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by Corrina_Sullivan from Lake Mary, FL

Last Post 3 days, 6 hours Ago


Pregnancy Pact?
Jun 23, 2008 | 3:15 PM
Category: News
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GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- The city's mayor said Monday there is no evidence a group of young girls made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together, seeking to dispel an explosive theory put forth by the high school principal.

"Any planned blood-oath bond to become pregnant -- there is absolutely no evidence of," Mayor Carolyn Kirk said Monday after a closed-door meeting with city, school and health leaders.

Conspicuously absent from that meeting was Gloucester High School Principal Joseph Sullivan, who has not responded to repeated requests for comment after he was quoted last week in a Time magazine story saying the girls planned to get pregnant together.

The mayor, who also sits on the school committee, said she was not comfortable having Sullivan at the meeting.

Kirk cited privacy concerns in refusing to answer many questions about the 17 girls who became pregnant this school year -- more than quadruple the number who generally become pregnant as the school.

Kirk said she and Superintendent Christopher Farmer have been in touch with Sullivan, and that he was "foggy in his memory" about how he came to believe there was a pact.

"When pressed, his memory failed," Kirk said. Authorities have talked to school and health officials who work most closely with the children and, Kirk said, "The people that worked with the children on a daily basis have said there has been no mention whatsoever of a pact."

Kirk said the spike in pregnancies is in keeping with similar spikes in other cities.

Farmer said there was a "distinct possibility" that the girls who found themselves in similar, challenging situations later decided to "come together for mutual support."

He said the Time magazine piece did not distinguish between "a pact to become pregnant or a pact because we are pregnant."

Farmer also said it was clear some of the girls were not trying very hard not to become pregnant. The principal had said some girls gave high-fives and planned baby showers while others were sullen if their pregnancy tests at the high school clinic came back negative.

Farmer defended Sullivan saying, "I don't believe anyone has acted in particularly bad faith here."

 Gloucester resident Annette Dion, a 45-year-old private music teacher, said school and city officials should have done more to find out whether the girls truly made a pact to become pregnant. She said denying such a pact existed is "pretty naive."

"I don't think we heard the truth today," Dion said, adding that pop culture has glamorized teen pregnancy and that movies and celebrity pregnancies do not give girls an accurate picture of parenthood.

"My personal feeling, my impression, is they probably talked and discussed and thought it would be cool to get pregnant together," she said.

Think Annette Dion is onto something? Has pop culture glamorized teen pregnancy? Movies and celebrity pregnancies giving girls a false picture of parenthood?

Looking forward to your blogs,
Corrina
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Member Comments Total Comments: 15
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toddt read my blog
Jun 23, 2008 | 3:41 PM

where are these hookers parents??
Vancouver read my blog
Jun 23, 2008 | 4:42 PM

Hi Corrina,

How was your vacation? Corrina I think you will be interested in a blog I posted just recently on my blog page it kind of fits things like this.

WOW the music teacher is pretty smart! NO POP CULTURE IS NOT GLAMORIZING TEEN PREGNANCY!!! WELL IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOUR DUMBER THAN YOU LOOK!!! EVERY were you turn another teen is getting pregnant. This country has a problem and we need to find a permanent solution to this problem. Yes Movies ARE GIVING A FALSE PICTURE PARENTHOOD. Sorry could not help myself from getting hot headed on this one.
Hawkeye read my blog
Jun 23, 2008 | 5:44 PM

Looks to ME as though Captain Kirk is doing some Damage Control..

Beam me up Farmer...LMAO...
RandyLoo read my blog view my photos
Jun 23, 2008 | 6:42 PM

If this is true then these is the most stupid thing any girl could do and it shows how immature they are. Perhaps pop culture glamorizes teen pregnancy..but it ain't so glamorous to have a baby to feed, clothe and worry about...oh wait a minute the government will raise the child, right? No worries there. This is also a result of the breakdown of the family and years and years of government entitlement programs. Many years ago, when I was in high school, perhaps 3 girls became pregnant in all of our high school years, they were taken out of school, had their babies and the babies were given up for adoption. No one talked about it much, it was taboo. I am not saying that ostracizing a girl for a teen pregnancy is the way to go but look at all these babies having babies, and don't even think about all the abortions that are performed and used as a birth control method.
The teens have way too much freedom and free time on their hands.
FloridaBrit read my blog view my photos
Jun 23, 2008 | 7:41 PM

