Fraser high in memphis, 99% minority enrollement, 40% graduation rate; a school for welfare children, their children and their children!

do not give welfarwe let them work for a living a see how many will have babie then

It's not about the minority enrollment and black women being sexually promiscuous (which is exactly what I assume you are implying.) The entire community needs help.

Catherine, look at the pregnancy map. The number of minority pregnancies to the number of white pregnancies is usually around 4 - 1, despite there being less minorities.

It's clearly a cultural issue. Grow up and acknowledge it, and maybe we can figure out how to fix it.

James is right. We rather not acknowledge it, so that way we feel no responsibility. Rather we want to accept it or not, this reflects on America. When mass groups of people are failing it ceases to be an individual failure...at that point it becomes a systemic failure. As people, we must help at the grass roots level. It starts by being good parents, and second pouring into the youth of these communities in some way; small or large.

As a resident of Memphis, I say the problem is with the parents and not TV. This is a lack of parental supervision. Either the parent(s) are working all the time to take care of they're kids or they're introducing this lifestyle to their children. I can't tell you the number of times my elementary-aged students have come to me and told me their parents or uncles and aunties have taken them to rated-R flicks.

How about we begin with educating the parents?? Instead of pouring all of this money into education reform (which by the way isn't working) put it into parental education courses that would be mandatory for all who are on wellfare with kids...You know-pass the class and prove you are implementing or you don't get paid.

This has nothing to do with race. What the real problem is, is that the parents of these teens rely on the school, the tv, video games...pretty much anything or anybody else to raise thier kids. Parents need to take responsability and actually raise thier kids with not only morals and values, but parents also need to have the backbone to discipline them as well.

Shut up, it's not about the girls being sexually promiscuous, most high school girls are.

This is why one wears a condom, takes birth control, or uses some type of contraceptive when having sex.

i agree with clifton

What will you do to help now. If not do not comment. Someone did help you somewhere along the way.

I think in this day in age as a society, we are still overall preaching the same old same old. If you look at enough schools and institutions you will realize what I mean. There are two ways schools and other similar places try to prevent problems, usually only one of these methods are enacted, in my experience rarely both. Method one is to tell someone and preach not to do something, stopping the problem before it begins, to educate about why not to do something, such as have sex young, unprotected sex, drink, smoke, drugs, and what have you. The second method to teach and to stop someone from doing something is to reach out to those already involved, this method I see far less frequently. With this method you take people who are already doing the things your trying to stop, many as those aforementioned and more, and try to show them why it is wrong, where there is help, how to get it, and other various helpful ways to get over whatever is bothering them. This could be an addiction, sex at a young age, or other things. I have been to over ten schools, in none of them have I seen postings or news readily available for anyone who is addicted to drugs already. I have never seen a posting for alocholics anonymous, to some people this may sound extreme or silly, but to be young does not mean we are any different a human than the next, this means we still have desires, weaknesses, and sometimes we lose our way. Everywhere I go, I see things for adults outside school systems and advertisements for such things, but do the children, especially the poor who rarely go anywhere or do anything see them? Probably not. Are our schools to prideful? Because the time for pride is behind us, our children who are already addicted to drugs need us now. Our children who truly do not understand all of the consequences of unprotected sex, especially unprotected sex at a young age need us now. Our children who ignore their school and instead look forward to their next beer or hard liquor they need us now too! We as a society should reach out for them, give them options, and if this means to make younger and younger an audience exposed to such groups as alcoholics anonymous, and to classes that teach what having a child and sex can really do to and impact your life then so be it! At the school, at home, and beyond! Whatever it takes to end this downward spiral. Is there an alcoholics anonymous or a narcotics anonymous for young children and teens? If so I have never heard of it and if I have never heard of it how have kids everywhere else heard of it? Something needs to be done, and instead of just trying to take preventitive measures, schools, parents, and the media should also offer options and methods to those who have already lost their way, already become addicted, already become sexually active. If we as a community, a country, a school system, and a world cannot accept this, soon we will all be reading about the school that has almost 30% of girls between 14 and 16 years of age pregnant, and the rest carrying a different addiction. Is this what we all want? Parents and other concerned citizens if you answer no, you should badger all the school systems right now to see what help they offer, what resources and groups are around to help with these kinds of things for young children and teens. After all, if any of these things happened to your child or teen, would you not want the best help to deal with the problem that you could?

Actually, it’s not a cultural thing at all because I live in a mostly white area and all the statistics you read and see are about girls who have actually given birth, it does not count the girls who found out they were pregnant and had abortions or miscarried their children. If it included all information then you would see that in fact there are more white females who get pregnant then loose the baby or get rid of it. Rather than making it a "cultural issue" you should call it what it is, an epidemic; because I am African American and I can assure you that I do not have any children, I graduated from high school and I am in the process of my last year in undergrad and both my parents raised me to realize that children and stupid men who don’t know how to wear condoms can wait until I am able to take care of myself and support a child in the event that I ever forget to wear protection. It’s all about the environment you are raised in and who you are raised by. If your mother was a teen mother statistics say no matter what the race you will have a higher chance of becoming a teen mother same thing with being a single parent. I think that instead of telling someone else to grow up and acknowledge something; you should pull your head out of your own ass and realize that the entire community needs help but it’s not just Memphis, TN; it’s the entire United States that needs help with its teenage pregnancy epidemic.

Anyone who believes that it is in fact cultural issue may belong to the small part of the American public who are generally very smart but aren't very informed when it comes to the politics dealing with things outside their own realm of concern.

times- I'm sure what you've written is good, but my eyes cross trying to read all that without any breaks. haha

What I want to know is why the population suddenly became Hispanic, Non-Hispanic? Do we not have approximately 193 different countries in the world of which only 22 are Hispanic countries?

This is sad and pathetic. Kuvishnovo is correct, it isn't about the girls (and boys) being sexually promiscuous, as the average teen has sex somewhere around age 14-16. It's about knowledge about their own body and ownership of themselves. Accepting that they are doing an act that can get them pregnant and using protection each and every time. This means a girl/woman using birth control because she does not want to have a child AND a man using a condom EVERY time because he does not want to have a child. Otherwise the consequence is either bring yet another child into the world from a young mother and couple OR an abortion. We have to get past the point of feeling abortion is wrong and use this alternative as a resource. I would rather have my teens have an abortion rather than bring babies into the world at an age when they should be finishing high school, starting college or establishing a career.

Ever heard of birth control for preventing pregnancy AND condoms to prevent STD's? Welfare is already cutting back. They will need to get jobs and take care of their kids. Maybe they should contact Adoption agencies or terminate the pregnancy. End welfare completely. I have to work and am going to school and have a dependent. I graduated high school, did not get pregnant, was not sleeping with everyone at school, went to college, and take care of my kid alone.

What sad situation. This is why we need sex education in Memphis. For those who are not from the area, you should know that many of the decisions made in the Memphis schools and concerning the curriculum is influenced by religion disregarding alarming statistics like this. When I moved here 6 years ago corporal punishment was just then being eliminated from the public schools. Poverty and ignorance is an epidemic. We need solutions to these problems because they are not going away and will in some form affect everyone.

Ok James-2928556, I acknowledge that it is an American problem since it is cultural.

The media is what shows them what "in." It's a thing called influence too....there are many factors to why this could be happening. Surely you can't completely ignore all the movies, shows, and all the celebrities that teenagers look up to that are out there portraying women as SEX bots.

I don't need you to agree with me but there is a level of influence too that you cannot ignore.

James, it is not a "cultural issue." It's a low socioeconomic issue. Minorities tend to be the largest group of poverty-stricken people in the US - particularly Blacks and Hispanics - but if you went to places like the Appalachian Mts, you find a lot of pregnant White teenage girls. It's a perpetual cycle of material and mental poverty that needs to be broken.

How on earth is this news ?

Teenagers have been having babies since the begining of time..

Modern society's expectations aren't going to change that.

I honeslty think most of those girls just want to have babies,

whats wrong with that?

How is the show "teen mom" to blame?

They show those girls go through hell..

One girl had an emergncy c-section,

scariest thing i ever saw.

0.o

craziness-2928647 if it was the media, wouldn't all schooldistricts be facing this problem?

National levels by race and ethnicity • Among black women aged 15–19, the nationwide pregnancy rate fell by 45% (from 223.8 per 1,000 to 122.7) between 1990 and 2005, before increasing to 126.3 in 2006. • Among non-Hispanic white teenagers, the pregnancy rate declined 50% in the same period (from 86.6 per 1,000 to 43.3), before increasing to 44.0 in 2006. 2• Among Hispanic teenagers (of any race), the pregnancy rate decreased by 26% (from 169.7 per 1,000 to 124.9) between 1992 and 2005, before rising to 126.6 in 2006. These are the latest National Stats.

I am certain that the whole issue is cultural, however as a young girl who is going through high school and went through middle school with pregnant girls my own age of all different races, I can comfortably say that instead of saying "culture" and applying it to minorities we should accept that culture means groups of people that form American culture, and that this lifestyle that so many define as free, is simply flawed. We should, as Americans return to our christian roots.

There is SO much wrong in this situation, how can anybody just point the finger at a person or even a tv show. We do live in a very SLUTTY society where everything is about how sexy you can be. Also im sure that the majority of these girls don't have a stable home or good parents to direct them in the way they should go. With no money, no family, and a society telling you all you are is a sexual object, you do what you know. I have seen teen mom and 16 and pregnant and both of those shows shed some light on the very dark topic of teen parenting, which I would think would educate kids on what they dont want their lives to be like. Its a vicious cycle and everybody has to do their part to give these kids a better image of what their lives could be or they are destin to teach their children nothing, as well.

When are people going to stop blaming TV and start taking responsibility for their children? I watch Teen Mom and 16 and pregnant and I don't believe either one of those shows glamorize teen parenthood. I wish more parents would take an active role in their childrens life and try to show them how to be responsible and how to make the right decisions.

Voice of truth... thank you.

Further on my comment, if i placed a map of gang members across the U.S. and labeled it Black, Non-Black Whites, and Non-Black Hispanics would this be fair? I don't understand the labeling for this particular map.

There are only 3 planned parenthood centers in the WHOLE state! Maybe that's the problem...

What everyone seems to be missing is that the top 5 states all have highly funded Abstanance Only programs in the schools instead of sex education...wonder what the outcome would be if they taught how not to get pregnant instead of "just say no"!

I see how some could not wait to play the race card with this one. But, teen pregnancy is actually becoming even more epidemic nationwide and across communities.

Please read the following:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/bristol-palins-cameo-role-teen-pregnancy-trend/story?id=6588896&page=1

Here are some additional, interesting facts from: http://www.menstuff.org/issues/byissue/teenpregnancy.html

• The United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developed countries.
• About 1 million teenagers become pregnant each year; 95% of those pregnancies are unintended, and almost one third end in abortions.
• Public costs from teenage childbearing totaled $120 billion from 1985–1990; $48 billion could have been saved if each birth had been postponed until the mother was at least 20 years old.

• The teen pregnancy rate was 45.2 per 1,000 for non-Hispanic white teen girls in 2004. Since 1990, the teen pregnancy rate has decreased 48% among non-Hispanic white teens. Among non-Hispanic white teen girls by age the teen pregnancy rate was 22.4 per 1,000 and 79.3 per 1,000 for girls age 15-17 and 18-19 respectively. There were a total of 289,000 pregnancies to non-Hispanic white teens in 2004.

