AP Interview with Levi Johnston

[momrek06]

I had a boss for 11 years who was a HS dropout. She got pregnant by an older man and dropped out and married him. She lost the baby and stayed married for a few years. After dropping out, she went got her license to do hair and is still working 33 years later doing hair, owning her own successful salon with 8 employees. She's the best darn hairdresser I have ever seen--I'd put her up against any hairdresser you can name. She's done well for herself and her family--always able to take care of herself. Not what people usually think of HS dropouts or hairdressers. But hey, just think how much you pay for your hairdressing services and then think about how much that person makes an hour.

Your hairdresser indeed has done well but she started years ago....times have changed so much, so much!!!!!!!

AND how many times do we hear more about those out of work, unemployed people trying so hard to make ends meet and they have no education. This is a TOUGH world now. Us as adults, me anyway, want our kids to suceed today in every way possible and we hear of young teens dropping out of school to support a baby, well it is sad, sad for them not to have the diploma, sad for their families that wanted more for them and sad for the young couple as tough times are ahead for them in this country as they/we struggle with this horrific economy. I am thrilled Levi will be in a position to make some good money working in the oil fields but is that what HE wanted growing up? Does he want to advance at all? Can he w/o a diploma?

 

[Mermaid02]

Our daughter was our flower girl- trashy wench that I am... My son looks at the album and wants to know why HE wasn't invited to our wedding. That would be because he was born 9 months and 10 days AFTER our wedding.

If Bristol and Levi want to get married- they should get married- if they want to cohabitate- they should cohabitate- it effects the rest of us HOW????

BTW- SteveinBrooklyn... Levi's parents and the Palins probably wanted to smack both of those soon to be parents... what good would that do ANYONE???

 

[momrek06]

Yes but the odds are so terrible stacked against you and one job I think of any parent is to try and give your kid the best possible leg up on life.

ITA!!!

My DS' DF has a business degree from a very prestigous Catholic college in the Northeast. Upon graduation she landed an awesome job in banking in the city of Boston. She loved the job BUT just a few months into her position she noted those with MBA's moved right up the ladder and was making so much more money. Diana left her awesome fulltime job and is now finishing up her MBA. My entire family is just so proud of her. She saw the need for the advanced degree and went for it. My family and her own family have done everything we can to make sure she saw her dream of an MBA....she is anxious to get her resume completed, for graduation and to see what lies ahead for her.

It is a tough world today.

 

[RitaE]

and? I completed my MBA while working full-time and as the Mother of two and I never felt that the odds were stacked against me. I didn't feel myself steeped in doom and gloom and sentenced to a life of poverty. These two young people have strong family connections and frankly some advantages that others will never have. If they want to complete their educations, then they certainly will complete their educations baby or no baby.

I suspect, don't know but suspect, none of the Grandparents-to-Be were cheering and hoping for a pregnancy in the year 2008 but teen pregnancies have been going on for as long as their have been teenagers. No school based sex ed program is going to stop it, no family based sex ed program is going to stop it. I'm guessing that if you took a poll right here on the DIS, you'd find a good % of the people here were sexually active in HS. It could have been any of them -- including me.

Sometimes you just have to move on from where you are and I suspect that is what this couple is attempting. The hatred and judgment that has been heaped on this pair is beyond disturbing.

 

[jodifla]

Who knows why...she might want to be thin again or maybe she's under her parents' insurance. That doesn't bother me. Personally, I don't think you have to get married just because you're pregnant. Being a newlywed is the last thing these two need in addition to having/supporting a child, finishing their educations and just figuring out who they are.

Yes, it probably IS the insurance issue. Because once she's married, her parent's insurance almost certainly won't cover her pregnancy.

One more reason to vote for Obama/Biden...better insurance coverage!

 

[eliza61]

and? I completed my MBA while working full-time and as the Mother of two and I never felt that the odds were stacked against me. I didn't feel myself steeped in doom and gloom and sentenced to a life of poverty. These two young people have strong family connections and frankly some advantages that others will never have. If they want to complete their educations, then they certainly will complete their educations baby or no baby.

I suspect, don't know but suspect, none of the Grandparents-to-Be were cheering and hoping for a pregnancy in the year 2008 but teen pregnancies have been going on for as long as their have been teenagers. No school based sex ed program is going to stop it, no family based sex ed program is going to stop it. I'm guessing that if you took a poll right here on the DIS, you'd find a good % of the people here were sexually active in HS. It could have been any of them -- including me.

Sometimes you just have to move on from where you are and I suspect that is what this couple is attempting. The hatred and judgment that has been heaped on this pair is beyond disturbing.

