I've been thinking about the story on whether or not Sarah Palin actually gave birth to her 5th son or if it was actually her 16 year old daughter's pregnancy, hidden away.

I've figured out why it angers me so- the whole story is just fishy anyway.  In case you haven't seen the original please read here:  http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/8/30/121350/137/486/580223

In 1970- there was a 17 year old from the midwest named "Jacquie", who got pregnant in her senior year in high school from her boyfriend.  The boyfriend promptly said 'its not mine' and marriage wasn't going to be an option. Jacquie wasn't part of the free love movement- she was a good girl from a good family:  her father a prominent businessowner,  her mom a well known nurse for a well known doctor. She was five months pregnant as she grabbed her diploma, still barely able to hide the growingly visible bump in her belly under her graduation robe.   Her mother had said- once she graduated she had two options- go into hiding and give the baby up for adoption- or keep the baby and leave the area permanently.  There would be no assistance, she was on her own.   Even in the early 70's, there really wasn't a choice for her.  So young, no job, no husband, and a newborn- to try to support herself- it wasn't going to happen.   Her mother found a doctor willing to take the now barely 18 year old in, and by all outward appearances- she took a graduation trip to her grandmother's house in Hawaii. Of course, she was only 1 hour away holed up in the doctor's home.

She gave birth, and the child was taken immediately- there was no holding, no way that bonding could even be considered- she caught a glimpse of the red hair that so obviously came from the girl's father as they whisked the child from the room. She was then sent home a few days later, and never another word mentioned. As if it could be forgotten!

That woman still, to this day, misses that child and would love to know what happened to her daughter- is she still alive? Does the daughter hate her?  How was her life?  Was she raised in a good home and happy?  The state still has closed adoption records and to date, has not sought out her birth mother.  Jacquie, to this day,  is riddled with grief, blames herself for the same mistake so many other women have made...and blames her mother for not giving her a choice- by putting social status image over what she wanted.

This happened in homes all across America for years and years. Decades of grief for women who had no choice,  no options, grief that lasts a lifetime. I see Sarah Palin as a huge step backwards for women anyway.  So this story cannot go back in the closet until it is rebuked completely or validated completely.  This story should not be swept cleanly under the rub.  This should never have to happen to another pregnant teen. I do not want to send women back into regression and shame!

This is exactly why I do care about women and the progressive movement.  Conservatives shove everything in a closet and don't talk about it and hope that it goes away, IMAGE FIRST!  But the scars left on women from the reality never go away- especially for the conservative women who believe that they somehow deserve the shame.. I don't give a darn if Palin wants to live in a fantasy goody goody world where the dirty things in life are whitewashed to look all nice. I do care about the effects on her daughter though- if in fact true.  If her daughter gets to raise the child in the home- yet forced to keep a public persona of lies.  This is why Sarah is NOT a Hillary stand-in. Hillary walked through the trenches, she lived some unhappy things, publicly, and came through it. She's REAL. Not whitewashed- not squeaky clean. She's real. She knows real women and will stand up for real women.  Palin's beliefs may soon become our policy if she is elected- this story IS IMPORTANT.  It is important for policy for sex ed.  It is important for issues surrounding disability.  It is important for policy on contraception.

Its why Palin is a hypocrite in her ideology and why so many others are too. So many in the anti-choice movement have said that they have had to choose abortion- but it was DIFFERENT for them. THEY had a better excuse or reason or whatever. It isn't different. Life is life- and things happen- it doesn't just happen to other people. So for them to think they get a special pass just p's the hell out of me.

Palin either hid her pregnancy or her daughter had the baby.   You would think she would advocate for women going through a difficult pregnancy if she were carrying one that required so much care, and then to not tell anyone on the staff, no special appointments, no baby bump.  I haven't seen a whole lot of women look so good after giving birth nor be so active.  My nose was twice the size with both of mine!  Then the airplane trip, and that being no big deal- WRONG!  The whole secrecy of hiding the pregnancy- did she actually consider abortion?  She's not willing to come clean about any of this.   This is the hypocrisy of the right- the hypocrisy of those who are anti-feminist like Palin.  

Kos posted a retraction on the story saying that the Anchorage News had investigated, but we all know how local investigations go when it comes to powerful people.  Someone needs to do some serious investigation.