Hayden Panettiere is sort defending Bristol Palin’s role as an abstinence ambassador. Hayden joined Bristol yesterday for National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day in New York, and claimed that the issue of teen pregnancy wasn’t about politics. Hayden says she wanted to speak out on the issue because it isn’t talked about enough, and that everybody’s message should and is basically “just to be safe, to be smart, to be educated”. Actually, I don’t think that is the message of abstinence-only advocates, but it should be. Hayden is giving too much credit to Bristol and her message, but I give Hayden a lot of credit for dodging the political questions with more grace than I would be able to:
Hayden Panettiere might still be a teenager herself, but this young actress seems to have a good head on her shoulders when it comes to teens and pregnancy. The Heroes actress joined teen mom Bristol Palin and others as the Candie’s Foundation hosted a town hall meeting on teen pregnancy prevention for National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day in NYC.
The articulate star told OK! why she was speaking up on this important issue.
“I don’t think it’s something that’s talked about enough and I think that it’s just human nature to not realize the severity of an issue until it happens to you, until it directly impacts your life,” she explained to OK!. “And you go, ‘I’ll never get pregnant. It will never happen to me. I know it happens but it won’t happen to me. I’ll never get in a car accident, I know it happens, but it won’t happen to me.’ Until it happens and then it’s too late.”
Hayden, who isn’t necessarily an abstinence only advocate, still had kind words for her fellow speaker, Bristol Palin.
“I think this is all politics aside here,” she told OK!. “Different approaches to this topic, different opinions, but still saying the same thing – just to be safe, to be smart, to be educated and it was very brave of her to come up here and for the younger people to see someone their age going through it.”
The Heroes star was candid about her life plan during the town hall meeting, saying that a family is definitely in her future – somewhere farther along the road.
“I want a family. I want kids. I actually want a lot of kids. Not like ten, like four. And if it’s something that you go, ‘Oh I can’t wait to be a mom,’ that’s great, but think about it for your child and go, ‘I want to be a mom but I want to be the best mom I can be. And the only way to be the best mom I can be is by waiting until I’m no longer a child and waiting until I can teach them the best morals and raise them the best I can with a good education and a good platform. ‘ ”
Are we sure she’s only 19?
[From OK! Magazine]
A few months ago, Bristol Palin gave her first post-birth interview to Fox News, and she claimed at the time that abstinence-only education wasn’t realistic. Something has changed her mind since then, because she’s sticking to the conservative, abstinence-only program pretty well now. How great would it be if Bristol and the other social-conservative advocates took a step back and started preaching Hayden Panettiere’s message of “just to be safe, to be smart, to be educated”?
Hayden Panettiere and Bristol Palin are shown at “The Candie’s Foundation Town Hall Meeting On Teen Pregnancy Prevention” in NY yesterday. Credit: WENN.com
Kind of seems to me like perhaps she has been pressured into the abstinence only thing. She’s very pretty.
Everyone looks like a towering beast next to Hayden. She is so small
Good for these girls to speak out and help educate
Wonder how long it will take someone to post something negative about “Sarah Palin” on this thread?
Oh, not long at all.
I’ve always been kind of meh abot Hayden…but this little quote is good. She sounds a lot older than she really is.
Wait, isn’t this the same Hayden Panettiere who made a pseudo-scathing anti McCain/Palin ad last year?
They sound like smart girls, out to help others.
For what it’s worth you don’t have to vote for someone to like them as a person. Neever voted for Bush, but I think he would be a great dinner guest.
I don’t understand all the hatred and vitriol launched at those who support abstinence. Please note that I didn’t say “abstinence-only” education. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with encouraging young people (especially girls) to wait. I don’t think it’s wise to not educate them about safe sex, either, though.
Both girls are right: “be safe, be smart, be educated” is all well and good, but the only 100% foolproof way to guarantee that pregnancy does not occur is keeping your legs closed.
I think teaching young girls to be respectful of their bodies and spirits is a good thing. Do we really need a whole new generation of Rock of Love skanks?
Her mother is an important conservative politician, and while I may not agree with her, Sarah Palin does appear to “practice what she preaches”… So Bristol is coming from a morally conservative household, furthermore receiving quite a bit of national attention, but she is a reluctant public figure. She is just a kid. She still lives in the Palin family home, with her parents and siblings. This is her family.
She may really believe in abstinence only, however I believe that her first statement is her honest opinion, while this second-round of interviews is an effort to clarify her mother’s cultural and political stance.
She’s clarifying and simplifying her message into a “sound-bite” simply because her people believe in abstinence. I think Bristol’s presence at this event however, as a public figure who believes in abstinence, actually serves to prove the antithesis of the conservative message. She’s standing there as living proof that abstinence does not work! Despite being taught that message, she still had sex. If she had also been taught about protection, then she would have been able to wait and have a family after she graduated from high school, college, or maybe even after post-graduate school!
When birth control and family planning first became publicized by activist Margaret Sanger, the heart of the message was feminism. Sanger advocated the right of women to control their bodies, and therefore control their lives. Raising a child require significant resources and both time and money, as well as maturity. Although Bristol may still achieve her career and family dreams, the path she takes will be much harder than if she had used protection and waited until she and Levi were both prepared to raise a child.
Pot, meet kettle.
I’ve not noticed any hatred and vitriol spewed towards people who support abstinence only, at all. I have noticed that people get upset when people only want to talk about abstinence, which is what many schools have done over the last eight years, only to see teen pregnancy rates and stds increase. We have to get to a point in this country where we stop trying to legislate morality and have a more reality based approach. Teach your children that abstinence is the best way, but also arm them with knowledge so they don’t get into situations that are life altering or life threatening.
KD: I think it’s fairly obvious that Bristol is taking the “learn from my behavior” stance, so the hypocrite accusations don’t seem warranted.
Also, I agree with Jen. While I absolutely believe in sex education, encouraging teens to wait until they’re older (not necessarily married) doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Most of them won’t listen (hence the importance of sex ed), but it’s still a worthy effort.
@Jen & Codzilla, I agree.
You can teach, plead, threaten; kids will do what they want when they’re away from their parents, which one of us can claim we haven’t.
Remember the mindset of a teenager;
That won’t ever happen to me, I’m not that dumb.
Guess what folks, they are that dumb!
Teenagers don’t think like adults, they’re brains aren’t fully developed.
Most teens think they are invincible. It’s after they wake up to the consequences of their actions that they hopefully grow the hell up.
OH for the love of god she’s hormonal.
I would preach abstinence any day, but abstinence-ONLY is completely irrelevant in today’s society. Kids are constantly-ahem-fluffed by sexy advertisements and are basically told several times a day how cool it is to have sex, preferably with as many people as possible. Then we turn around and say they shouldn’t do it. Mixed messages anyone?
fabulous role models they are for today’s young girls…NOT…
both would do good to talk to dr. laura berman. oprah needs to do another show with dr. berman. the women has it right when it comes to teaching sexual health to one’s kids, something neither bristol or hayden’s parents did.
OK MS PALIN, NOW YOUR SAYING ABSTNANCE IS THE WAY TO GO? AFTER YOU HAD SEX (FELT GOOD). DOES THAT MEAN YOU GIVE UP SEX UNTIL YOUR MARRIED?
Just shut up and look cute Hayden while it’s still works for you, and gets you acting roles- let’s leave the important decisions to the adults, m’kay?
well, to be safe. Does that mean protecting your heart?? And to be smart. Does that mean not falling for someone who just wants you for the na-na? And to be educated-hmmm…like the ratio of STD’s between abstinent and practicing teeenagers??
Sounds good. I’ll bet we could all agree if we think enough about it.