• The teen pregnancy rate was 128 per 1,000 for non-Hispanic black teen girls in 2004. Since 1990, the teen pregnancy rate among non-Hispanic black teen girls has decreased 45%. Among non-Hispanic black teen girls by age the pregnancy rate is 80.1 per 1,000 teen girls age 15-17 and 202.9 per 1,000 teen girls age 18-19. Since 1990, the pregnancy rate has decreased 53% among non-Hispanic black teens aged 15-17 and has decreased 35% among non-Hispanic black teens age 18-19). There were a total of 198,000 pregnancies to non-Hispanic black teens in 2004.

• The teen pregnancy rate was 132.8 per 1,000 among Hispanic teen girls in 2004. Between 2003 and 2004, the teen pregnancy rate among Hispanic teen girls increased from 132.1 per 1,000 to 132.8 per 1,000. Since 1990, the teen pregnancy rate has decreased 21% among Hispanic teen girls. There were a total of 214,000 pregnancies to Hispanic teens in 2004.

I wonder what the purpose of articles like this are? Is this meant to support some existing stereotypes? Do people feel more comforted when they can believe that somehow due to reace they are exempt from social ailments? Like I said before, I see how quickly some racially motivated individuals jump on this and commented. This reminds me of the media's reaction to Bristol Palin getting knocked up during the pres. race. The media seemed to be a lot more sympathetic and excusing to her situation. Some pundits asked the question of whether or not the media would have been as forgiving if it was one of the Obama girls (granted the are definitely too young for this, but you get my drift).

I think this will continue to be epidemic until we start to look at this as an America problem as opposed to a minority problem.

Another interesting perspective of the pregnancy pact in Mass. a few years ago:

The Juno Pact: "Teen Pregnancy" vs. White Teen Pregnancy

http://knockthehustleblog.typepad.com/hustleknockin/2008/06/the-juno-pact-t.html

I see not ONE contributing factor but MANY contributing factorS which are causing this problem. So bare with me a moment here:

1. Media is portraying teen pregnancy as not just acceptable but desirable. Look at the number of movies portraying single motherhood as honorable. How many movies and actors in Hollywood are seen as heroines for "keeping" their child rather than aborting or giving it up for adoption. Not that I am advocating either abortion nor giving a child up for adoption. However my point is that rather than advocating using protection to begin with thus avoiding the pregnancy, media avoids the controversy of abstinence verses responsible sexual education in favor of advocating teen pregnancy. Abstinence is obviously NOT working yet the conservatives and religious fanatics persist in demanding Abstinence only education. That worked in previous generations because unwed pregnancy was seen as very bad by society as a whole. Once unwed pregnancy became acceptable enough for Hollywood to glorify it well abstinence stopped working.

2. Welfare. Not a race thing but yes a class thing. Or as I like to call it--the neighborhood mentality. The poor on welfare are less educated. In the past, it was seen as a desirable goal to pull oneself up out of the worst neighborhoods to get an education so that one could have a better life. Oddly enough I saw a recent article stating that many African Americans have done this but sadly there are still some who have not only resisted but preferred staying in the poorest of neighborhoods. (wish I had it bookmarked for reference but don't). However, the article claimed that white poor were actually poorer than the African Americans poor and that more African Americans are considered lower-middle-class now while whites are the majority in the poorest category. I have seen the poor of both on welfare having child after child with no regard to drawing from the hard working tax payer. What welfare has created is a new class---the welfare class. I have seen girls get excited over the 17th birthday because finally they can apply for government housing just like momma has and be put on a waiting list. I have seen girls getting pregnant on purpose because they felt they were ready to have a child to love--something of their very own. A cycle has been created. One that is going to be dang near impossible to break because the bleeding hearts insist that if we cut welfare then it is the children who suffer not the parents. We are also told that we can't insist on birth control for these welfare dependent moms because that is against religious beliefs of some religions. Call me hard hearted but take the children away from the parents and give them to parents who can't have children of their own. If religion wants to whine about birth control being forced on the welfare parents---then the church can pick up the tab once that single mom gets pregnant yet again. Tax payers should not have to continue to feed the cycle, but that is my opinion and not many agree with me.

3. The parents. As a teacher, I would call my student's parents for teacher conferences and get very uninterested parents who did not give a care about their child's behavior in my classroom. One parent was swearing in the back ground at the child for waking her up to talk to his teacher. "How dare you F**ing wake me up for this!" Not all parents love their children. Not all parents find parenthood so wonderful. So they ignore the child while providing basics that the law requires for them to not be disgraced by having their children taken away from them. We have good parents but those are fewer and fewer each year while the over worked or uncaring parent is becoming the norm in today's society.

4. Acceptable standards. We are lowering our acceptable standards. Instead of teaching the basics and holding the students accountable for that knowledge, teachers are expected to grade on a learning curve. Meaning the entire class must not fail or it is the teacher's fault. Sorry I hate to burst bubbles but little Johnny and Suzie don't WANT to learn. However, the teacher was still held accountable for teaching those who refused to learn whose parents did not give a d***. Those teachers are not allowed to fail so many students according to the school boards. Even worse is that we are putting the slow learners in with the advanced learners. This holds back the entire class. Advanced learners should be in advanced classes so they are constantly challenged mentally. Slow learners should be in classes which will help them understand basic concepts and principles first. Lowering of acceptable standards because we don't want anyone to feel bad so we make everyone a winner does not work. Well guess what not everyone is a winner in life! Stop lowering standards and encourage competition with REAL rewards.

Bobby- I believe all school districts are facing this but not at such an alarming number in one school. Last year when I graduated I had 3 pregnant friends who were a year younger than me and at least 5 that were my age. It's a problem everywhere....but this is an extreme case.

Well said Angela

It is good for a man not to touch a woman. therefore to avoid fornication let every husband have there own wife. So if not married stop fornicating whether black white red or yellow. That's Bible authority for you all. Abortion is never the answer. Give it up for adoption.

Dear Susie, There are more than 40 million legal hispanics in America, I do not know why it matters how many countries in the world are spanish-speaking countries. The fact is hispanics are one of the largest minorities in America. Oh and furthermore if you are not familiar with spanish-speaking countries, there are white hispanics and black hispanics, this is why in America they have developed such racial distinctions. Just to let you know there are hispanics who have blond hair and blue eyes, and there are also hispanics who are dark-skinned.

it's because they are all black

Craziness-2928647 is right. The media has a HUGE influence on teens, and you can NOT ignore the fact the "teen moms" and "teen pregnancies" have been advertised through so many shows that unfortunately is becoming a "norm" in today's society. Music lyrics talk about sex like it's a hobby and not a tool used for bonding in a serious relationship. The media deceives young people into thinking that it's not a big deal. Judging from the concerns we hear nowadays, IT IS. Take a look at the rate of teen pregnancies over the past couple of decades, it has risen along with the amount sex that has been advertised in the media. The American culture is embracing promiscuity and is destroying the innocent minds of young ones earlier and earlier as time goes on. It is no surprise that cases like these have evolved. When will young women in today's growing society learn to value themselves and take responsibility for their actions? Why don't we have more teachers teaching the importance of self-respect instead of contraceptives? Whatever is talked about more is going to overpower and form the mentality of these growing young men and women. Maybe we should try forming a new mind set for these young women that will encourage them to not fall and became victims to this new trend of teen pregnancies, and teach young boys to respect the opposite sex and not use them like toys.

You can blame MTV for promoting it and blame the parents for not teaching their kids about it. Both of those accusations are true, but these problems are persistant across the country, not just in Memphis. I am inclined to blame the fact that Memphis does not teach sex education in their public schools. The state of Tennessee and the rest of the bible belt states don't teach it either. That's why those states have some of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country.

As a teen mom myself. I graduated eight months pregnant with my class. however i think that sex has become to natural to young girls. I would never say I came from a home that was laid back. I had two parents, I can say that "love" is such a state in all these girls minds. however I think that so many of us girls are or were un educated about safe sex and didnt think that it would ever happen to us. I feel that just because there are so many of us girls that can do it, as single mommys or be with our baby daddys or what ever the different senerio may be it shouldnt be a public episode on mtv. i watched the first season and thought interesting but the fact is that they keep playing episodes and keep showing how okay it is to be a teen parent. I will be one of many to say it isnt always easy and it isnt always hard, but its a huge part of our society. I truly frown upon this. I love my life and my daughter more then anything in the world but this percentage is outragous. I hurt for these girls may god bless them.

Who cares what race the mothers are. A lot of good being white did for Bristol Palin. Rather than make this a race issue or blame the media, what can we do to get people to look at the man/woman in the mirror and seek to make wiser choices in life?

What company offers pay raises to employees who get pregnant....or get pregnant AGAIN?

The United States operates an assistance program which rewards failure and renewed failure.

The safety net has been turned into a hammock.

Wow. They need federal assistance to feed themselves, and create yet another mouth to feed. Brilliant. Even birds, with their teeny tiny little brains, have enough sense to build a nest before THEY lay an egg.

Dear Stephanie2929020: Yes, I'm well aware that there are white Hispanic people. Two of my closest friends are from Portugal & are very white, and one of my best friends is from Argentina, is light skinned and her daughter has blond hair and blue eyes. My post was not meant to seem racist nor xenophobic. My post was meant to point out that welfare rates have little to do with someone's race (and considering there are in fact racist posts in this thread, I used the word "color" since that what racists care most about), and my secondary point was that if religion would stop interfering with sex education and accept that teenagers are going to be curious about these things, this may not be such a problem. Here's the deal: I don't think it's good for the USA to have young parents that don't know how to provide and protect these babies. Sorry you're looking for a fight today. I'll definitely tell my Portuguese and Argentinean friends about this hysterical argument! LMAO!!!

all the condoms must be defective or all their parents teach how to get on the governments tit. help mom out and make her a grandma.

when young girls in high school find out they can get money from the welfare department they see it as a way to sit on here ass's and make money . and unfortunatly they don't really want these babies. so the child get abused and poorly taken care of. this is a national problem and we better solve it soon. building more prisons is not the answer. and thats where these babies are headed witout propper love and care. may god have mercy on there souls

suzkatt, ask your portuguese friends if they consider themselves hispanic. last time i checked we where considered european.....

now thats funny

if we're counting 18 and 19 year olds- technically teens but legally adults, they can vote but they cant have kids? I have young friends who are parents who are better parents then the 30 year old parents I meet. Is it still terrible if an 18 year old gets married and has a kid? would it be ok then? And lets be real here- this is the media- the stats on this are highly exaggerated for dramatic affect. Another thing to look at, I read these comments from people who say such hateful things who cant even spell. Talking down on these so called teens, talking down on welfare. I know military families on welfare. Soldiers, Sailors and airmen trying to make ends meet trying to serve our country. No one is perfect, and all those bible thumping hypocrites trying to quote the bible, what ever happend to not judging thy neighbor?

If these kids had to work for the money to pay for these kids, they would keep their legs shut. Work them like they work them in third world countries. 16 hour days at minimum wage. Maybe if they work that hard they can afford a lousy life for themselves and the bastard children they are having. America is way to easy on the stupid people who live here, and the rest of us have to pay the tab for their ignorance and selfishness.

well, maybe they need to be rappin condoms on the junk...cause we got enought rap

oh and I completely agree with Craziness and Darwin- and other posts pointing out the percentages of teen pregancies in "Just say No" states. How stupid is that?

Even anti-drug commercials stopped with that slogan because it didnt work.

I hate blaming media. We can think for ourselves. Form opinions and personalities seperate from the media, I hope. I dont agree about the race factor- in fact I wish we'd stop keeping track of race altogether. Its a culture issue- Bible thumping ignorance is bliss types that would rather avoid then educate.

