Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Friday, January 29, 2016

Sarah's Choice, By (O)CT(O)PUS of The Swash Zone

Sarah’s Choice 
By (O)CT(O)PUS 

Responding to a domestic violence report last week, police officers arrested a 26-year old suspect for punching and kicking his girlfriend and brandishing a firearm while intoxicated. Is this your typical crime blotter from Any Town USA? Not this time! The alleged offender is Track Palin, oldest son of Sarah Palin. 

Whether Son of Sarah ends up in lockup, or receives a slap on his affluenza, is beside the point. Where was Mamma Pit Bull with Lipstick one day later? Was she arranging bail to spring her son from jail? Retaining legal counsel or family counsel? 

On Tuesday, the former half-term governor of Alaska had flown to Ames, Iowa, to stump for Donald Trump. Her strained voice screeching of chalk on blackboard, the family values mom betrayed no hint of the family mess back home. 

 Not until Wednesday during a campaign stop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, did she finally speak of the ‘elephant in the room:’ 

 “That starts from the top. It’s a shame that our military personnel even have to wonder, if they have to question, if they’re respected anymore. It starts from the top,” she insisted. 

Agreed! Accountability starts from the top, and family priorities always come first (at least in my book). Was it PTSD that derailed her hapless Track, or perhaps another elephant in the room as yet unnamed? Let’s take a Tripp (no pun intended) down Memory Lane: 

September 11, 2007 — Son of Sarah enlists in the U.S. Army. One year later, his Alaska-based 25th Infantry Division deploys to Iraq. His CIC is President George W. Bush. 

September 2, 2008 — In the same week John McCain names Sarah Palin as VP running mate, tabloids break the news: Teenage daughter Bristol is pregnant. 

September 6, 2014 — Let us recall the infamous Palin Family Brawl starring Papa Todd, Mama Grizzly, bristling Bristol, and punch-drunk Track. 

June 27, 2015 — After earning $262,500 as teen pregnancy ambassador for the Candie Foundation (an abstinence awareness charity), Bristol announces her second pregnancy out of wedlock — from another failed relationship. 

No doubt, tabloid journalism opens windows on the private lives of famous people but rarely prospects for meaningful clues behind the headlines. Are Palin family values behind closed doors the same as they appear in public? 

Ask any mental health professional. Repetitive patterns of unplanned pregnancies, failed relationships, drunken rage, and domestic violence do not arise spontaneously from a vacuum. Here is the profile of a troubled family; of disconsolate offspring acting badly; and of absentee parents inattentive to their needs. Tabloid accounts merely scratch the surface of a family mired in drama and controversy. 

Of course, Mamma Grizzly does what grizzlies do best: Shift blame. Accuse. Denounce. Ridicule. Play the victim card. And avoid mirrors. Blame the POTUS for the elephant in the room, but never admit responsibility. Behind these details, we catch a glimpse of misplaced priorities and erratic parenting. 

If Sarah Palin has achieved anything in life, she has raised denial and self-affirming victimhood to a fine art, and her firebrand populism appeals to millions of like-minded followers. Last week, a moment of personal anguish behind the public mask was the story inside the story. On this point, journalists, lawyers and mental health professionals can agree: Negligent parents are good for business.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...



"Of course, Mamma Grizzly does what grizzlies do best: Shift blame. Accuse. Denounce. Ridicule. Play the victim card. And avoid mirrors. Blame the POTUS for the elephant in the room, but never admit responsibility. Behind these details, we catch a glimpse of misplaced priorities and erratic parenting"

And Donald Trump wants this wreck of a human being in his cabinet. For which department? "The Department of Abstinence and Domestic Violence Caused by Barack Obama?"

Peter said...

And Palin is important for what reason?

The Dictator in the White Hose said...


Palin isn't "important." Palin's pathetic and we need to document her stupidity.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Peter (@10:45 AM: “And Palin is important for what reason?

The title “Sarah’s Choice” recalls a 1982 film called “Sophie’s Choice” starring Meryl Streep. In due course, we learn the main character had been sent to Auschwitz along with her two children where she faces a terrible choice - which one of her children will live and which one will be condemned to death.

This post is NOT about partisanship; its about parenthood It’s about the public Sarah Palin versus the private person. It’s about appearances and priorities, and the choices we make.

If Track Palin were your kid, what would you do? Would you avail yourself of every resource to get help for your kid? Or would you put on your public face and go on political junket?

Note: There are five offspring in the Palin family, one of whom is severely handicapped. Especially in large families, there is hardly enough time and parental attention to go around.

Furthermore, suppose the parents are self-indulgent, preoccupied, emotionally unavailable, and inattentive to the needs of their kids? In such families, delinquency among boys and teen pregnancy among girls are most common. Track and Bristol are the “lost” children of the Palin family.

Last week, Sarah made a choice, perhaps one many over the years. She chose politics over parenting. Now she must bear the consequences -- and anguish -- of those decisions.

