Emmett Powell – 8/14/08

This page was last updated on August 14, 2008.

Put the shame back in teen pregnancy; Emmett Powell; Beaver County Times; August 14, 2008.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I am writing this letter as a concerned senior citizen.

“Every afternoon, I watch a parade of young girls pushing baby carriages past my house and over to a vacant lot on the corner of Spaulding and Davis streets.

“They are joined by other teenage girls with babies who congregate at that location.

“I know we say ‘there are no illegitimate babies but illegitimate parents.’ I need to call it what it is. When we see three and four generations of illegitimate children, it is time to put the shame back into these young people.

“It is time to put an end to this practice. If we label these children, these girls will be too embarrassed to continue creating a situation where they are parenting illegitimate children at the ages of 14 and 15.

“Also, there is a direct correlation between the rising increase in the number of sexually transmitted diseases and children born out of wedlock.

“I know this is a sensitive subject and very few older people will openly discuss this topic, but it is time to talk about it.”

[RWC] The only reason I’m posting this letter is to include a portion of a previous letter from Mr. Powell (“Don’t be dazzled by fame;” March 10, 2005). After “criticizing” some Republicans, Mr. Powell wrote, “I am a union-oriented, steel town Democrat.” The reason I included this is because based on this letter, I suspect most folks on the left will assume Mr. Powell is a “mean-spirited right winger.”