The same that refuse to teach evolution, some may believe the world still revolves around the sun, its pathetic.

My first sex talk was very technical. My mom talked to us kids every day about the financial and emotional aspects to sex. Consequences. She did teach to drive the car before you buy it- just wear condoms. probably not the best moral compass, but it was realistic, and kept my friends, my siblings and I all on track. No early pregancies because my parents were real with me. They told it how it is, no candy coating, nothing.

Doesnt mean I always listened. You can lead a horse to water...I dont feel like blaming anyone is helping. No matter the age everyone should be taught to own it. Consenquences for every action. Taking responsibility. At the end of the day, past the age of 5 every one makes decisions for themselves. MTV, Parents, Teachers, it doesnt matter. Its on the person.

That's just nasty. Kids are so ignorant it makes me sad. Can't wait to see yet another generation be destroyed by uneducated high school drop outs who will become the typical obese American that die at the age of 50 years from Heart Failure or COPD from smoking. Let's not forget their lost childhood and a future of immature emotional dysfunction that directly coincides with this problem - only to make more problems such as violence from psychotic young women attempting to profess their love by chasing immature little boys down the street with a baseball bat. That's love.

you know how i blame are the parents thats right i said parents if they would watch what thier kids are doing then they would not be having kids them self

Ever heard of birth control? damn thats SAD! and pathetic.

If we keep making shows about these situations being "Teen mom & 16 & pregnant" where we teach our teenagers to idolize these stupid shows and life of these "teens" what else can we expect but for our teenagers to follow the example set! Being a pregnant teenager needs to stay quite and at home not prancing about advertising promiscuity, what happened to the old days way back when it us totally unethical and your family had to share in the shame of a child having sex outside of marriage? Seems these days it is a status symbol to have a baby out of wedlock, the movie stars are doing it, these kids on MTV are doing it and "WOW" they got their own show on TV. No one ever shows what goes on when the cameras are off! Having kids is a full time job, and can be a very difficult job if you are responsible enough or adult enough to handle it.

If you drive drunk and accidentally kill someone, you go to jail. You are expected by law not to drive drunk, and you can be imprisoned for driving drunk whether or not you accidentally kill someone because you might kill someone.

If you have sex and accidentally create someone, there is no punishment. You can even decide to intentionally kill this person you created, and there still is no punishment. You are allowed to have sex without using protection even though you do not intend to create a person. Your freedom to have sex without the intent to procreate is protected by the government. And the government will pay you to take care of your unwanted offspring.

It seems to me unprotected sex needs to be treated like drunk driving.

I have been where these girls are. I am one of the statistics that had it "taken care of". Why can modern parents not except birth control? Not pills, that leaves the girls responsible for taking it. Why not an implant that last 5 to 10 years? We as a society have no problem talking about the problem but do we really provide any solutions or just provide excuses. It is an epidemic. It is something has been happening since the beggining of time. But lets face it it is cheaper in our highly in debt society for welfare to provide birth control of the implant type (or make it mandatory) than to provide all the other welfare assistance of a teens mom child for another 10 to 18 years. Get real.

And why isnt there male birth control? Girls cant get pregnant without a guy (or a boy) getting them that way? Call the FDA it is being tested make it approved.

Please GOVT, listen to me, I'm doing my best to raise my own two children. I'm trying my best to put money into their IRA's which hopefully will give them a proper education and more often than not, I'm not able to. I put their lives before new TV's, going out to resturaunts, and cable television.

I'M SICK AND TIRED OF PAYING 25% OF MY SALARY TO RAISE OTHER PEOPLE'S KIDS! I go to work and help people with their healthcare who claim welfare all the while carrying much more expensive Cell phones and driving more expensive cars than I have.

I'm sick and tired of seeing re-distribution of my wealth, my hard work, to support losers who have none and never will have any ambition to serve society in any capacity.

And by the way, the new healthcare reform is just a smokescreen to take more money out of your pockets (virtually anyone who has anything left after taxex) to help pay for all those who can't. All those people who smoke cigarettes and have unprotected sex and acquire STD's and share needles and acquire Hep C are the people who will now be able to get healthcare funded BY YOU. ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE POOR DECISIONS ARE GOING TO FINANCIALLY RAPE THOSE WHO HAVE MADE ALL THE RIGHT DECISIONS. WAKE UP AMERICA.

And finally, let's talk Tea Party. The Tea party began because the common persons rights are beginning to become trampled in todays society. Socialism (yes, the big bad word socialism) is starting to piss people off. Including me. I'm all for helping a person when he/she is down, but you keep helping them, it begins to breed laziness and irresponsible behavior. People begin to take advantage. They begin to realize that rather than work for minimum wage, they'll just collect welfare from the govt which pays better and sit on their butts and do nothing. No, rather, they'll have more sex because welfare pays more if you have more children to support. Then the parents spend the extra money on cigarettes and other poor decisions and their children are caught in the middle with no money, no future, and a continuing exponential cycle. They have more and more kids and the ignorant begin to overwhelm the educated and begin to have a stronger, yet more stupid voice in each political race causing socialistic leaders to get elected promising more benefits for lower class citizens and before you know it...the country is made up of citizens w/ no ambition, no creativity, and no reason to do a damn thing except complain to their leaders why they're not getting as much as they want anymore for sitting on their arses. Then they'll see it's because they destroyed everyone else who supported them in the beginning.

Redhead2929259: Good to know. Thanks for providing that info. I assumed Portugal was a "Hispanic" country on account of my Portuguese friends having many Spanish and Mexican friends they would speak with, so I assumed Portuguese was similar to Spanish. Oh yeah, and Portugal is also predominantly Catholic...which was the whole flippin' point of my post (that the Catholic religion and many other puritanical churches regard birth control as a sin). But keep arguing semantics with me please. It's making me really reconsider having any friends that speak Portuguese and Spanish whatsoever! Maybe the racists and xenophobes are onto something.

More girls should try to abstain and/or get a purity ring and promise not to have sex at all until they are married. Why would anyone want to be in high school and have to have a baby to take care of too? It just won't be as fun or easy to deal with.

Behold the birth of a xenophobe, everyone! My politics were very socially liberal, but after my experience on this thread...I've completely changed my mind. Wow, this whole time I thought the talking heads on Fox news were psychotic jerks, but now I see why they are sick of such totally condescending immigrants in our country. Yeah, I'm so done caring about what we do to foreigners. I used to think it was an injustice to deny them equal rights...but you know what? F 'em.

suzkatt, foreigners here are treated better than in any other country in the world. Your sarcasm is weak and certainly contributes nothing to the discussion.

Let me guess... Since this is a southern community, I bet they only teach abstinence before marriage instead of sexual education and how to prevent pregnancy

This story is sad but let's tell the truth about there environment. The parents of these pregnant teens have not educated the teens on sex education because most of them are on welfare and do not offer the kids the support they need to achieve dreams. Therefore, most of them live in negative environments that think having kids provides support from the government and they settle. On theother hand, what is the school during to help this problem in the community. Are they offering sex education classes, abstinence classes, condoms, and school counseling. Also, let's not forget the teens themselves. Of course, they are blame as well. Life is about choices, and the is choices they have made are horrible. I live in Memphis and was so disappointed when reading this article. What are we going to do about it? Who cares? My pastor preached a sermon actual last week on "Who Care?" In today's society, people do not care anymore. Who is caring for our children having children? God knows they need someone to.

I'd never read all replies to an article before, I don't think I will ever again. I've read more ignorance, racism, cruelty, stupidy and plain old selfishness, than I considered possible. At least possible for people to acknowledge. How embarrassing. Hopefully not too many 'foreigners' read our papers.

the discussion about blaming this on race is very ignorant. white americans blame everything on race because despite their exposure to a great number of ethnicities they fail to realize that in every culture there are all types of people. those who emigrate to the states are most often people who were not doing great in their countries to begin with, in other words poor and uneducated in the great majority. So, yes they get the very low end of the bell curve and then assume that the sample is representative of their whole original population.

Uncontrolled pregnancies come from uneducated upbringings. it is the same whether they are white, yellow, red, black or blue. most poor people are uneducated so natality control is non existent. it is the same in every country, uneducated people procreate more. so instead of being ignorant and blaming it on race, educate your population.

you know what they say about returning immigrants who have a little money but are in general ignorant and no class? LOOK HE IS BEEN AMERICANIZED!!

Christchild, Your Christian roots are exactly the problem. Allowing the religious Right to force 'Abstinence' to be taught in our schools instead of Birth control has resulted in a Teen pregnancy rate an average of 5 times what it is in Western Europe.

Abstinence has failed!

Living in delusion is not only stupid, but detrimental to the country. Get your religion out of our schools.

Parents can take responsibility. My parents never talked to me about sex and I was pregnant at 19, I was already out of high school but being a single mom at any age is a challenge.

I made sure I had an open relationship with my daughter who is now 22 . . I was going to make sure she did not get pregnant and focused on other things she enjoyed . . I took her around the age of 14 to get the depo shot. She was a bit confused at the time wondering why she had to get the depo shot, when she made it clear to me she wasn't having sex and wasn't ready; better safe than sorry later. I didn't want to wait till she came to me and it was too late especially with raging teen hormones. Obviously it is very important as well to stress condom use etc as well which I did. I just wanted to be sure she had a chance to enjoy life without being a young parent.

This is not only an issue in TN. It's an issue everywhere. I come from a very small town, and my high school currently holds 1,300 students. I am a college student now majoring in Spanish Education. The classes that graduated either with me or there after are going to have to have their reunions at Chuckie Cheeses. I'm not lying! Some of my peers who graduated with me are on their third child. I'm 20. I believe there has to be a plan implented to those who are in this situation. One, how about the schools put condom dispensers in the males restrooms? There are tampon dispensers in the female facility. Oh, I know some people would say this is provoking kids to have sex at a younger age. No! This is giving the students/children the opportunity to practice safe-sex. I don't like the saying "kids will be kids" because everyone has a definition as to what a kid is. But, I have news for everyone, regardless how strict a parent may be, or how much a parent disciplines a child, that child will be mischeivous and eventually act against authority. If that kid wants to have sex with their partner then they will. Having the right education on a subject is crucial, but actually having supplies and the guideance there to support a child or human, for that matter, I find to be more effective. How about we provide the supplies to reduce teen pregnancies, but let's start where the kids are for seven and half hours a day, the school, not the market, not a convience store, not the pharmacy, THE SCHOOL.

Its simple fix the the boys and you fix the problem, Snip snip snip. Future problem solved.

I CAN NOT beleive how ignorant some of you really are? It is a FACT More White people receive Welfare. To Say that any child should just be left to repeat this cycle because they have a parent on Welfare and that's what's expected IS DISGUSTING!

These are CHILDREN having Children! It has become socially acceptable and glorified on TV. It is absolutely TRUE that these girls from a young age are watching MTV and shows like " Teen Mom" that are sensationalized. Everyone knows Teenagers think more with emotions and when put in these situations they feel like they can relate to the 16 yr old girl on TV having a baby.

We've cut funding in Sports, After school programs, Elective classes in school. These kids have NO where to go & Nothing to do , and HELL Yes the parents are part to blame! Plenty of girls who have working class parents ended up Pregnant too. You can't blame everything on Welfare! I had Sex in H.S & My parent's were never on Welfare but because of the way I was raised I didn't have my first child until I was 27!

This is SAD that something in this town is missing, Kids having kids to have a sense of Family.