Why is it hatred and judgment to have an opinion? That's what these boards are for, to discus our opinions on every thing. Yes, I was sexually active when I was young. Do I want my daughter to be NO, would I want her to get pregnant by an h.s. drop out. NO! I don't give a flip if his momma was the Virgin Mary herself. I have seen (and statistic agree with me) way more tragic endings than sunshiney pulled myself up by the boots and now I'm a millionare" endings. Why do you think they call it an teenage pregnancy Epidemic, it ain't because it's a grand plan.
That is not hate.

 

[kpm76]

There are always going to be success stories for those who dropped out of high school or college, but it is definitely not the norm. You can't say "well, my hairdresser did it so can Levi." Levi's not even a great example because he'll probably be fine just because of the family he is marrying into. What disturbs me are the posters who defend a decision to drop out of school. I just cannot wrap my arms around this one. I have a daughter who is very young and I have no idea what life has in store for us. I will not judge Bristol Palin for being pregnant and unmarried. I do, however, think it is very unfortunate that the families have not encouraged them to finish their education. Instead the push seems to be for them to have the baby and get married. I wish it was have the baby and finish high school, then think about college or a trade. Education at any level is so valuable and without it young people are so very limited.

 

[RitaE]

There is a huge difference between discussing teen pregnancy as a general idea and nitpicking the personal intimate decisions of two particular people.

People who are calling these two "trash," their families "trash," and pretending moral outrage simply because they don't support Sarah Palin for VP are laughable.

I wonder how many of them were having sex when they were 17years old?

 

[Buckalew11]

Yes but the odds are so terrible stacked against you and one job I think of any parent is to try and give your kid the best possible leg up on life.

-Drop outs are more likely to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty than graduates
-drop outs are almost 8X's as likely to end up in jail
-drop outs earn 10,000 less a year than graduates and 1 million dollars less over their life times.

http://www.silentepidemic.org/epidemic/statistics-facts.htm

Yes I know that every one knows that one dynamic, great person that is a h.s. drop out but unfortunately statistic do not bear this out.

Well, listen, I do not want anyone to drop out of HS but, if they do and they have a plan of action and are willing to work hard, I think they have a good chance at making it.

I am not talking about people who do not want to learn or do not value knowledge. I am not talking about lazy people who think the government will take care of them. I am talking about people who can and will work with their hands and heart!
Overall, a drop will earn less $$ than a graduate. I'm not talking about those people. I am talking about drop-outs or people w/o a college degree who do a different kind of work for a living.

Your hairdresser indeed has done well but she started years ago....times have changed so much, so much!!!!!!!

AND how many times do we hear more about those out of work, unemployed people trying so hard to make ends meet and they have no education. This is a TOUGH world now. Us as adults, me anyway, want our kids to suceed today in every way possible and we hear of young teens dropping out of school to support a baby, well it is sad, sad for them not to have the diploma, sad for their families that wanted more for them and sad for the young couple as tough times are ahead for them in this country as they/we struggle with this horrific economy. I am thrilled Levi will be in a position to make some good money working in the oil fields but is that what HE wanted growing up? Does he want to advance at all? Can he w/o a diploma?

Times have not changed at all for a hairdresser. The trends change but still today you can take someone with talent and send them to cosmetology school, license them, keep them up to date with their education and they'd do the same and more than my ex-boss did all those years ago (she's only 50 and looks 35 so she'd frown upon me making her sound like a little old lady hairdresser! LOL)

I'd be sad if my 14yo got pregnant also. I'd be devastated, in fact. She has dreams--she wants to go to college tomorrow (but we're making her wait ). She thinks she wants to be a surgeon. But college is not for everyone. It is a wonderful thing (I wish I had gone actually--but not because of my income--just for the experience). I think that thinking everyone needs a 4 year degree is just wrong. I do think people should get their HS degree. Even if they drop-out, I think they should get their GED. But that's MO. If they can make it in the world today, more power to them.

 

[RitaE]

There are always going to be success stories for those who dropped out of high school or college, but it is definitely not the norm. You can't say "well, my hairdresser did it so can Levi." Levi's not even a great example because he'll probably be fine just because of the family he is marrying into. What disturbs me are the posters who defend a decision to drop out of school. I just cannot wrap my arms around this one. I have a daughter who is very young and I have no idea what life has in store for us. I will not judge Bristol Palin for being pregnant and unmarried. I do, however, think it is very unfortunate that the families have not encouraged them to finish their education. Instead the push seems to be for them to have the baby and get married. I wish it was have the baby and finish high school, then think about college or a trade. Education at any level is so valuable and without it young people are so very limited.

I'm not sure how we could possibly know what the families have or have not encouraged.

Older teens have a nasty habit of listening to their parents and then making their own decisions.

 

[kpm76]

There is a huge difference between discussing teen pregnancy as a general idea and nitpicking the personal intimate decisions of two particular people.

