An open letter from teen mama Amy Pace
With all the media and political talking heads yakking about teen, unwed, or single mothers these days, I have a wake up call for everybody...
I have been a teen mother. I have lived with a man just to keep my baby. I graduated from a high school for teen mothers. I have been a single mother for eight years. I know a bit about this issue. Most of these politicos and talking heads have never lived my life, never had an inkling of what it's REALLY like to have a baby at sixteen and another at nineteen, and I cannot be silent about this subject that has, for the last few days, replaced the MISSING WHITE WOMAN headlines or CELEBRATY O.D.s on 24 hour "news." This does not happen often. Maybe in the last year, teen moms have been on the radar, in the form of US Magazine or whatever trash people are reading these days, because of what? Britney Spears, our tabloid queen, with more covers than Princess Diana, her little sister got pregnant at sixteen, sold her story to a trashy magazine for a million dollars, and suddenly teen pregnancy is a hot topic again--that and the fact that it has, for the first time in decades, increased. If the topic of teen/single moms can only be brought up because of some chick I've never heard of, in a National Enquirer-type magazine, which sadly is more widely read than newspapers.....Well, I quote Thomas Jefferson: "I tremble for the fate of my country."
I am not Jamie Spears. I am not a millionaire fake celeb. I am not Bristol Palin. Do you think either of these girls will walk into their local welfare office and wait hours, just for that extra $100 a month in foodstamps? Will they ever spend week after week on the phone with operators hired by a privatized Medicaid system, trying to find a doctor who will actually see their asthmatic child? Will they spend years fighting the Attorney General's office for child support, waiting a year just to get to court? Will they ever try to pay for their generic can of beans with WIC coupons and be treated like a leper? Have someone roll their eyes as they buy food with food stamps after they just got off an eight-hour shift standing on thier feet, cutting nasty hair?
Have you ever heard your child scream for you as you left for work--the seventh day in a row? Have you ever had someone look at you like you were a piece of shit simply because you had a child as a teenager, stuck around, raised them alone--not because of your religion, not because of your stance as a Dem or a Republican, not because of your education, not because of your beliefs about abortion, not because of anything the media or a pastor or a rabbi or your parents or your teachers or your friends or your baby's father told you to do, not because of what they think the right "choice" is.
I did not have my kids because of any of these reasons. I had them because they were wanted, and they are loved. They are well taken care of.
I have never been in public housing. I have never gotten cash money from taxpayers, except for $400 six years ago, which was immediately taken out of my next paycheck. I am not a heroine for the anti-abortion people, even though I never had an abortion. I am grateful for the small amount of food stamps that come and go, the kid's Medicaid that is almost--but not quite--worthless. I have worked on my feet for nine years and never once made a living wage. At times, I have paid 50% of my income for childcare. I was born in this country. So were my kids. Don't tell me, after all this, after all these years of being told I'm an irresponsible, selfish "Welfare Queen," after all the paperwork, all the tears, all the humiliation, all the glares, all the hours spent away from my kids, on my feet, all the hours on the phone begging for child support, that now a single unwed mother at long last is an honorable thing--as long as you're a politician's daughter.
I wonder if Bristol chose not to marry her baby's father, or if he dumps her in a couple of years, if she has to apply for food stamps--What would these same people say?
If she was just some obscure gal from a small town who got pregnant, she wouldn't be a poster child for the "pro-life" crowd, or the "cautionary tale" for the "pro-choice" crowd. She would just be me--or one of the million other single mothers in this great country who feel alone, unsupported, ashamed, scared, and most of all, poor.
No, I don't want a hand out just 'cause I chose to have kids as a teen, but you know what? Some steady child support, a living wage, affordable healthcare, childcare, rent that did not cost a month's pay, and a gallon of gas or milk that did not cost an hour's pay would be nice.
So you wanna applaud gals who choose life?
Help them.
Don't be a hypocrite like both the political parties--CLINTON AND BUSH--who slashed support for us moms while praising our choice to carry a baby to term. Don't pressure us to marry men who are unsupportive, abusive, or just plain assholes, just because some moron told you kids MUST have TWO parents (A man and a woman, of course), no matter what. Don't judge us, because you know what? We have enough stress without everyone thinking bad thoughts about us. And yes, every one makes mistakes. You know you have, come on. But you know what? My kids are not MISTAKES. They are a blessing. My conservative parents have always stood by me and never once said "I told you so." They never said I made a mistake, they only loved me and my kids, and never made it seem like they were doing us some big favor. Without their support and the support of the rest of my family and friends, life would be a hell of a lot harder, maybe impossible, with this economy, and the gutted social service programs.