For those pointing a finger at non-white girls, I'd like to remind you of Gloucester, MA where 17 white girls made a pact to get pregnant... I doubt these 90 girls made a pact.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815845,00.html

I'm a pro life liberal.... and yes we do exist!

I do believe teaching girls about abstinence isn't a bad thing, but it should be taught along side with birth control. Encouraging the girls to get the implant is probably the best way to go...then no one needs to depends on the girl taking her pill as prescribed. And of course we can't forget the boys who say "it just doesn't feel as good" to use a condom. Well he's not the one who'll be going through labor, sleepless nights, not finishing school, not going to college, losing her future...

As for "Teen Mom" & "16 & Pregnant" if those of you who say it glamorized teen pregnancy haven't watched the show... it show what these girls have to give up...everything from education, social life and any hope of a decent future. Most important...where's the father. In most cases, not in the picture. Surprisingly this last season of "16 & Pregnant" most of the guy not only stayed around, but married the girls.

Now for my last rant... no one so far has addressed STD's...

Think about this... for each unplanned pregancy that either results in a live birth or is aborted could have also exposed the person to the virus that causes AIDS, as well as a variety of other diseases.

Therefore, the guy needs to get over the attitude of how it feels... and think about pregnancy and STD's...

For those who want to criticize my spelling... please look at what time I wrote my post & it seems this spell check sucks...

I have a question for those that citicize spelling & grammar... Could it be you have nothing else to contribute?

Totally agree about single moms being put on shows is worng. Bristole Palin and other teen moms do not need idolized.

As a high school teacher and a parent of two teenagers, I heartily agree with Angela's post. I see more and more pregnant girls each year of all races and ethnicities. I see the public coddling them, accepting them, feeling sorry for them, holding baby showers, etc. I'm not sure what happened to the sense of shame that comes from doing something so incredibly stupid. I don't think that the babies should be punished, but I also do not think that we, as a community, should make the girls feel that what they've done is acceptable. Abstinence being taught as a means of prevention is clearly not working.

Until very recent times, many teens even in our culture were married and having sex. Expecting them to wait until they're married, especially since the average age of marriage has increased, is unrealistic. We need to arm our children with the knowledge necessary to prevent unwanted pregnancies and STD's, not leave it up to a purity ring.

As for the "reality" shows involving teen mothers, I hear my students discussing the shows amongst themselves sometimes. They discuss the good things and the bad, but still think it's very cool, especially when they media keeps posting that one of the teen moms now makes $280,000 a year. Sad, very sad.

sumthin fishy

The young men get off without a backward glance....hold the fathers responsible, and if they are not of age, also make their parents financially involved....this is a crime, (statutory rape; sex with a minor; you pick a law you like in this category), in every state, so why are underage pregnancies occuring without judgement upon the boys or men responsible to make them provide for their offspring for 22 years?

This is 'the' national scandal....600,000 underage and unwanted pregnancies per year in the USA, condemning at least 1.2 million young mothers and children to a life of probable failure, and a lifetime of social safety net living.

We can always find an excuse for our problems as long as we are pointing the finger at someone else.

White girls can afford to get an abortion, so it seems as if they are not getting pregnant and having babies.

Black girls get pregnant because their parents are on welfare and they don't care enough.

Hispanic girls lack morals that's why they get pregnant, besides they want anchor babies.

Now that I have placed all the most stupid blame I can think of, lets look at reality.

Young people these days have less supervision because most couples claim they both have to work to make ends meet. Single parents have to work two or more jobs to make ends meet. Most kids are left to supervise themselves and are very bad at it.

Young girls who are left to take care of themselves, usually fantasize about taking care of a baby of their own. At 14 and 15 years old, they think they are invincible, they can do anything and they know everything. Don't tell them about 'abstinence', that does not work. Birth control is not necessary, because they will never get pregnant. Only stupid girls get pregnant. Besides the boys promised they won't, he will pull out in time.

We live in a society where it's everyone for themselves. Neighbors do not look out for each others kids anymore.

What we need is for young people to get involved in after school activities. If there is nothing else for them to do besides talk on the phone, watch tv, play video games and just 'hang out', then sex becomes a viable option as well.

We have glorified teenage pregnancy. So, maybe if they get pregnant, they will get 'discovered' and have their own show. Someone might pay them to go around tell how hard it is to be a teenage mom. That way, they will get rich.

I wish communities could get together in support of our children. Maybe you don't need a second job to buy material things, you really don't need and focus more on the kids. Maybe one parent could work part time instead of full time, so they can be home when the kids get there. Maybe we could buy a 3 bedroom home instead of a 5 bedroom. Less mortgage. Buy a Ford instead of a BMW. Less payments.

We need to focus more on our children than material things. It will also be a great lesson for them. Rather than buy the newest game or the brand name clothes, teach them how to earn a living and save their income. If they watch you act irresponsibly, that's exactly what they will do.

We then sit and point a finger, while 3 points right back at us.

Young men should also be held responsible. It should not be that the girls take full responsibility, while they walk free.

Parents should have these young men work after school to support the child. If they knew that whatever money they make would have to go for child support, they would think twice. No more video games, designer sneakers or expensive sportswear.

Young men should taught that pregnancy is a equal opportunity problem. They should be taught what price they will have to pay for sex. That way they will act more responsible and even learn to say 'no'.

Those of you who insist that abstinence never works have likely never heard of this:

There is new hope that slowing the spread of AIDS in Africa, where an estimated 30 million people are dying from the disease, may be as simple as ABC.

ABC stands for "Abstinence, Be Faithful, or use Condoms," in that order of emphasis. It is also what public health experts call the program begun in Uganda in 1986, when HIV infections and AIDS began washing over Uganda's citizens like a plague. Many Western experts derided the project when it began, but today it is considered the brightest success story in the course of the pandemic.

While condom distribution and so-called "safe sex" have been the core of failed U.S. and international efforts in Africa to inhibit HIV transmission for 20 years, ABC is winning important backers on the left and the right, as "abstinence, be faithful and condoms" campaigns in Senegal and Zambia, modeled on the one in Uganda, have begun to show similar positive results.

A former World Health Organization researcher estimates that if the ABC approach were enthusiastically embraced throughout Africa, HIV infections could be reduced by 80 percent.

from usaid.gov/press/releases/2003/uganda030313.html

If the ABC program can decrease HIV in the very promiscuous cultures of Africa, could something like it possibly not help decrease pregnancies in the US? It's odd that we never even hear about this program in the media. In the US no one has even considered implementing anything like it, even for HIV. I suspect a large part of the problem is that it includes both abstinence AND condoms, and the groups advocating each might never agree to using both together.

I have been very close to this issue when I volunteered at a center counseling young women with crisis pregnancies. All of my clients were economically disadvantaged and many feared they would be kicked out of the house if their parents found out about the pregnancy. We were not there to give advice but to help the client work through her options. All of our services were free, and we sometimes gave clients money for bus fare and the like. We also had a clothes closet and many baby items (including big ticket items like new strollers and cribs) they could earn by attending parenting classes or watching videos.

I'm not by any means the greatest mother in the world; but for my own daughter, I gave her the facts about sex, cold and simple (embarassing her to death), including the fact that abstinence is the only 100% effective method of preventing unwanted pregnancy and preventing the spread of STD's WHEN USED CORRECTLY. I didn't just tell her to "just say no" or "good girls don't" as was told to me; I asked her if she felt she had enough self worth and value to wait instead of being used for some guy's curiousity or as a notch in his belt, if she felt she was worth waiting for someone who truly cared about her feelings and her happiness, who was willing to commit to her. I did instruct her about birth control methods, though she did not want me to tell her. I felt this was much better-that she know facts about them and how effective they were, etc-than just leaving a box lying around or something. I also did not force any hormones with potentially dangerous side effects on her, especially after we had discussed the whole thing and I made it clear she could come to me about that at any time. (We had "the talk" really early.)

I would urge anyone to level with their children about these things as many above have said they did. Kids know if you are telling the truth. If you have the type of relationship where you can discuss things, it is much easier. Of course, you can't control what they do. My daughter asked once, "If I got pregnant, would you help me?" I swallowed, then said, "Yes, of course. I wouldn't be thrilled about it at your age, but of course I would help you."

suzkatt...your welcome....i'm always willing to educate someone so ignorant!

REDHEAD-2929236: So what exactly is your opinion on this news article? Do you have an opinion whatsoever or are you just posting to pick on someone who made an honest mistake? BTW, just in case you don't live in the USA/have never been to the USA (I don't know if you're here or still in Portugal) I want you to be aware that most Americans consider Portuguese Hispanic. And people from Brazil are absolutely considered Hispanic on account of the majority of them are 'brown'. So here's the deal: just because your country is in Europe doesn't mean your aren't considered Hispanic in America. Spanish people are considered as such...but you are right that Portuguese is different than Spanish. Unfortunately for you, the majority of Americans think your people are Hispanic (even if it's wrongfully so). I briefly dated a guy in high school who had a Portuguese last name (although he was not close to his Portuguese father whatsoever as his father ditched the family as soon as my ex-boyfriend was born) and my parents freaked out when they heard his last name saying they "did not want inter-racial grand-babies". And that my friend, is the truth about the USA. I do like to be enlightened when I'm wrong, but I think you're a condescending jerk. You could have informed me of my error in a polite and informative manner, but you opted to be rude twice over. I'm sorry you have no better purpose in life than to be rude instead of helpful. I officially pity you.

besides that retarded "their minority "bull@!$%# (white teens get pregnant too and married while in high school) I'm getting tired of this crap about "blame the media". If your retarded asses watched them shows 16 n pregnant and teen mom, they aren't portraying it as some glamorous life where the teen is happy everyday of their life. They do show the struggles going on for the teens, but yall so quick to blame someone other than ya slutty daughters and sons who probably think a condom is for balloon animals. Get right and stop making our race look so retarded.

This isn't new and it isn't a fad. Teen pregnancy has always been an issue.

These are not accidental pregnancies they are very intentional. You not only get financial support you have a new "toy"...or so it seems at first. Very sad.

They are not accidental I agree, but this isn't about financial support. Or welfare. Or race.

It's about love...looking for it in all the wrong places...like from a baby you can't even take care of. Or a boyfriend you thought would stick around. You folks are so far removed from real teens, the ones without priviledges, education, or access to birth control, you just can't explain it through any other means than your own prejudices and mysogeny. You want fewer pregnancies, than increase access to birth control, and start putting a priority on education, even, in the "bad" schools where people write you off as lost before you've even begun.

I was a teenage mother three times over 17,18,married at 19 and my third son at 20 I understand wanting the love of anther person. But this should be comeing form home from thier parents not from a one night stand, a good looking one time thing. As a parent of the sons i am all about teaching right and wrong. after all it is thier choice that will be the end factor. But also love is a key factor in what these girls are looking for, knowing that someone other than parents can love them. If i would of had my parents involvment i would of waited, but they were more it thier own problums and i know that is why i stared my own faimly. I was looking for one all my life. Can a cummunity really fix what is broken at home?

Not with your spelling or grammar.

If you signed up just to be a spelling and grammar police, it's not necessary. We already have quite a few.

I'm no expert, but many people have told me that when they did not get love from their fathers they sought that love from other guys, any guys. Even a one night stand felt like love to them because it was better than nothing. Perhaps having the baby to love also helped fill the gap a little. I'm just repeating what was told to me.

