[spanko75]

Originally Posted by Luvvarkansas

I have to tell you what I saw last weekend.

I was in Paris, Arkansas on Saturday afternoon (nice little town!) and from the number of guys and gals going around town with formal wear on, you could tell they were having their high school prom that night. (We asked at a restaurant, and sure enough, they were.)

Some of them were taking carriage rides in their finery before the dance, and we saw a sweet teenaged couple all dressed up, guy with his arm around the girl.....who held a baby in her lap. (The baby was all "dolled" up, too!)

Well, anyway, Arkansas can't be blamed for that, I know, I just thought it was funny. (No offense to anyone.) We have two girls here in my own town in Louisiana that have had babies this year (at 16)....one of them a member of our church! They and their parents all have a tough row to hoe.

But we all just got a kick out of seeing that baby going to the prom...."You know you're in Arkansas when...." LOL

LOL....that's hilarious. Say's a lot about Arkansas's fine education system.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by spanko75

LOL....that's hilarious. Say's a lot about Arkansas's fine education system.

Yeah, I know. Teenage pregnancy is virtually nonexistent in Texas. And we got to see a lot of Texas' finest in the last 8 years.

[robertjohnson]

From my time living in the 4 state area it seemed to me that young girls (early teen) having children was more common there than on the west coast. Noticably so. It appeared more regional than just Arkansas. But that means very little. Makes me scratch my head when people ask strangers (most of us) a question that can be better answered by google.


Ks. Mo.
Ok. Ark.

[RogMar]

When I worked in northern IL, there was a town about 20 miles from me, actually it was a "Village", and they let you know that quickly, that was very, very full of themselves.

They liked to come in and pay more than asking price for a house, have two luxury vehicles in the drive, and both spouses would then work 3 jobs each to try to make the payments.

So...time went on and more and more people moved into this Camelot, and the teenage pregnancies, drug use, and crime thrived.

Finally they had to build a new high school, and so the people argued about what this castle must be.

They finally swallowed the tax increase, and this structure was built, and it was huge, and it was expensive, and had a *big* ol' daycare center built in for the students kids while they were in class.

The majority of the kids were interracial, which the village viewed as an icon to their acceptance of everyone. Open arms for all. Although I don't think open arms is what brought those kids around.

Point is, this scenario can be found in any state. For Arkansas, or the south, to take a beating for it is unfair and inaacurate.

Should anyone wish to muddy the issue with actual facts, here they are:

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf

Yes, Arkansas and the southern states are up there, but how many people in the south believe in abortions?

There are many areas where a Dr. makes his living mainly by doing D & C's on the daughters of wealthy clients.

Another point on the prom-bound child.........

How many children are given birth to and then handed over to the mother's mom & dad for rearing?

How many are given up for adoption?

That apparently was not the case with this child.

This is apparently a mother that did not try to hide her child. Did not try to deny it. Did not shove it off on the grandparents so she could go out and party.

This is a mother that grasped her child, integrated it, and instead of spouting verbal rhetoric, actually showed every one that, "This is my child, and we're a team".

There should be more of that in this world.

I wish I could tell folks the old adage in reference to this situation, "It's a southern thing...you wouldn't understand".

[Capt. Dan]

Rogmar--You are absolutely right! It is a shame how people want to condemn a young lady for leaving the baby with the grandparents but also want to make fun of her for bringing the baby along to the prom! Just what would people have her do? Apparently she cant win either way!

[COUNTRY_ANGEL_HORSE]

SERIOUSLY????!!!!!?????

The poster was just sharing a cute story. Geez!!!

I praise any parent who involves their child in outings. I know too many who drop them off at the grandparents and carry on galavanting as if they didnt have one.


One Love People!!

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by COUNTRY_ANGEL_HORSE

SERIOUSLY????!!!!!?????

The poster was just sharing a cute story. Geez!!!

I praise any parent who involves their child in outings. I know too many who drop them off at the grandparents and carry on galavanting as if they didnt have one.


One Love People!!

Yes, you're correct, she was.

Some folks don't see it like that, or ignore the human side of it.

I don't know where one can sit with an air of superiority and read this and think, "Them dumb arkies...takin' a kid to prom and they think that's cute".

One should take stock in one's back yard before criticizing the neighbors yard.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by robertjohnson

From my time living in the 4 state area it seemed to me that young girls (early teen) having children was more common there than on the west coast. Noticably so. It appeared more regional than just Arkansas. But that means very little. Makes me scratch my head when people ask strangers (most of us) a question that can be better answered by google.


Ks. Mo.
Ok. Ark.

check with places like NM and check very close for the number of unwed moms in the larger cities in So California. It doesn't matter much where you live right now, between abortions and teens having kids, the pregnancy rate in this country is out of control...

Nita

[ridicter]

Originally Posted by RogMar

Yes, Arkansas and the southern states are up there, but how many people in the south believe in abortions?

How many believe in safe sex education (proven to prevent pregnancy) vs. abstinence only education (shown time and time again to have no effect)?

[RogMar]

Originally Posted by ridicter

How many believe in safe sex education (proven to prevent pregnancy) vs. abstinence only education (shown time and time again to have no effect)?

Safe sex education is the only way to go.

Abstinence doesn't work. These kids area whole more active than people can imagine, and sometimes a lot smarter, or dumber, depending on which way you look at it.

Then again, this could slip right into the "legalize marijuana" argument because it's easier to ignore how common place it is than to admit that you're not going to stop it, or even slow it down, so let's deal with it.