People who are calling these two "trash," their families "trash," and pretending moral outrage simply because they don't support Sarah Palin for VP are laughable.

I wonder how many of them were having sex when they were 17years old?

I agree with you. I am not a Palin fan at all but I don't engage in name calling. It does nothing to move my position forward. That being said, I still think it's a tragedy that this young man, who is also apparently a very talented hockey player, is skipping his senior year of high school.

 

[Buckalew11]

There are always going to be success stories for those who dropped out of high school or college, but it is definitely not the norm. You can't say "well, my hairdresser did it so can Levi." Levi's not even a great example because he'll probably be fine just because of the family he is marrying into. What disturbs me are the posters who defend a decision to drop out of school. I just cannot wrap my arms around this one. I have a daughter who is very young and I have no idea what life has in store for us. I will not judge Bristol Palin for being pregnant and unmarried. I do, however, think it is very unfortunate that the families have not encouraged them to finish their education. Instead the push seems to be for them to have the baby and get married. I wish it was have the baby and finish high school, then think about college or a trade. Education at any level is so valuable and without it young people are so very limited.

OK, one more. I am not saying "OK, my hairdresser did it so can Levi". I'm just saying people can do it. I am sure we all know someone who has done it. Heck, my grandfather only finished 5th grade and he made more $ than my degreed DH will ever make. Yeah, now THAT was a different time!!! You won't hear of stories like his these days. And back then, there were many of those same kinda stories.

If either of those two kids up in AK were mine, you betcha I'd be pushing them toward finishing HS. I'm just not calling him trash for NOT finishing. That's the only difference I can see.
Is he trash? I have no idea. I'm doubting it BUT, we'll need a a while before we can see the fruit he bears. Since I never hope for people to be trash, I'll hope for the best for the 3 of them!

 

[castleview]

One more reason to vote for Obama/Biden...better insurance coverage!

You're going to depend on a political candidate for your insurance coverage?

 

[disykat]

I'm not sure how we could possibly know what the families have or have not encouraged.

Older teens have a nasty habit of listening to their parents and then making their own decisions.

Not MY teenagers, they'll do exactly what I teach them!

I didn't have sex in high school, nor do I want my kids do. However, if they do and get pregnant I'll deal with it the best I can - which I'm sure is what the Palin and Johnston families are doing. Same with if my kids decide to drop out of school or something else I don't approve of. I certainly won't hide away in shame because of some bad decisions my children made.

I think it's funny. Some threads say the Palins are hiding the kids, some say they are parading them about.

 

[eliza61]

Well, listen, I do not want anyone to drop out of HS but, if they do and they have a plan of action and are willing to work hard, I think they have a good chance at making it.

I am not talking about people who do not want to learn or do not value knowledge. I am not talking about lazy people who think the government will take care of them. I am talking about people who can and will work with their hands and heart!
Overall, a drop will earn less $$ than a graduate. I'm not talking about those people. I am talking about drop-outs or people w/o a college degree who do a different kind of work for a living.





.

Unfortunately the reality is so very different Buckalew. One problem with youth is that they often think so very optimistically (which is a good thing).
Not sure about Alaska, but here in the lower 48 especially in our cities. Teens with no education often are very much in a hard way. They all start out with a plan, you should listen to them talk and then reality hits. What happens if he and the young lady break up in a few years (82% of teenage moms are not with the babies daddy in 2 years) Is he going to have all this wonderful support? Here in NJ, now even the trade schools require you to have a ged.

Don't get me wrong I wish them all the luck in the world. I just wish that some one would seriously encourage him to finish h.s. now while he is young.

Totally agree with you, no one deserves or needs to be labeled as "trash". Stereotypes are definitely not going to help.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'm more of a Palin-hater than an Obama supporter. And yeah, I can be pretty trashy, and I'm not that bright, but I'm not in danger of leading the free world any time soon.

And we are all quite happy about that Steve.

Folks, as we can all see, Steve is a bit agitated and not making a lot of helpful contributions to the thread at this point, so how about if we stop responding to Steve and perhaps the rest of us can have a relatively interesting discussion about this latest episode without having to repeatedly "interrupt our programming".

I am not quite sure what Sarah Palin would have to do with her future son-in-law's decision to quit school. It would seem to me that he, and perhaps his parents and perhaps even Bristol Palin, would be more involved in that than Governor Palin. Realistically, she could give her opinion, but that's about it. Whether he chooses to listen to it or not is entirely up to him.

I don't know what the requirements are to learn a trade. I do know that our friend who is a builder never finished high school. He's pretty well-respected in our area, works on some high end homes, has worked on our home, is quite talented and makes a nice living. He's actually pulling in more money than DH & I, & both of us went to college. Is he the exception to the rule? Well, maybe, but you know, the world does still need tradesmen...who else will fix the plumbing, electricity and backyard decks of all the college educated people who are so busy being "professionals"?????