In the next few weeks, as this election draws to a close, whenever the Teen/single mother issue gets brought up, just remember, what I cannot forget, that for decades--maybe forever--these experts, these politicians, these media assholes, have trashed women and girls like me. They can't just change their minds now that it's one of their kids.
We are not just Jamie Spears. We are not just Bristol Palin. And we need help...NOW. Vote...wisely,please.
Sincerely,
Amy Pace
Girls like me have raised presidents. We've raised messiahs and musicians, writers and settlers. Girls like me won't compromise, and we won't fail.
--Alli Crews, August 26, 1982 - June 11, 2005
I have been a teen mother. I have lived with a man just to keep my baby. I graduated from a high school for teen mothers. I have been a single mother for eight years. I know a bit about this issue. Most of these politicos and talking heads have never lived my life, never had an inkling of what it's REALLY like to have a baby at sixteen and another at nineteen, and I cannot be silent about this subject that has, for the last few days, replaced the MISSING WHITE WOMAN headlines or CELEBRATY O.D.s on 24 hour "news." This does not happen often. Maybe in the last year, teen moms have been on the radar, in the form of US Magazine or whatever trash people are reading these days, because of what? Britney Spears, our tabloid queen, with more covers than Princess Diana, her little sister got pregnant at sixteen, sold her story to a trashy magazine for a million dollars, and suddenly teen pregnancy is a hot topic again--that and the fact that it has, for the first time in decades, increased. If the topic of teen/single moms can only be brought up because of some chick I've never heard of, in a National Enquirer-type magazine, which sadly is more widely read than newspapers.....Well, I quote Thomas Jefferson: "I tremble for the fate of my country."
I am not Jamie Spears. I am not a millionaire fake celeb. I am not Bristol Palin. Do you think either of these girls will walk into their local welfare office and wait hours, just for that extra $100 a month in foodstamps? Will they ever spend week after week on the phone with operators hired by a privatized Medicaid system, trying to find a doctor who will actually see their asthmatic child? Will they spend years fighting the Attorney General's office for child support, waiting a year just to get to court? Will they ever try to pay for their generic can of beans with WIC coupons and be treated like a leper? Have someone roll their eyes as they buy food with food stamps after they just got off an eight-hour shift standing on thier feet, cutting nasty hair?
Have you ever heard your child scream for you as you left for work--the seventh day in a row? Have you ever had someone look at you like you were a piece of shit simply because you had a child as a teenager, stuck around, raised them alone--not because of your religion, not because of your stance as a Dem or a Republican, not because of your education, not because of your beliefs about abortion, not because of anything the media or a pastor or a rabbi or your parents or your teachers or your friends or your baby's father told you to do, not because of what they think the right "choice" is.
I did not have my kids because of any of these reasons. I had them because they were wanted, and they are loved. They are well taken care of.
I have never been in public housing. I have never gotten cash money from taxpayers, except for $400 six years ago, which was immediately taken out of my next paycheck. I am not a heroine for the anti-abortion people, even though I never had an abortion. I am grateful for the small amount of food stamps that come and go, the kid's Medicaid that is almost--but not quite--worthless. I have worked on my feet for nine years and never once made a living wage. At times, I have paid 50% of my income for childcare. I was born in this country. So were my kids. Don't tell me, after all this, after all these years of being told I'm an irresponsible, selfish "Welfare Queen," after all the paperwork, all the tears, all the humiliation, all the glares, all the hours spent away from my kids, on my feet, all the hours on the phone begging for child support, that now a single unwed mother at long last is an honorable thing--as long as you're a politician's daughter.
I wonder if Bristol chose not to marry her baby's father, or if he dumps her in a couple of years, if she has to apply for food stamps--What would these same people say?
If she was just some obscure gal from a small town who got pregnant, she wouldn't be a poster child for the "pro-life" crowd, or the "cautionary tale" for the "pro-choice" crowd. She would just be me--or one of the million other single mothers in this great country who feel alone, unsupported, ashamed, scared, and most of all, poor.
