get Katherines pumpkin soup recipe.
Jon Stewart had a great clip last night of Bill O'Blowhard singing the praises of Palins' mothering skills re. her pregnant teenage daughter followed by a clip of him calling Ms. Spears' parents "pinheads" raising such a immoral daughter. Classic stuff.
Dave: Yeah, that sounds like something Jon Stewart would come up with. These wingnuts need to be brought front and center with their 2-faced approach to everything. "Oh, she's keeping the baby, just as Jesus would do" vs. "a pregnant slut!"
The public is only gonna keep swallowing so much of this shit (I hope).
If Obama is elected, it will mean that two of the last three presidents were raised by single mothers. It's not a bad thing, necessarily, to be raised by a single mom and nobody should be fretting about single women making this lifestyle choice. This is America. You're free to live your life as you choose so long as you're not hurting anyone.
That being said, teenage girls should protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy, not to mention the bouillabaisse of STDs out there. Would Bristol's situation be different if Wasilla High School hadn't practiced "abstinence only" and forbidden the dispensation of condoms?
Charlie: That's a good question. If Wasilla High didn't have abstinence-only education, Bristol's situation might have turned out differently. But of course, teaching about contraception would turn all these cleancut Godfearing students into pagans and sinners :)
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