I do give the young man credit for owning up to his responsibilities and trying to determine what the best course of action is. Perhaps he has decided that the best course of action right now is to get a job so that he can support his child. While I think most of us would agree that it is not the most ideal situation in the world, I also don't think it's the end of the world. Nor, as a PP said, do I think that a 10 minute "surprise" interview in his driveway should mean that whatever he said is written in stone and cannot be changed for the next 50 years.

Right now, this is the path he is taking. Seeing as how these kids are 17/18 years old, my guess is that the path will change a few times in their life.

 

[Disney Doll]

See below

There are always going to be success stories for those who dropped out of high school or college, but it is definitely not the norm. True You can't say "well, my hairdresser did it so can Levi." Well, that's true as well. There are many people who are successful without years of formal education. Levi's not even a great example because he'll probably be fine just because of the family he is marrying into. What disturbs me are the posters who defend a decision to drop out of school. I just cannot wrap my arms around this one. I have a daughter who is very young and I have no idea what life has in store for us. I will not judge Bristol Palin for being pregnant and unmarried. I do, however, think it is very unfortunate that the families have not encouraged them to finish their education. Well, I am so glad you posted because clearly you are well aware of what has transpired in both households since you seem to know that their families have not encouraged them to finish their education. Instead the push seems to be for them to have the baby and get married. And again, you know this how??? I wish it was have the baby and finish high school, then think about college or a trade. Education at any level is so valuable and without it young people are so very limited.

 

[asta]

I have a question for those posters here who think that a high school diploma is not necessary (And we are talking about not graduating from high school. Some posters have introduced not needing a college or graduate school degree. This is not the issue with this kid. We are talking about high school.) How do those people who achieve such great success without even completing high school handle all of the other things that must be done in addition to their trade? There are taxes to be filed, leases to be understood and signed, insurance policies to be examined and selected to name just a few things. The minimum completion of a high school education better prepares you to manage your business. A wise person does not just sign these tasks over to someone else without understanding the details. In Levi's case, the electricians who recently worked on an addition to our home not only had to understand the details of how to install wiring, they also had to work with the codes department. We discussed how every government entity they work with has a different set of requirements that they have to keep up with. I am suprised that you would even be selected into an electrician program without a high school diploma.

Statistics and logic do not support the argument that a high school diploma is not needed. Rather that look at the few exceptions that have been cited here, I look at the big picture. And I still think that it is sad for Levi Johnston to have made this choice.

 

[Tink888]

I have a question for those posters here who think that a high school diploma is not necessary (And we are talking about not graduating from high school. Some posters have introduced not needing a college or graduate school degree. This is not the issue with this kid. We are talking about high school.) How do those people who achieve such great success without even completing high school handle all of the other things that must be done in addition to their trade? There are taxes to be filed, leases to be understood and signed, insurance policies to be examined and selected to name just a few things. The minimum completion of a high school education better prepares you to manage your business. A wise person does not just sign these tasks over to someone else without understanding the details. In Levi's case, the electricians who recently worked on an addition to our home not only had to understand the details of how to install wiring, they also had to work with the codes department. We discussed how every government entity they work with has a different set of requirements that they have to keep up with. I am suprised that you would even be selected into an electrician program without a high school diploma.

Statistics and logic do not support the argument that a high school diploma is not needed. Rather that look at the few exceptions that have been cited here, I look at the big picture. And I still think that it is sad for Levi Johnston to have made this choice.

I'm not condoning dropping out of HS by any means - I agree that if you can't finish high school, how do you expect to finish anything. BUT - I knew a girl who got pregnant in 11th grade. Got married and went on to have three daughters. Got divorced, got her GED, went to and graduated from college with a degree in accounting and carved out a very nice life for her and her family.

I can't believe some of the nastiness on this thread. Both kids were in school when Bristol got pregnant. Levi quit and I'm guessing Bristol's father got him a job with the oil company so that he could financially support his soon-to-be family without government assistance. There's no shame in that. And unless Sarah Palin and her husband were in the room when the baby was conceived, I don't think there's much she could have done to stop two hormonal teenagers who've been dating for what sounds like almost four years from sleeping together.

The thing that really struck me about the interview was how incredibly young Levi sounded in his thinking and answers. Not surprising, since they're both young. Just made me kind of sad because they both ARE so young and are now facing some very adult responsibilities. And the odds are not in their favor being young and naive and him without a high school education.

I'm glad their families are standing behind them and I wish them luck and all the best. Right or wrong, in public or private, mistake or not, they're about to bring an innocent baby into the world and for the baby's sake - I hope they make it and have a long and happy life together.