Colin Steer, Associate Editor - Opinion

American politics, is, if nothing else, absolutely fascinating. Imagine if you will, that Chelsea Clinton had become pregnant while her father was president and the family lived in the White House.

Or, that the Obamas' older daughter was at an age where she could become pregnant and was now bearing a child in the middle of her father's campaign to become president of the United States.

Do you think the right wing media and religious fundamentalists who have muscled their way into determining American public policy would have been so restrained in their reaction as they have been with the daughter of McCain's vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin?

Moral relativism

Chelsea's pregnancy would have been lambasted as an example of poor parenting and a lack of moral grounding by the Clintons and the younger Obama would be presented as a typical black slut who cannot keep her knickers on.

Worse yet, had the Obamas paraded their pregnant teenage daughter at their party's biggest political event in the national spotlight, they would have been torn to shreds for having no sense of what is right and decent. But, the Palins are white Republicans, so the accusation of moral relativism usually targeted at the Democrats does not apply.

Of course contradictions in public positions and private morals are not new. The Republicans have co-opted family values as their drawing card in recent elections with strong support from the religious right.

Yet, they have somehow managed to mute their criticisms when faced with the scenario of the lesbian adult daughter of vice-president Dick Cheney raising a child with her live-in female partner. One set of values for the Medes, another for the Persians.

It is not that I believe the Palin teen should be condemned or even that her parents should be held primarily responsible for her conduct. Rather, it is that as religious conservatives push their agenda for the framing of public policy, their inconsistency and selective definition of morality become all the more stark.

Would-be political kingmakers like James Dobson of Focus on the Family, who has been pushing an insular agenda into the public discourse, was beside himself recently in commending the Palins.

"Being a Christian does not mean you're perfect. Nor does it mean your children are perfect. But it does mean there is forgiveness and restoration when we confess our imperfections to the Lord. I've been the beneficiary of that forgiveness and restoration in my own life countless times, as I'm sure the Palins have. The media are already trying to spin this as evidence Governor Palin is a 'hypocrite,' but all it really means is that she and her family are human."

Yep! Amen, Bro Dobson.

Agenda of life

Of course Jamaicans, being who we are, are importing America's culture wars lock, stock and barrel - from jargon to personnel. So, in the uncritical parroting of American religious campaigners, we talk about an 'agenda of life' campaign in relation to abortion legislation.

Or, as one letter writer to The Gleaner recently said using a phrase common elsewhere: "This country was founded on Christian principles." Really? When the Tainos were here? When Columbus arrived? When the Union Jack was lowered?

And what exactly is this 'agenda of life'? Preventing abortion?! Good, but where are these voices in relation to the scores of emaciated boys roaming the streets of the Corporate Area into late hours of the night begging or selling chamois towels at traffic lights? Do their lives matter?

As popular preacher T.D. Jakes has said, some groups fight for the life of the unborn and then promptly ignore said child and its mother after the birth. In fact, some go further. They are opposed to the state using tax revenues to help teens or single mothers to get back on their feet. An agenda of life, indeed!

Feedback may be sent to colin.steer @gleanerjm.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.>