Huckabee vs Padme and Her Young Skywalker

“One of the most troubling things is that people see a Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet that boasts of, hey look, we’re having children, we’re not married, but we’re having children and they’re doing just fine…” - Mike Huckabee

Mike Huckabee waded into some difficult political/cultural waters last week in questioning Natalie Portman’s pregnancy. Since she is engaged and not yet married, Huckabee felt the example she was setting of having a baby before marriage was troubling. His point was the fact that a leading indicator of poverty is single parenthood. However, he confuses his point by saying, “There aren’t really a lot of single moms out there that are making millions of dollars each year…Most single moms are very poor, uneducated, can’t get a job, and if it weren’t for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death and would not get healthcare.” He’s a little off on his statement. Most single moms are not poor. What he probably meant to say is that a higher percentage of single moms are in poverty (29%) than the national average (14%). So, a single mom is more likely to be in poverty than a married mom or a single dad, but “most” are not poor. So he exaggerated his argument a bit, but I understand the point he was trying to make. However, when a pro-lifer discusses pregnancy and bad examples, he or she must be very careful with the words chosen.

I wish Huckabee would have responded differently. The radio interviewer brought up Portman and mentioned that he thought it was a bad example. Then Huckabee responded with the quote at the top of this post. He could have responded more lovingly and positively. By doing so, his general point could have perhaps been better communicated to his audience. I wish he would have responded as follows:

“I would like to congratulate Natalie Portman on her engagement to her fiancé and their baby. I hope all is well and that the baby is healthy and that the delivery goes smoothly for her and the baby. This is definitely an exciting time for her. I am sure she would say the Academy Award pales in comparison to becoming a parent. Being a parent is a blessing; I wish her and her fiancé the best as they love and nurture their child and grow in their relationship as well.

“I am sure Natalie would also say how fortunate she is to be in a position where she can raise her child and not worry about finances, health care, or education. Because that is not always the case for new parents. And it is an issue our communities must address. Unfortunately, in our society, a single mom is twice as likely to live in poverty as a married mom. So we need to be mindful of the difficulties that single moms face. As someone who believes every life is of value, even life in the womb, I am grateful when women choose to give birth. Because, just as Natalie’s baby is a blessing, so is every child. So if we want to go a political route here, I think we as a society, in order to be truly pro-life, must address situations both pre-pregnancy and post-birth. We need to discuss sexuality with our children both in our churches and our schools, including sex education classes. We need to foster healthy marriages and set good examples for our children and others. We need to encourage adoption in certain circumstances and make the process more welcoming without compromising safety. We need to help poor single mothers acquire an education and develop skills that will allow them to support themselves and their families. And we need to hold the men accountable to support the children they bring into this world as well. Hopefully, with a holistic approach to this issue, we will not only lower the poverty level for single moms, but we will lower the rate of pregnancies for those not yet ready to be parents. Additionally, our overall economy will be strengthened and strains on our government will be lessened.”

I am not meaning to pick on Huckabee alone. I think he would agree with this criticism for the most part. Too often I hear people advocate for the pro-life position, only to criticize those who choose life. After all, Huckabee wouldn’t have complained about Portman’s single parenthood if she had an abortion seven months ago. But which would have been the larger tragedy? There’s just a slight disconnect there that needs to be addressed. As Christians, our reaction to single parenthood in general should be more loving and less condemning.