It dont seem to me to be anything the local city leaders should be involved with-they should stick to running the city and let the girls families and the fathers families sort this mess out.

the city need to keep its bugles out of it.
Twizlled read my blog view my photos
Jun 23, 2008 | 8:05 PM

I was a teen mother, it cost me alot too...I dropped outta HS, no prom for me. got married, had baby, divorced after 5 yrs, gave custody to father. And wound up losing a relationship with my firstborn for his entire life thus far.
Being a teen mom is not an easy road, I was lucky as the father did step up to plate. But I sure payed a high price for those decisions i made. And that was back in 1976, a totally different world.
Corrina_Sullivan read my blog view my photos
Jun 23, 2008 | 8:27 PM

Twizlled,

Thank you for sharing your story! Maybe in time you'll have an opportunity to connect with your firstborn. Keep the faith.
Ericjhach read my blog view my photos
Jun 23, 2008 | 9:57 PM

Just proves how stupid some people are especially when it comes to sex education. Teaching to abstain doesnt work. They need to teach about saftey, as in condoms,birth control pills and other means to prevent pregnancy.
Twizlled read my blog view my photos
Jun 24, 2008 | 10:30 AM

Thx Corrina, faith is all i have these days.
And sharing stories, is the best way to possibly educate others. Well its the only way i know anyhow.
It's just... will the others take heed in what another is sharing.
TAllen read my blog view my photos
Jun 24, 2008 | 10:49 AM

I am not sure that this is such a far-fetched idea and that this principal wasn't right. I know here in Leesburg the year my 3 daughter graduated there was a group of 11 girls whos main focus of conversation was babies at any cost. So wanted one to hang on to the guy they were dating, some wanted on to be part of the crowd and they all expressed the idea that "it would be cool to have a mommys club" of their own. Sadly all 11 did get pregnant and they did form a "mommys club" The most disturbing thing was that some of their own mothers were backing this and even making it possible. Of those 11, 9 got married afterwards and only 2 are now not divorced. MYSpace pages were filled with 'congratulations' from one to the other and kudos expressing what "wonderful" mommies they were going to be. There is now a new generation of toddlers being raised on welfare, and young women who have limited futures who will in turn encourage their children to do as they did. I used to shake my head in disgust as they would wander the mall with their big bellies hanging out of "hooker" clothing as if this was a badge of pride and honor. I guess in the end they each got what they were looking for...attention, but were and remain to immature to understand or care about what that "attention" really says about them as people.
ADeltonian read my blog view my photos
Jun 24, 2008 | 11:31 AM

Sounds like the Principle is being pressured to retract his story since its hurting the big wigs at the school board.
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Jun 24, 2008 | 11:54 AM

Funny isn't it. Its NOT about a Catholic area having all this sex... Its NOT about men getting involved with younger girls and stat. rape charges, Its about the semantics over a "PACT" of not?

Wow!
Abunai read my blog view my photos
Jun 24, 2008 | 11:55 AM

I say give these girls exactly what they want them... Have the courts declare their emancipation as an adult, and then let them deal.
Sageman read my blog
Jun 24, 2008 | 4:21 PM

I think in one regard it is has been sensationalized but not glamorized. I think celebrity pregnancies, especially the recent teen ones, are addressed appropriately. I think most teens realize that when Jamie Spears got pregnant it was a bad thing.

I think that they do an awful job of detailing parenting, especially dealing with newborn babies. Though this is true of almost everything hollywood put's in film.
Sageman read my blog
Jun 24, 2008 | 4:22 PM

They being Hollywood.... second paragraph....
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Corrina_Sullivan

Corrina Sullivan joined FOX 35 as primary anchor in January of 2007. Corrina co-anchors FOX 35 News at 6 & 10. Not an anchor glued to the desk, she enjoys working in the field providing dynamic, in-depth reports. Corrina hails from Baltimore, Maryland. It was there she quickly acquired a love for the water and boating. She and her husband met and married in St. Louis, but now consider Orlando home and look forward to making an impact on the community together.

Member Since: 2/19/2007


 

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