Peter said...

Sorry, that doesn't show why her escapades are important, except to the tabloid reading crowd. You want to highlight bad parents, there are much worse. Shaw has been writing (and most other liberal blogs) about Palin not to point out she is a bad parent, but because she supposedly represents Republican behavior. That's silly since Democrats have the same, or worse family problems. Your reasons don't hold water.

Shaw Kenawe said...


Peter: "Sorry, that doesn't show why her escapades are important."

She just made the news all over this country because she threw her support and essentially her followers behind Donald Trump, who may become the T-GOP nominee. Donald Trump also said of Palin that he'd consider her as his VP, or at least someone for a cabinet post, should he become president.

If you don't think that's important, then you've got your head in the sand.

Democrats may have the same or worse family problems, but as far as I know those who do were not running for the second in line for the presidency and possible Commander in Chief.

Palin passes herself off as an evangelical Christian with strong family values. Her behavior proves that she doesn't practice what she shrieks. She's a Hallelujah Hypocrite.

Peter said...

Just because you and every media idiot has decided to make her news, doesn't make her important, nor does she have any power to make anyone president by her support. The numbers that seriously follow her are minuscule. I'll agree the numbers that try to make her nothingness (I include you, octo, and many other liberals) in to something are great, but meaningless. So have your fun with her, but don't think you are making a difference in the election, because she has no ability to change any election numbers. If media coverage is what you think decides importance, than you are the one with your head in the sand. The media thought Bachmann was important and gave her all sorts of unnecessary air time. Where is she now? What importance on the election did she have at the time? The media said Trump would be a flash in the pan, and look what happened. The idea that the media decides who has importance on the election, is laughable given the medias history of being wrong. Now on with your fun following the media.

Shaw Kenawe said...


Peter,

You completely and utterly missed the point of (O)CT(O)PUS's article. It has absolutely nothing to do with Palin's electability, her importance, or the media.

Perhaps it went over your head.





Peter said...

My point obviously went over your head. Palin has no effect on this election and nothing either of you have said (strange Octo lets you talk for him) changes that. A description of her personal peccadilloes has nothing to do with that point.
You said:
"Democrats may have the same or worse family problems, but as far as I know those who do were not running for the second in line for the presidency and possible Commander in Chief."
SHE IS NOT RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT, or ANY OFFICE
Have your fun with her but please don't be stupid with your defense of your dumb excuses. No surprise you use insults to cover for your poor excuses. Enjoy

Peter said...

I spoke directly to his point Shaw. Reread.

Peter said...

I spoke to Ocot's point about parenthood. It matters nothing except to tabloid reading lowlifes and for you to say I missed his point when I directly addressed his point, is dishonest. What did Kennedy do to his daughter?-and many other Democratic examples.
I wrote to your point that she is an embarrassment to American politics, when she is not taken seriously by any serious political discussion. Then you cited she is running for Vice president, which she is not (another valid point you decided not to post). If you are talking about 8 years ago, then you missed my point and I have to wonder why you inserted that dishonest point. Then you wouldn't even post my response, proving how dishonest you are and proving me correct. Thank you. Enjoy your delusion. No open minds, or intellectual discussion here, just a liberal echo chamber. Like Bill Maher said Friday, you are part of the internet, killing truth. This won't get posted either, according to your dishonest methods.

(O)CT(O)PUS said...

Politicians may come and go, but the importance of raising healthy children is both timely and timeless. After all, it is through our children that we pass the blessings of civilization. In the public interest, here are a few resources that detail risk factors of erratic parenting:

Absent Parents
Teen girls are more likely to get pregnant if the have limited or no guidance from their parents. Many parents have busy lives that prevent them from providing the guidance and support that their young teenagers need to make good decisions on issues such as sex, according to the website Parent Dish. When a teen does not feel that she can talk to her parents about sex either because they forbid sex talk or because they are not around, she will more than likely turn to friends for direction on whether or not to have sex, resulting in misinformation and possible teen pregnancy” (source).

The importance of parental supervision
Teens whose parents supervise them and monitor their behavior are more likely to be older when they first have sex, to have fewer partners, to use contraception, and to be less at-risk for pregnancy. However, strict, authoritarian monitoring is actually associated with a greater risk of teen pregnancy, so parents need to strike a balance” (source).

Family Risk Factors:
Poor parent-child relationship, overly harsh or overly lax discipline, low parental involvement, poor monitoring and supervision, antisocial parents, broken homes, low socioeconomic status such as extreme poverty, abusive parents, and family conflict, as examples (source).

Overall, poor parenting skills, family size, home discord, extremes of overly permissive or overly authoritarian parenting styles are among the risk factors leading to delinquency in boys and teen pregnancies for girls. Interestingly, research has shown that children from families of four or more are at higher risk of developing problems in adolescence and later in life (Wasserman and Seracini, 2001; West and Farrington, 1973).