You can't get welfare as a single mom working a full-time job not receiving section 8 or child support either.

try living on welfare and see if that's why they do it

Unfortunately it isn't always about the welfare money, but ignorance. Many of these young girls are not educated properly on prevention. They don't have parents that talk to them, some are victims of abuse, it isn't as simple as prevention.

im sorry, but since i dont ever want to get married.... r u saying that someone has to be married to have sex even when they are over the age of 18???? in this society a woman does not need a man to take care of them when that woman can do everything herself

@rlh233;

I know that's the liberal stance, but it's complete nonsense. I don't know a single teen that can't figure out that babies come by spreading 'em.

Steve: That's ridiculous. This isn't about liberal stances. (ever hear of an unwed teen mother with the last name of Palin?) It's not about figuring out where babies come from and it sure isn't only the girls' responsibility to be educated. There are plenty of adults who have unintended pregnancies.

This is about knowing and believing you have a future to safeguard, no matter what you may see around you. That comes from education. (not ol' holier than thou one, from righteous finger-waggers).

As an educator I have seen many middle school girls pregnant. They have no plans for the future and are always surprised that the boy doesn't commit himself to parenthood. The boys, on the other hand, walk with a swagger and enjoy fifteen minutes of glory when the baby is born. The maternal grandmother generally becomes the primary caregiver of the baby. I have also taught many of the babies when they were old enough for middle school. None of their mother's have achieved professional success despite special programs and great encouragement from their teachers.

i got pregnant when i was in high school and i sure the hell don't condone it.it was a big pain in my butt but i am looking at this article and i have a problem.why in the heck are they going to teach just the girls how to prevent it?quote:

"The news comes as the city plans an initiative to fight teen pregnancy in their community with a nonprofit organization called Girls Inc., which teaches girls about pregnancy prevention."

no where in that quote does it say that they are going to teach guys the same thing...it takes both a female and male to make a child...so why are they not going to teach the boys as well.it takes 2 to tango, so both side should be taught.

That is not true u can get stamps and cash assistance without havin a child look at the statistics there are more caucasian people on welfare than minorities whether u want to believe that or not this has nothin to do with race and everything to do with kids not being properly supervised and trained point blank. There are jus as many caucasian teens getting pregnant as minority teens. But society does not want to shed light on that reality take ur blinders off people this is everyone's problem.

AP- I agree with part of your comment... it IS about believing you have a future. So many of today's teens don't think they HAVE a future, and because of that, they don't even think about long-term consequences to their actions. This also comes down to general social portrayals of teenage behavior. Teens see sex on TV, in their neighborhood, and in magazines... their friends are talking about it, their guys are pushing for it, and the girls just assume it's "what you do". There is no program imaginable that can "fix" this situation, no matter what anyone says. Yes, girls who go through a program designed to educate them about birth control, self-esteem, and life-planning are going to have a lower rate of teen pregnancies.... but unless we can nationalize this program (reaching every single girl in the US), AND change media and social portrayal of the role and significance of sexual intercourse, we are going to go on having teen pregnancies. That's just the way it is. Each girl will have her own reason, whether money, keeping a guy, proving she loves him, or just plain I wasn't thinking about it, along with the percentage who become pregnant through involuntary sex. There's no way to address the issues of each individual girl in the US who is at risk of becoming pregnant.

Last time I checked Bristol (to include her family) was at least able to financially support her unintened offspring. She worked, Her baby daddy worked, they can even afford a nanny to help out if needed.

This is not a slam on being poor by any means, thats not something you can just wish away. But to not take measures to avoid pregnancy, KNOWING full well that you can't even BEGIN to afford a baby, is just plain irresponsible.

It's well past time that reality shows quit glamourizing teen pregnancy, as well as non-teens to some degree, and start showing the hardships that result. This includes the mother father taxpayers (who end up footing the bill for em) and especially the BABY. The little one is the one that truly suffers for the parents irresponsibilty.

Issa....you are so wrong.....Women can't make babies all by themselves....so you are incorrect, women do need men, just lik emen need women to procreate....duh.....

Keep being a manhater...even sperm donorship comes from a man......lol

If the minorities are Hispanics, the problem is likely rooted in the old school Catholic beliefs: birth control is a sin, and you must have as many babies as God blesses you with. Meaning, if you are experimental in your teen years, you must never use birth control or condoms. But I'm sure Tennessee has more of a black population. I personally don't care what color these kids are, it's not good for the future of the USA. I don't know what the motivation is for teens who have babies, but if they think they can live off of welfare they're in for a surprise. I knew a girl that tried to do that, but "work first" made it so she could only be on it for five years. Soon after she was cut off she found a hard-working guy to marry her. BTW, she was white.

I believe the father of the little bastard (that's what the Bible calls them) should be the one who foots the bill for his child. If the "boys" are old enough to have sex, they are old enough to get a job and bring in some funds for their own child. I believe the working people are having to do too much to feed the children on WELFARE!

If we were blind we would listen more. If we were lucky we would be taught something worthy of us as teenagers, both male and female, but then again i am a teenager more involved with myself and not worried about what my parents or grandparents, teachers or society has to say i know everything already. Now the question should be how are you going to get past this mentality and teach the majority in this nation (the children) what is right and what is wrong when we as adults cannot get past the color or nationality of these teenagers. Once you yourselves get past all these trivial things then you can go on and start working on a solution to the problems that includes having the teenagers helping with the process of finding a solution and all sides take responsibility for society sees as a large problem; which it is.

Anyone who has an unwanted pregnancy in this day and age is a moron. Everyone knows how to prevent it. But you can't get welfare and food stamps without a kid.

Is that why Bristol Palin got pregnant?

I am sure you do not have much experience with teenagers. If you did you would know, that as soon as they get past the age of 12, they know everything. They suddenly become the smartest people on earth and parents (adults) becomes the stupidest.

Food for thought, one more contributing factor in teen pregnancy I have not seen discussed...

Another Contributing factor to Teen Pregnancy is likely the falling age of Puberty in US Teens. Among Girls, they are developing breasts 1 to 2 years earlier than they did 40 years ago. The early on set of Puberty and the hormonal changes that come with it combined with exposure to sexual imagery cause children to become sexually curious and active at younger ages.

Younger children are not as well prepared to make decisions about things as profound or life altering about becoming pregnant. While some aspects of sexual maturity are happening years earlier, the average age of menstruation has not fallen by as much. So early sexual activity may not result in pregnancy, and may in fact create a false sense of security with regards to the use of protection.

Smaller birth size and overweight childhood are contributing factors in the early onset of puberty in girls. We all know that poor nutrition and cigarette smoking during pregnancy lead to early births and smaller birth sizes. Also teen pregnancies tend to result in smaller birth size, making it a self perpetuating factor in the falling age of puberty. Poor nutrition (the wrong foods with high sugar/calorie content) is contributing to a nation of over weight children.

Cigarette smoking and poor nutrition are more prevalent in the poor and socio-economic disadvantaged. They also tend to have less access to medical services and counseling.

It would seem to me that we need to continue attempting to address the access to better nutrition for all our children. But more importantly we need to ensure that children are getting effective and comprehensive Sex Education and Awareness classes earlier. I know teaching about sex in grade school is controversial, but we need to get the education out in front of the onset of puberty.
I'm sure this is not all that is involved with the problem, but I believe it is a part worth discussing.

The problem is having sex without contraceptives. Abstinence-only education has shown to be ineffective.

I agree. Its about goals, role-models and self-esteem.

marriage has nothing to do with any of this..its about teens running around with no parental guidance and ppl want to blame everyone but these kids parents. so it would be better for teens to get married first then get knocked up only to be divorced in a few years? no wonder the divorce rate is almost over 51% because theres ppl like u who think its only appropriate to marry for these types of reasons and not for love.

Mostafa that is brilliant, very glad I read that comment

That's the stupidest comment I've read on here yet. How about education? Prevent measures? Your thought process of out of sight out of mind must work wonders for you... ignorance isn't really bliss

The problem is teaching 'only' abstinence. There is nothing wrong with encouraging abstinence, but one should not figure that this is the only thing to teach.

The number of minority pregnancies stand out more so than whites because white girls who get pregnant generally have abortions. If you examine abortion rates the number of white abortions is 8 times higher than minorities. Some people can interpret it as some cultures having more value for life.

I think that Health classes should get into more detail about getting pregnant..Yeah I'm barely in high school and took many health classed. Telling us "just say no" or "use protection" isnt going to cut it. What ever happened to the class where you took care of a fake baby that cries when it needs attention? This is what more and more schools need,not just some speaker at the front of the class repeatedly saying "Just say no!" Blaming Teen Mom or 16 and pregnant is wrong. This show actually shows the viewers what happens to these girls. I feel bad that they had to miss school to raise a child and some of them didnt even graduate on time.Their relationships with the fathers sometimes crumbled and they were left alone with only their parents to support them. Maybe this school is like The Pregnancy Pact all over again, or are they trying to gey some attention? I'm only 15 and hoping to fininsh my school years being young,then maybe in the future i will have a child that i can give him/her everything they need to grow up without any struggles. This is only an opinion guys, and I hope some of you will take action. Go class of 2014!

The biggest problem in Idiocracy was nobody cared to actually fact check their beliefs. Just like you.

If you view the map, you may have noticed that among those southern states that have a large minority (specifically, hispanic) population get their numbers skewed extremely high because of it. Among non-minorities, the disparity between North and South is very small (something on the order of 10 per 1000, or 1%).

Try again Keith.

Anywhere you have higher concentrations of black or latino minorities you have higher teen pregnancy rates, more welfare recipients, higher crime, etc. I agree that the south has a much higher concentration of these problem groups than other areas of the country. And to your "Idiocracy" point... yes, the aforementioned minority groups do breed at a much higher rate than whites. Sad, but true.

Judging by the map, it is clearly a problem everywhere, not just the South. There are so many factors that play into this, not just geography. Unfortunately ignornance tends to breed more ignorance and so on and so on.

I'm doing the unthinkable and taking it there.

"If the White Man never stole African families from their homes and forced them into slavery you wouldn't have this scenario today. Add to that the dependency African American women were forced to have on the White Man, you see what you get....I'm still waiting on my 40 acres and a mule".

I go to Seattle a lot on buisness, glad to know the homeless drug heads are to stone dto be reproducing up there.

@James-2928556

"The biggest problem in Idiocracy was nobody cared to actually fact check their beliefs. Just like you."

How does one "fact check" what one believes?

Also, when I said "the south" that includes everyone regardless of race/ethnicity, so that includes you. It is convienent to point to minorities here, but every state has them. I think the big difference here is the sex ed programs. Abstinence only programs (pushed by conservatives) clearly don't work. Point and case, this story. Yes, us "homeless drug heads are to stone dto be reproducing" ...while in high school (nice spelling btw).

"How does one "fact check" what one believes?"

I don't know, look at the provided source material. You know, the facts. It's clearly a cultural issue, with southern states seeing something like 100 hispanic pregnancies per 1000 teens.

And I never said I was conservative or abstinence programs work. Stop projecting, please. Not everyone conforms to one of two sets of beliefs.

And when I said not everyone, I mean most of us.

You are absolutely right, Anita... I think the the United States entering the slave trade and bringing Africans to America was the biggest mistake in the history of our nation. It has been one disaster after another.

However, you should know that the "White Man" did not "steal" anyone from their families. In fact, Africans were sold into slavery by OTHER AFRICANS! Yes... this is the part they don't teach or preach in school... blacks selling other blacks into the slave trade. Imagine that.

I take it your a Yankee!!!!

