I wander why there is never an honest discussion, whether in print, movies or any other form of media, about why teenage pregnancies in inner cities do not result in abortion. Yes, a huge part of it is money. Another is a lack of education.

Someone should explore the malicious role of government in limiting the operations of non-profits that can educate these young women about their choices and perhaps maybe help with the funding. Teenagers who are already facing poverty should not be forced to continue the cycle by becoming mothers in high school.

...is that all? why not indict superstition--I mean, religion while you are at it? Poor and minority people in this country are taught this catachism whether they are catholic or not, and religion without an awful lot of revisionist rationalization by the educated, hates abortion.

The last I read, the demographic that have the most abortions(around 25%-30%) are poor black teenagers. Anybody with the link to more solid #'s?

As well it should be... If a baby can't be born into a family that will cherish it then what's the point? I used to live on an Indian reserve and like a previous poster remarked, "You wouldn't believe it..." Spawning children and letting them become wards of the state is the new economy for these wretched girls. Of course the only people that actually "earn" a buck from this Governmentally sanctioned madness are the social workers and lawyers that our educational system is wont to spew forth.

And never mind adoption. Would-be adopters are usually brutally clear about wanting only "your healthy white baby," or, failing that, an Asian child.

You'd do better to examine the social mores of the demographic that the movie is about. Instead of blaming "the guv'mint", look at a culture that looks upon girls as young as twelve who are considered to be good and legitimate sex partners for men as old as 40.

Or maybe you should investigate both families and other groups who consider that the only proof of "womanhood" is the birth of as many children as possible as early as possible. How about the acceptance and normalization of the idea that "manhood" means having as many children as possible with the greatest number of partners possible?

There are no simple answers to these things. If you look at it in a rational, non-knee jerk way, it's easy to see that there IS no single entity to "blame" for problems in the inner city. This has been brewing for more than a century. It is not going to be solved with navel-gazing and finger-pointing.

There is discussion. For instance, for many girls without a future, having a child provides some meaning and love to their lives. The glorification of babies without as much emphasis on making sure you are ready to have one and have the resources in our culture helps. This is expressed in various films. OTOH, abortion simply is not covered too much in film.

-j

PS Don't know where the film takes place but parental notification laws surely would hurt her case here. Not that this character appears to -- particularly early on -- have the sense of autonomy that would suggest she has a choice in the matter. Inertia is a powerful force in poverty.

Yep, abortion as birth control will save the inner city black community! Honestly, isn't that more the opinion of an outsider looking at this problem as one of population control and not dealing with the issues that cause the incidence of teen pregnancy in the first place. The answer is not an abandonment of moral standards, which dehumanizes everyone involved. Is the corallary true, however, that answer is to hold impoverished teens to the same moral standards we would expect of anyone else? This is not to pass judgement on anyone, but to truely respect the humanity of an individual one must have the same expectations for all.

Who is saying that abortion as birth control will save the inner cities? Not I. My comments as to why some teenage girls have children underlines the point. Likewise, who is saying we should abandon moral standards? Are you saying that abortion is inherently immoral? Well, that's a belief of some. Many others, including many churches, think it can be a moral choice in some circumstances.

-j

It's quaint to talk about abortion as "abandonment of moral standards" when the pregnancy is a result of rape and incest. It's quaint to talk about holding impoverished teens to the same moral standards and not mention the older men who prey on them. Jus' sayin'.

Abort! Abort! Abort! What the fuck is wrong with these people? Sarah should have known better and she's as dumb as a stick... Why on earth would you put a baby through that sort of torture? She cares not for her children but only for herself. I've worked with these poor souls and I know whereof I speak... The people that keep these babies treat them like dolls until they get too big. Mom gets too old and baby gets too big. Pretty fucking draggish for everyone involved. I've dealt with their castaways...