Last mission to repair the Hubble telescope
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Rays fan guide to the Trop Print |
 Email story |
 Comment |
 Email editor |
By ERNEST HOOPER
Published April 13, 2005
Anyone who has heard Fantasia Barrino's catchy Baby Mama on local radio stations can't forget it.
With Barrino spelling out the title in the chorus -- B-A-B-Y, M-A-M-A -- the top 40 hit has that irresistible hook the music industry loves. But I can't help but wonder exactly what aspect of this song teenage girls find irresistible.
Barrino, a 20-year-old single mother, has told reporters she meant for her song to help support young women who have already become a "baby mama." She never meant to promote the lifestyle choice, and some of the song's lyrics do mention the frustrating aspects, such as a lack of child support.
But with teen moms now having their own anthem, how can it not seem glamorous to have a baby at a young age? Especially when Barrino sings: Cause now-a-days it's like a badge of honor -- to be a baby mama.
A badge of honor? While I definitely believe teen mothers need to be supported, I'm not sure if they need to be saluted.
Maybe it is a badge of honor for those women who had children at a young age but bounced back to put their lives together. There are no shortage of examples in our own community and nationally, but just because they succeeded doesn't mean they think others should choose their path.
Boys born to teenage single mothers are 2.7 times as likely to end up in prison. Children of teens are more likely to leave high school without graduating and are more likely to be poor.
Even Barrino told the Associated Press, "If I could have waited, I would have."
Unfortunately, Baby Mama doesn't come with a qualifier when it's blaring out the speakers. Nor does it tell listeners that the often used term, baby mama, is a disturbing indication of the disconnect young fathers have with their new families. I don't know what ever happened to using names, but fellas, I think you should have enough respect for the mother of your child to call her by her name.
And, ladies, he has a name. He's not your baby's daddy.
By no means am I suggesting we return to the dark ages where teenage moms cowered behind closed doors and inexplicably got shipped to some distant boarding school, but I think it's time for a wake-up call.
The most recent data indicate teen pregnancy rates have been on the decline in Hillsborough, but that the rate still remains 4 to 5 percent above the national average.
Solutions? It depends on who you ask. Some say preach abstinence, and others say pass out condoms. But when we have kids engaging in activities that often create emotional upheaval for adults, the approach needs to be multifaceted.
Given teen pregnancy's impact on everything from education to poverty to health disparities, it deserves a platform with less musical nuance and more thoughtful discussion.That's all I'm saying.
-- Ernest Hooper hooper@tampabay.com
[Last modified April 13, 2005, 17:08:26]
|
|
|
News