No, I don't want a hand out just 'cause I chose to have kids as a teen, but you know what? Some steady child support, a living wage, affordable healthcare, childcare, rent that did not cost a month's pay, and a gallon of gas or milk that did not cost an hour's pay would be nice.
So you wanna applaud gals who choose life?
Help them.
Don't be a hypocrite like both the political parties--CLINTON AND BUSH--who slashed support for us moms while praising our choice to carry a baby to term. Don't pressure us to marry men who are unsupportive, abusive, or just plain assholes, just because some moron told you kids MUST have TWO parents (A man and a woman, of course), no matter what. Don't judge us, because you know what? We have enough stress without everyone thinking bad thoughts about us. And yes, every one makes mistakes. You know you have, come on. But you know what? My kids are not MISTAKES. They are a blessing. My conservative parents have always stood by me and never once said "I told you so." They never said I made a mistake, they only loved me and my kids, and never made it seem like they were doing us some big favor. Without their support and the support of the rest of my family and friends, life would be a hell of a lot harder, maybe impossible, with this economy, and the gutted social service programs.
In the next few weeks, as this election draws to a close, whenever the Teen/single mother issue gets brought up, just remember, what I cannot forget, that for decades--maybe forever--these experts, these politicians, these media assholes, have trashed women and girls like me. They can't just change their minds now that it's one of their kids.
We are not just Jamie Spears. We are not just Bristol Palin. And we need help...NOW. Vote...wisely,please.
Sincerely,
Amy Pace
Girls like me have raised presidents. We've raised messiahs and musicians, writers and settlers. Girls like me won't compromise, and we won't fail.
--Alli Crews, August 26, 1982 - June 11, 2005
posted by Contact at 9:07 PM
16 Comments:
Thanks for posting this letter.
this is very eloquent and completely true.
Is this public domain? I'd love to post it on BlueOregon....
Just make sure Amy Pace's name stays on it.
That was great, and what a nice way to honor Allison Crews.
Very well put, to say the least.
Amy Pace Rocks!!! Yay Amy.
Maybe if she could have waited just a little while to start putting out then you wouldn't have been put into the position she was. I am not a republican or a democrat. I am not a holy roller. In fact I am an atheist. Do not judge me, I am not judging her. I just believe that if she would have waited until she was in a position to actually take care of a baby then she would not have been put into the position she was.
She isn't a hero either.
Eric is a moron. Keep it up Amy!
That was very powerful.
Eric is an idiot.
I think it's wonderful that no one came along to make Eric feel loved and safe and promise Eric the world until Eric was ready to care for a child so Eric didn't have to "put himself in that position".
I'm not judging you, Eric, just being happy that you didn't have to fight for equality/normality the way Amy Pace did/does.
Amen, sister! Eric clearly has never made any mistakes in his life at all, but most people just live the best they can with whatever situation they end up in. Thanks for your words.
Eric, is it lonely up on that pedestal of yours?
This letter is awesome, but at the same time I must say that teen pregnancy being on the rise is a bad thing and the girls getting pregnant because they want a baby need help and support, because obviously they are lacking it somewhere else in their life.
And also we need to pay attention to not only single parents but parents that are living on the edge or below poverty even though they are married. My husband and I had a surprise after being married for only 6 months and we were both college students, I waited in line for medicaid, foodstamps, wic, etc. But I cannot tell anyone how many times I was in tears because I was told certain funds/assistance were only available to single mothers, and that we should ask our extended family. Like the fact that we were married we weren't needy and that we had families that could just hand out money. I think think people everywhere need to start thinking about poverty and applying civil rights to the issues. No matter what race, poor families are loosing in America and unlike some Republicans would like to think we aren't just poor for one generation and then move to middle class. It is hard, hard journey to get out of that class and move up to the next.
thank you for writing this Amy!
This is beautifully written, and while I still do not approve of teen pregnancy there is no doubt that it's difficult for everyone, no matter what your situation is.
The truth of the matter is that having children and providing for them has taken a step back to adverticement, money making and whatnot. It's our respocibility if we wanna have kids, but it's also our responcibility to pay for other's mistakes?
Everyone needs help, and should they find themselves in that position they SHOULD be helped, more than what little crumbs are given out now.
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