I think that Mr. Kevin is a stuck up ignorant northerner who is stereotyping Southerners the way a lot of other Northerners do... Just because we are from the South doesn't mean we are all stupid and uneducated citizens. We are part of this country just like you and you need to get over yourself...

As far as the pregnancy issue goes, it is a matter of prevention. However, being a female, girls believe anything a guy tells them when they are teenagers... You tell them you love them and want to be with them forever and they will do anything you want them to because they think that is how to keep a guy around. They don't realize that if a guy really loves them and wants to be with them that they will love them for who they are and not for just doing everything they ask and all... Girls at that age are just... Really naive... and that can get them into a world of trouble that they aren't ready to handle yet...

Please evaluate facts with candor and logic. These problems are nothing new. The welfare recipients are from a long lineage. The U.S. was created to end feudal slavery for white people' which still exists in Latin America and Africa. If the country maintains these individuals, there should be restrictions upon thier procreativity. People that abide by moral standards have rights too. P.S. California amounts for nearly one third of the country's welfare output.

THISISALLJACKEDUP -Allot of Northerners? Who is ignorant? Take a good look at yourself before you call northerners ignorant. Its ignorant to think that a boy can talk a girl into sex as well. Girls have to want it to have consensual sex. It is clearly the girls choice. What ever happened to personal responsibility?

Welfare should be limited to 1 year. If you cannot make ends meet then you clearly need to seek alternatives such as adoption.

The issue is teen pregnancy, not black teen pregnancy regardless that this particular school is in the south, the issue is nationwide and has touched every family from every race. Its unfortunate that slave trade happened and it happened from both sides, either way I'm glad my ancestors made the trip.. It is the parents of these teens that are accountable, if parents were more involved they would have less time to be tryna act grown. They need sports, music, arts, academic clubs....Idle minds are the devils playgrounds..

You just keep on waiting, anita. As for me, I worked hard for the past 25 years, then went out and BOUGHT my 40 acres - mule tbd. It's the handouts in this country that are ruining it's people. Whatever happened to working hard for what you can provide for yourself.

@Keith W Seattle WA

Ummm..."Point and case, this story"?? Pretty sure it's "Case in point..."

@Anita-Thinking

Unless you are 150 years old, you were never a slave. Slavery ended over 145 years ago in America. Go whine about slavery in nations where it still exists but not here. Not anymore.

I did not bring slaves to America. I did not own slaves. I have never treated an African American poorly, YET I have personally been discriminated against for being white in today's society because the poor African American was once a class of slaves.

Go read your history. You will find that the African nations warred. The losers got sold to the Europeans as slaves. America is not the only nation who had slavery yet it is the one nation in which the descendants are unable to move on and stop playing the "race card" to the fullest extent that they are able.

People like you are why our nation is still having race issues. Because you have a huge chip on your shoulder and you were taught to carry that chip by your elders. Now you think to pass that chip on to your children so that they can continue the hate of the white man. Grow up and accept responsibility. After 145 years, the "slavery" card should no longer be an issue or an excuse. Especially considering that African Americans have "black only" scholarships to colleges and top schools. African Americans get extra points toward college applications just for being black. African Americans get points toward job applications just for being black. I am not saying racism no longer exists but what I am saying is that your attitude is a large part of why it continues.

Fact: I worked at a well known national chain book store company in which I was told by my boss to "assist" an African American on a test for employment because we needed at least one African American on staff and none of them could pass the test. Thus I was to help her with the math section of the test. She still could not pass the personality/aptitude section so she still did not get the job! Even with me doing all the math for her!

Fact: I was offered a partial scholarship in track and field at the college I attended. An African American girl that went to a rival high school ended up at the same college. In high school, her and I equal in our races. Sometimes she would beat me and sometimes I would beat her in races. So imagine how I felt when not only did I find out that the college track coach offered her a full scholarship, but that they also played with her ACT scores just to make her eligible to participate on the collage team. I passed my ACT scores on the first test. She took it 4-5 times and never really passed so they took the English score from one test and combined it with the Math score on another test and so on just to get a barely passing combined so she could be on the team, yet she got the full scholarship while I was only offered a partial.

More recently, I was a teacher at a local high school in which the African American students were allowed to call me racist names such as "cracker" yet if a white student called the African American Math Teacher anything that she even remotely felt was racist-that white student got not detention or a few days home but expelled from the school. Meantime I was told to just turn a death ear to the racism from my African American Students. Those same students would complain that I was the racist one for expecting them to work in my classroom, do my assignments, pass my tests, etc. Any of them who did not pass--it must be because I was racist was their attitude. I finally had to quit my job because I had enough of the crap and did not want it to affect my attitude and treatment of my African American friends whom I respect.

Those are just three of many stories I can tell about how I have discriminated against as a white woman-just for being WHITE instead of BLACK.

If the "Great White Father" hadnt came to America in the First Place none of this would be happening, but thanks for all the kewl sh*t all of your Ancestors invented . . . lol

Anita your not thinking or mabey just dont know history. Blackes enslaved blacks and then sold them to whites.

@Chris. You erroneously stated that Africans sold other "Africans" into slavery. In fact Africans sold Hebrew Israelite's who were servants to the people of West Africa. Now that's something they didn't preach or teach you!

BTW, the term slave originates from the "Slavs" an Indo-European group of whites sold into slavery by other whites..Imagine that!

I don't know how old you are, but I think it's time to let that one go....a classmate got a scholarship and you didn't. You never got a break that someone else felt was unfair? That's no reason to hold racist attitudes for the rest of your life. I doubt the kids in that classroom had the notion you had any respect for them because of these attitudes and acted accordingly. Either way, probably best for all that you're out.

I completely agree with canchaser...its ignorance that leads to pregnancies. I believe it has somewhat to do with the environment you're in, maybe nature vs nurture? Also, sex ed may work but it only will if they take something out of it and are able to apply it into their lives. We could talk 'till we're blue in the face about using birth control, condoms, etc but it's really up to them if they're going to use this information. Doesn't help that our society's whole aura is that SEX SELLS and that it's ok to use your body in that way.

As long as there has been man there has been slavery, don't think that the White Man of America was the first or the last to do it. After slavery was abolished those Africans were free to return to their homeland. Ever heard of Monrovia, Liberia? It was established as a place for Black Americans to return to Africa if they wished to do so. If they decided to stay here and remain in poverty, uneducated, and breeding out of control well then that was their choice. People CHOOSE to be dependent.

Why make this a north/south rich poor girl thing..it's idiotic to do so...and as for minority girls, they don't have money for abortions like the rich girls do so the numbers would show more in light of minority girls. It's all about the dollar baby...I just think it's sad though because attention (counseling) should be given to all young girls, Rich and Poor. And whoever called the minority girls breeders, you need to get a darn grip...and stop handing down hate to the younger generations...you're the true IDIOT! not the pregnant girls rich or poor.

LMAO....NDN1212...for real man I am getting real tired of all this fussin and fighting. I'm ready to put em in the trunk but its not big enough.

this is were the mescans come in. Do the words "ancor baby" mean anything to ya?

Wake up. Let's stop the unemployement and send to other lazy northeerners to work.

@AP1414066

I am going to assume this was meant for me as I am the one who mentioned the scholarship.

"I don't know how old you are, but I think it's time to let that one go....a classmate got a scholarship and you didn't. You never got a break that someone else felt was unfair? That's no reason to hold racist attitudes for the rest of your life. I doubt the kids in that classroom had the notion you had any respect for them because of these attitudes and acted accordingly. Either way, probably best for all that you're out."

Obviously you did not bother to read the entire post fully and/or you failed to comprehend what I was writing. I am not holding a "chip" on my shoulder for the slight so much as I use it to show how the race card and affirmative action policies hurt white people while helping the black people. Thus the poster to whom I was replying to has no excuse for the "chip" she carries on her shoulder.

For your information-not that it is any of your business-but one of my closest friends is black and I have dated both white, black, and mixed-race men.

I never, ever looked at the color of my students although I was accused of it repeatedly to the point it became harassment. Some of my best success stories have been non-white. I left the developmental college position I was teaching at so that I could help students before they ended up in a developmental class in college. I chose the school I was teaching at because I wanted to give to my community-it was the poorest school. A large portion of the African students resented me for my white skin, but not all of them did. I still had two African girls who listened to me enough to let me help them get into college when they had not previously planned on college. I held all my students of all races to equal standards and refused to cut any race any slack. I had to leave because it does no good to tolerate abuse from both students and faculty. When it is acceptable that students abuse a white teacher based on color yet not acceptable for a black teacher to receive abuse--then yes it is abuse by the school administration based on race. No one should have to tolerate such abuse neither black nor white.

It amazes me that most people will acknowledge the fact that once a person has endured some type of psychological trauma (i.e. the loss of a child, the death of a love one, someone being sexually abused as a child or raped as an adult), unless appropriately addressed via therapy, psychoanalysis etc., then the trauma will likely affect that persons ability to be a "whole" person. Often times, if that person does not get the help they need, those issues will somehow manifest within their family unit (i.e. husband, kids, grandparents etc.). The issues can directly affect the psyche of the entire family.

Slavery was detrimental to the African race and it continued to affect the African American race. A lot of the issues that began with the African trade became deeply embedded into the African American race and those issues continue to transfer from generation to generation.

First of all, a lot of the cultural issues that are existent within the African American culture in this country were instigated by the Slave trade.

Secondly, Slavery has been in existence even during the Biblical times. The most detrimental issues regarding the American Slave trade evolves around how the slaves were obtained and more importantly how they were treated. If one would take the time to read any Bible, you will see that God did not condemn slavery but He did specify people who owned slaves should treat them how they themselves would want to be treated.

Yes, there were some Africans who played a role in assisting some traders into obtaining their "slave human cargo." This role was not how the majority of slaves were captured. Most slaves were chased, trapped, tricked, and ending up into the hands of slave traders.

The transporting of slaves from Africa to North and South America were under horrid conditions and slaves were treated as if they were animals. Many who died (mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, etc) while in transit were simply thrown into the waters while other slaves witnessing their family members being tossed into the waters while simultaneously living under inhumane conditions, not to mention being beaten and at times not fed.

Upon the arrival to the America's, Africans continued to be treated like animals. Their families were broken up; mother's no longer had some of their children because they were sold to different buyers. Husbands and wives were separated, never to see each other again. African women were often raped and impregnated by white slave owners as a method of breeding slave children. The same African women who were raped, after giving birth to the children also had to succumb to abuse by the slave owner wives as if it was their fault as to why the married slave owners were raping them. The black male slave was seen to be a threat and had to be controlled mostly by beatings and having their "manhood" dismantled. Being a man is a God given role and American slave traders and owners made sure the black man stayed under their control by making sure he was convinced he could be nothing but a slave and he would always have an owner.

How can people not correlate the not only physical abuse but the mental abuse that occurred during slavery would be long term just as a victim of violence, death etc. Blacks in this country were never given the opportunity to psychologically heal. They were expected to be happy that laws are in place to prevent such atrocity from happening again.

Laws don't change people’s opinions or deeply embedded emotions. Laws don't heal psychological trauma. People who refuse to acknowledge wrong doing and refuse to help the psyche heal are just as guilty as those who inflicted the beatings, rapes, starvations etc because they are contributing to the pain of the psychological trauma which is worst than the actual act. Bruises and broken bones heal, without proper help; the human psyche does not heal!

Just as stories about traditions, cultural beliefs, rights of passage are handed down from generation to generation, so are the stories about slavery, being raped, being hated for the mere color skin is handed down and stored in the psyche of those affect.

Yes, you have some blacks that against the odds, they succeed in this country but the majority has not healed. It has nothing to do with the race card; it has nothing to do with wanting a hand out, it have to do with deeply embedded trauma that has transferred from generation to generation. Then you add, things like "Jim Crow" laws, "Brown vs. Board of Education, Civil Rights Act" and so on, these events which occurred less than 60 years ago, continued to add more trauma to the African American race. My grandmother who is 84 years old, still has memories of being mistreated because of the color of her skin, being denied an education because the color of her skin, being unable to vote because the color of her skin. That trauma is deeply embedded in her psyche and it continues to transfer from generation to generation in my family.

I could go on about the generational affects of the Slave Trade but I will stop there. My mother, had her first child when she was 13, a second when she was 16 and a third (me) when she was 20. She attended night school for many years, earning an associates degree in accounting then a bachelor's in Business Administration, then a Masters in Public Administration and she is a CPA. I had my oldest son when I was a junior in high school. I have bachelors in Criminal Justice, a Masters in Arts, and I am currently working on my second Masters with the intent on pursuing a PhD. and I are 44 years old (a child from a man who had an 8th grade education and a mother who was first pregnant at the age of 13). My oldest son, now 26, has a master’s degree and my other two children are academically blessed as well however, my story is not the norm but it is an example of what is becoming a very slow turn around in the Black American race.

My final point, you can't expect 200 years of physical and psychological trauma to simply go away since the act no longer exists (and we all know racism continues to exist not just on an individual level but an institutional level), progress will continue but it will be at less than a snails pace because as a whole, the Black race has not psychologically healed and some people in this country will not allow that healing to run it's course.

You can only change only what you will acknowledge.

Signed,

A black woman, teen mother, child of a teen mother, child of a black father who had an eighth grade education and the child of a great great grandmother who lived as a white woman (who’s mother was also raped by a white slave owner).

@Chris, of course this part of history is taught. We are all aware of all participants in the slave trade. African-American ancesters have their part in this tragedy, but I would be loathe to believe that they ever would have thought that their kin would be treated the way African-American slaves were treated. Remember, there was "slavery" and "indentured servitude" in Africa. The laborer was housed, feed and treated humanely. Family integrity was maintained and valued. Husbands, wives and children were not sold away from each other and after the period of "slavery" and/or servitude was fulfilled the laborer was released to go and live an independent life as an equal member in societal life. We know that did not happen for African-Americans here in the US. The practice was never intended to continue for a lifetime or several lifetimes and then morph into something else that considered African-Americans less than other members of society. I could go on and on about the differences between "slavery" here and in Africa, however the problem of un(under)education, un(under)achievement and teen pregnancy is not back in Africa, its here and we need to deal with our part in all of it. We need to commit the same amount of dedication to solving this problem, that we did to keeping our slaves from running away. I'll bet if we did that we could all save some young lives and taxpayer dollars.

PS one more thing. My AA friends and I have discussed these race issues and we all agree that racism exists on BOTH sides. I am well aware of discrimination against blacks from both white people and even black on black racism. One of my friends wrote and published a story describing how she was a black girl who got called names because she "talked" white and "acted" white. We feel that discrimination on either side continues the racism problems of our nation.

I was never saying it did not exist but merely showing it exists on both sides and that playing the "slavery" card 145 years after the end of slavery is just too much.

@Cerebrally Blessed.

Africans are not the only ones who suffered atrocities in the trip from Europe or Africa to America. Ask any immigrant back then who was poor what it was like to ride on the boats to America. They tell some of the same horrid stories of no food or water. Plague. Death. Being thrown over board. Only the rich had it good. Ask the Irish immigrants during the great Irish potato famine what it was like traveling to the new world. Most of them did not make it.

Rape? How many rapes do you think happen in modern times? Those women have to survive it and move on. They don't overly burden their children with the hate they have. Many of them mange to even give birth to and raise their rapist children.

Abuse? I know many like to make excuses for criminals by saying "O he was abused" but we still have to hold the criminal accountable for HIS/HER actions towards society. I personally know abuse. My mother was abusive to her children. This does not mean I am going to be abusive to my children. I hold myself accountable for MY actions. I judge people in my life by their actions.

The race card needs to stop being used 145 years later. Take responsibility for your own actions and attitudes. Today's society should not be held accountable for something that is in the past. We should study history and learn from it but not act like it is an excuse for black on white racism.

@ Angela,

It is human to condemn what one does not understand and obviously you do a lot of condemnation thus you definitely don't understand!

I am not a victim, not a survivor but a victor of child molestation from the ages of 4-8 and of aggravated sexual assualt; someone broke into my home (a nice house in the suburbs, not in the ghetto) and I was violently raped at the age of 19 with my two year old son in the room with me. It took years for me to learn how to live with the images that will forever remain in my psyche until God calls me home.

I have worked as a public servant for 18 years, I am a retired federal officer and currently a child abuse investigator so don't tell me about what goes on in this world, not only have I seen it but I have lived it. I am specialized in working with sex offenders, the type of person who violated me as a child and a young adult yet I carry no hate for any of them.

Not everyone recovers from psychological trauma in the same manner. Some are forever haunted by scenes and sounds that they carry in their head, so don't go there with me. I live it!

As far as the slave trade, you are right, there are so many groups of people who suffered atrocities, most in their own country not stolen away and taken to an unfamiliar country. Some groups have received some type of reparations (not necessarily money), some were able to keep the core of their race intact and wheather the horrible storms. This is not about who endured the worst at the hands of another human being, this is about healing from generational psychological trauma that was initiated by the American Slave Trade and continued by founders of this country by imposing laws that would continue to demoralized a group of people.

Do you know what it's like to read the Constitution and see where some of your relatives (now living and deceased) were considered to be less than a human being? Do you know what it feels like to read history and view pictures of people hanging from trees that have similar characteristics as you? Obviously, you don't! I have an aunt who will be 107 years age in July (if God says the same). You tell her what she went through should be forgotten and she just needs to shut up and learn from it.

Each person has their own perspective, they respond to life's events in their own way. No two people are exactly alike. Thus, some people who are victimized will not grow to victimize others. But some people who were victimized will grow to victimize others. It depends on how each individual internalized those events which affects their "world view" thus the term "Walk a mile in my shoes." Everyone walks in their life a different way, they see things differently.

Today's society continues to perpetuate what happened 145 years ago whether you want to admit it or not.

If you judge people by their actions, that is your choice. But some people choose to judge people by what they perceive those actions are and that's their choice.

You have no right to tell people what and how they should feel. A lot of the issues that are existent in today's society is "collateral damage" from the slave trade.

I have my opinion, you have yours and there are plenty of others on here that have their own opinion. I don't agree with anything you have written but I do have basic respect for it.

And as far as judging people, I practice the principles of Christianity 24/7, thus I leave judging up to God.

If judging and condemning people by saying they need to take responsibility for their actions is your way of dealing with the filthy history this country created years ago, so be it. But as for me, regardless of what I live, regardless of what I have endured, regarldess of the stories I have been told by my relatives which have been handed down from generation to generation, I will continue to address this issue from each individual's worldview, not my view, not your view, but their worldview, one at a time.

Some people "can't lift themselves up by their boot straps!" Whomever you are, I pray for you and I pray that you and people like you are able to get off your high horse and stop giving commands on how to do overcome psychological trauma, try to see that persons view of the world through their eyes and help build themselves up rather than constantly tearing them down.

Some people who have endured psychological (emotionally, mentally etc) can't simply lift themselves up by their boot straps, they have to go through painstaking rehabilitation, unlearn bad practices and develop good habits, it takes time but unfortunately according to your worldview, they simply need to take ownership in what has been the result of years of racial mistreatment and some how undo what it took more than 150 years to do!

I merely shared my viewpoints and you have definitely shared yours! Again, you and people who share the same thoughts as you, are in my prayers!

Have a blessed evening!

Amita..........Look behind you. There is your mule. If you keep turning trying to see it, you would have covered your 40 acres.

Africans were wrong to sell their countrymen and others were wrong to buy them. It was a case of supply and demand. ENOUGH. Stop using slavery as an excuse.

No wonder our kids are messed up. If they have a problem, they are taught, rather than take responsibility, blame it on anything but themselves. Its either politics, race or class. All they have to do is listen to the stupid adults. No wonder they don't respect adults anymore.

We need to look in the mirror. These kids are the United States. So we either focus on making sure that the USA continues to be a great nation or we can continue with the finger pointing, put down and blame.

Was waiting for someone to make this about Obama...(and of course the big bad MEDIA close behind).

I suppose there were no teenage pregnancies before 2009. It's all Obamas fault.

I'm almost done with my teen years and I can safely say I haven't considered being a teenage parent.

haha dean> who the @!$%# actually considers being a teen parent?

Why don't you also "persue" learning how to spell? And if you are 15 and have "considered" getting pregnant then you have huge issues. Why in the world would you even consider it?

I'm an 18 year old female and the thought has NEVER crossed my mind to be a teenage mother. I know many teenage mothers and the children they have usually get raised by their grandparents while the teen mom is trying to make ends meet...but now everything in society is slowly getting accepted. Just in the 60's it was taboo to even live together before being married but now that is the most prominent way of "advancing the relationship" and having sex before marriage was NEVER accepted in society until the end part of the 50's and 60's, and even then it still was looked down upon. Now people are shocked when people are still virgins at 18 and its "strange" not to have sex with someone you're dating after a certain amount of time. The moral decline in our country is scaring me and there are few that are like me and want to wait until marriage to have sex. Lord help us

accident

accident

Chris K,

I am confused. She wrote "presue", you wrote "persue". Do both of you mean pursue? I agree though, she needs a spelling lesson or at least a lesson on using spell check.

Hon, this is what happens when you DON'T think about being a parent...

Actually teen pregnancy rates are DOWN substantially nationwide. That's one of the reasons this is a story--it's running against a trend.

exactly... There is birth/control, condoms, absent.. Parents.. WATCH YOUR CHILDREN... Everyone loves to blame someone in this day..... Parents your job to inform,,... TEENS,, you knew what you are doing, don't blame your parents... I love how teens say, WELL I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING.. You know exactly what you were doing, and you need to accept the consequences... Suck it up and quit blaming your parents... Your parents never made you have sex.... It was your choice...

those 50 are sluts and i agree it gives u girls a bad name when i have a sis who is gunna grad hih skool nxt yer and she dsnt want a kid or sex so id consider her one of the good girls

People can only give themselves a bad name.

Or they were convinced that he was "the one" like so many teens are.

Heck, even a state official questioned whether the sex-ed program was effective.

http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/repository/NR/4-16-07FamilyLifeEducationinTennessee.pdf

Off topic .. but I'm mortified at the lack of basic spelling and punctuation that is displayed by these teens in this forum. Is it any wonder that they are having sex without prevention, it doesn't seem like they are learning anything in school.

it's the texting. They forget to switch back when not 'talking' with friends.

yeah u right adam2185354 your sister is a slut, and you are one too...now the number is 52 u jerk..

anita- thinking I noticed your post blaming white people for the black people being slaves. I was just wondering how many of the black tribal leaders that sold their own people into slavery for trinkets, spices, and clothing??

I assure you that not all teens are punctually and gramatically incorrect. I'm 18

The lack of proper spelling a punctuation has nothing to do with teenagers getting pregnant. With all of the texting and on-line instantmessaging, it's become habit for most teens or young adults to shorten what they are saying when posting on-line. Just look at Facebook or any other community website.

I also don't think it's the lack of sex education in school. People aren't all just flat out stupid. Teenagers know what they should and shouldn't be doing. Many young girls have the mind set that when they get a boyfriend or someone wants to have sex with them, that's the person they are going to be with. Girls want to get married and have kids before they even know what it means to pay for a full tank of gas in a vehicle.

Another reason I believe may need given some thought is the price of birth control. For example, before I had insurance it would cost me $60 a month for a pack of pills, (not saying it wasn't worth it). However for many young girls in families without insurance it's not in the budget to provide the protection. The price adds up. Yes there are special groups out there that provide birth coltrol for young adults, but they aren't made known in schools on how to find them and how to actually get the benefits.

Yes, the ,"Teen Mom" shows may also have an impact on why girls are getting pregnant. However,actually watching the show it gives you an inside look on how hard it is to raise a child as a teen. On the other half of it the girls watching the show don't think about the chunk of change these girls are getting after the show just for being on it. That won't happen in real life!

It's all a matter of parents actually being parents and letting their children know that birth control is available, but also in a way, scare it out of them! Let them know how hard it actually is, throw out numbers just for one month it would cost to raise a child, medical bills, etc.. Keep tabs on your children and make sure they are doing the rite things with their life. As long as they are under your roof, remind them of it. Also, as bad as it may sound, let your child know if they get pregnant in school, it's on them, not the parent and this is real life. The chances of their Prince Charming or Baby Daddy actually being there for them is zero-to-none.

Nonsense. These are just young girls. White, black, whatever, they are our kids...Not sluts or anything but young girls who didn't get the support and upbringing they needed. If they bizarrely thought life with a baby would be a picnic their school as well as their parents and their community failed them. Tennessee, you and all of us should be ashamed...And any idiot sneering at these kids is a stupid brain-dead fool or planning to leave this world very soon.

There's no point in punishing the babies by not providing food and care...For good or bad these children are our future...They will do the work and care for our elderly and with luck, run the country no worse than previous generations of Americans...Slovenly, ignorant, tough fighters most of whom did not have a good education or a cushy background any more than these kids did but a certain minimum of them did have a desire to succeed and make their lives better. If we don't see that that certain minimum at least is generated among these kids, our nation is doomed. How can we do it? Education, education, education...If we are educating these kids properly they will learn the pleasure and value of work and learning whether they become garbagemen proudly keeping cities from disease and recycling to save the planet or brain surgeons studying the wonders of that little 3 pound mass of tissue. We need to reconstruct welfare of course...It must be workfare with good training and educational opportunity while providing the babies with proper nutrition and basic care.

You neglect these kids and you kiss this country's future good-bye...Your nice kids are very nice but they can't do it without their fellow citizens being up to par.

I have to agree with Diana on this one. The poor attention to spelling, grammar, even coherency in some of these posts is frightening. I think we should really consider what this indicates about our society. If our youth are so poorly equipped to handle even a simple task like writing a short paragraph, how can we expect them to make wise decisions in their day to day lives?

As a seventeen-year-old, I can assure you that not all youth is intellectually challenged. A great deal of teens are quite bright. Society, however, trumpets the bad ones and overlooks the teens that actually contribute in a positive way. A majority of posters on this vine have already stereotyped teens into illiterate sexually-active fools.

I was raised to have manners, respect my elders, help others, and care about my future. And I do. I also play video games and watch television. Since so many adults bring this up, I have to ask: Why do you point the finger at video games and television? How many of you that judge them have honestly ever played a newly released video game?

Well, God did say be fruitful and muliply, but of course not in a way thats harmful and unproductive to others. 16 is clearly not a age to be trying to have a baby when so many people are struggling already and homeless and without jobs. It has nothing to with "minorities" and black people at all, I'm so tired of those ignorant remarks! If your gona have sex, be smart about it and wear a CONDOM! They DO work, even when the parents won't get off their own asses and work! Theres way to many people in this world suffering without jobs and a place to live, because their parents decided to HAVE the baby, and thought their MORAL issues got in the way of them making resposible choices afterwards. Birth control is ALWAYS an option. Have SAFE sex! Its hard enough trying to get 15 year olds into the shelters that refuse to go back to their disfunctional families and catching them lying about their age to men! Lets get real here! Make responsible choices! Not everyone wants to deal with the bull@!$%# you don't want to take resposibilty for!

LMAO!

...they didn't get pregnant by themselves (oh right, we only wag our fingers about the girls' promiscuity).

Rachel-352453 I disagree with you, The virgin mary did have a partner, But, he was left out of the story. The same issues were 1000s of years ago. The guys make it happen.,but don't want to take the blame most of the time. Then people call the girls sluts. That is sad. The sex drive is wild in the younger years. Masturbation would help a lot. The school district is not in the sex business. The parents need not be embarrassed to talk to their kids about sex...be a good gal.

It's probably one male teenager with raging hormones impregnating ALL the girls. Ever watch Maury Povich or Jerry Springer? Those two should be run out of the country with all the towns folk chasing them with spears and lit torches! I think shows like theirs perpetuate the crazy ideas these teens have going on in their under-developed brains. Fifteen minutes of fame on one of those shows is amazing to the fools who go on there. And for ANY of them to have an "intelligent" conversation....forget it! Most of the show is bleeped with profanity while the two clowns who host the shows just smile and smirk. Not because the "guests" are saying something funny, but because the host is counting their ill gotten monies! Oh, but I forgot...they always have some redeeming value at some point don't they?....Let's see: Maury really does say crap like, now if you ARE the daddy, you'll be in these kids lives and take care of them, right?....damn, that's just so deep Maury. And then there's Jerry who has his oh so touching final thoughts....words of wisdom from some freak who used to be mayor of Cincinnati and was writing checks to prostitutes in Newport. What a world class clown there. These two just make it so much harder for parents to effectively parent. NOTE TO SELF: if your child ever, ever mutters the names Maury or Jerry, seek immediate help and take away all T.V. rights. Those two should be banned and taken off television. That's just a start, there's many other things we need to do as a society. I'm not saying these shows are the only reason, but I myself believe that it has to be a factor.

There are plenty of parents in Missouri, but this article is about Tennessee.

You are right. People are not taking into account that 1 out of every 4 young girls are sexually abused. This can lead to a great deal of problems, including low self-esteem, depression, and promiscuity! I'm not saying that all these girls were sexually abused, but it's a possibility that a lot of them were or are still being abused. These girls believe these boys that tell them they love them because they want to be loved so badly and they are willing to do anything to be accepted.

Interesting how you inject your political philosophy into this. It is completely irrelevant to this, though.

The school is not teaching proper sex-ed classes, therefore it has a high rate of pregnancy. Schools that do teach proper sex-ed classes have lower rates of pregnancy. See how that works? Still not convinced? How about a quote from one of the kids there who had a child.

"'They need a class where they can teach the girls before they get pregnant to use protection and stuff, and don't try to get pregnant', Terrika said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1347241/Teen-mom-epidemic-NINETY-teenage-girls-pregnant-Memphis-High-School.html#ixzz1B3ZQbnTB"

Doesn't that speak volumes?

welfare, well our system is great. but mom can not get welfare in some states unless thay name a father. is this true or not. i was never a welfare mom, but a teen mom i was. i worked and worked.

long story. not a lot of time.

After sitting here reading comment after comment about the poor slaves and I'm a slave child 140 years removed so I can't be expected to move forward it makes me very ill. If you have respect for yourself you will move forward. Just one note! My great grandmother was a bonded slave in this country. SHE WAS 100% WHITE IRISH. So don't tell me about black slavery. My great grandmother also came past the beatings, being talked down to and fought back to get an education. She raised her children to respect EVERYONE black or white and that it doesn't matter what color you are bad things can happen to us all. She also raised us to take responsibility for our own actions and for every action in life there is a reaction good and bad. In her day if a young woman was with child and not married you were shunned by the town and usually sent away to have your baby at a undisclosed place so you didn't bring disgrace to your family. There was no welfare for the mother and the usual out come was that the baby was taken away and (given or sold) to another family and the mother could never hear from nor see the baby again.

I'm not saying that we need to go back to these times but what we need to do is stress education. Ignorance breeds ignorance. I know that this would work in allot of cities and I would like to see somehow that the parents must pay the state (as in a fine) for a child that has repeated truancy. If they don't graduate then the parents pay the education institution back for the time the child was in school causing disruption and trying to get other children to follow their lead. Something to think about! Don't just sit here and say it won't work but build off of the idea. You would be amazed at how the majority of the educated people that write comments here could bring about a change when working together. We have to start somewhere and if an idea doesn't work try a different route off of the idea.

Cheese Head: no one has babies for the welfare check --which has real caps now. You want to reduce pregnancy, increase education.

you're right the welfare check isnt increased, it's the foodstamps! a single parent in memphis with 2 kids under 5 and a newborn gets approx 700.00! they sell 500.00 of those and the kids eat processed food cause the mothers cannot cook basic meals! teach real life skills instead of enabling!

You guys are forgetting.........or not knowing maybe.......these girls don't raise their own babies! They hand them to adobtion agencies or to their Mother, Grandmother or an Auntie. Then they go out and do it again!

Bonnie-316341; You are probably correct. What do you suggest? Some of these pregnancies have religious problems; Like no protection. Blame the church as well.Everyone of these gals could have the day after pill. ;Why don't they.

Well said Chelle, my oldest sister was a teen mom who married her baby's father...they're celebrating 35 years this August. My youngest sister was also a teen mom of 3 daughters before she graduated from high school. She has worked her tail off providing for her girls. She sent them to private school all the way through high school without any assistance from their dads. Her youngest is about to graduate from high school and the two older girls are in college with their mom. I am very proud of her. She did what she had to do to support her family, but had to put her life on hold till she raised them. She missed out on many activities. Her girls spent many nights with me or our other sister so their mom could work. Real life skills are needed for supporting a family regardless of age or background, but particularly when your a teen parent expected to bring home enough to live. The only point I'd like to make about the grammar and punctuation issues...it has not been only the teens. Most of the "adults" are using then when they mean than or no when they mean know, etc.

richard meisler- I don't think religion is something that can be classified as a "problem." Is the problem really that religious teenagers don't use protection? Because if they are truly religious and follows religious practices, they wouldn't be having sex at all. I don't think you can blame the church, because it's not only a sin to use contraception, it's a sin to have sex before marriage.

Right, because teens didn't have sex in your day...(talk about waking up).

redranger; It is to easy to get free services from the gov't. You are right. People are sleeping their lives away.

Right - They have sex to get the food stamps. You idiot.

My daughter is one of these statistics. I have 3 daughters they all are not pregnet. My daughter at the age of 13 was raped and had a child. It is not always the parents faults. I raise my girls to always use pertection you never know what is going to happen to your child please beware that it is not always the parents fault or your children. And it happens to be in your on homes not just in the commuities. You can't trust know one with your children not even a family memeber.

i thank you on behalf of this message board for your inspiring words of wisdom.

Dem whities have lots o legwerk 2 do if dey wanna cetch up to us.

I think that Andrew needs to get off of the E BONICS and learn real english.

vikter dun b rasist

o & englesh is cepotalised dummezz

gygin,

That comment of yours was insulting, impolite, racist and uncalled for. I advise that you learn to be more respectful to others. In other words, if you would not say it to someones face, do not type it online.

victor,

Andrew does know 'real' English. Look at his comment, #20.1:

Interesting how you inject your political philosophy into this. It is completely irrelevant to this, though.

You know, it is hard work to write like my two above posts.