Sarah's Web Brigade: Why the Lies, Levi?

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Why the Lies, Levi?

Like many of you, I have wondered why Levi Johnston would turn his back on and even attack the loving family that had embraced him as one of their own in spite of the less than ideal circumstances involved. I wondered if it was merely the lure of fame and fortune or if he was being manipulated by those who wish to destroy Sarah Palin politically. Were his actions or at least the income from them a payoff for his mother’s legal expenses, I wondered. Was he so naïve that he did not realize that he was being used as a political tool by his handlers? Sometimes I even felt sorry for him because of the manipulations as well as his troubled homelife.

But then I saw this article, and I realized that, regardless of the original reasons behind his behavior, all of the publicity had gone to Levi’s head.

Now that Levi Johnston has completed his much-hyped Playgirl photo shoot,
the Alaskan teen apparently thinks that he and his “little Wasilla” are
deserving of special treatment. Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin’s grandson
Tripp, made a bit of a scene at JFK airport on Tuesday, according to the New
York Post’s Page Six.

Embarrassed onlookers told Page Six that Johnston showed up at the
airport wearing sunglasses (hey, it’s bright inside the terminal) and would not
deign to stand in line with the rest of the lowly passengers — which included
Jason Alexander, who could probably buy and sell Johnston more times than the 19
year old can count.

"(Johnston) then made a big show of getting on first,” one witness told
Page Six. “He was seated in the front row of first class, looking like he was
born to be there and waiting for some recognition. Jason Alexander was quietly
sitting behind him."

Perhaps Levi’s character was already flawed, or perhaps his handlers showered him with delusions of grandeur if he did their bidding. But we now see a man of the world who is unknowingly bent on self-destruction as he pursues his own self-promotion. Not only was his Playgirl shoot a lapse in morality, but his recent behavior in general has provided a poor role model for his young son. What is the legacy that Levi will leave to Tripp – that of a porn star or that of a loving, responsible father? So far, Levi has made the former choice – I hope and pray he comes to his senses and chooses the latter.

But what about the lies that Levi continues to propagate? I think the most infamous one was when he stated that Sarah Palin asked him to show her how to shoot a rifle. There is ample documentation of Governor Palin’s hunting and fishing abilities, from her childhood on up. There is even a video in which she hits the target dead center on her first try with a military assault weapon. Quite an achievement for someone who doesn’t hunt or fish or know how to shoot a gun, wouldn’t you say?

Levi’s latest lies are his claims about supporting his son in excess of what Bristol has reported in her court documents asking for the minimum amount of child support that is required by Alaska state law – 20 % of Levi’s income. If Levi’s claims are true, then where is the documentation? None has been mentioned, or promised, because there is none.

Contrast Levi’s lifestyle to the one that Bristol has chosen. A single mom now, she has chosen to devote her life to raising her son Tripp. Rather than go away to school like many young women her age, she is going to the community college and working to support her son at the same time. Her mornings begin at 4 to 4:30 AM, and she has been an excellent mother. Small wonder that she would not want Tripp exposed to Levi’s immoral lifestyle.

Not only is Bristol taking her parenting seriously, but she is serving as a role model for other young women through her involvement with Candies and her own vow of abstinence until marriage. She went on the Oprah show on Friday to discuss her decision and took heat not only from Oprah but from Levi for her admirable position on this topic that affects all unmarried people.

Bristol has even set up her own public relations firm, probably in relation to her work with Candies. This young woman is going somewhere in life, but she is doing it honorably and through hard work. Tripp will have cause to take pride in his mother’s achievements and in the example that she is setting for him.

Bristol could easily have made other choices. But she didn’t, and that speaks to the strong character that she has developed as a member of a wholesome, loving family. A family that she remains an integral part of and which provides the support system she and Tripp need. Tripp is in the best possible hands right where he is and should not have his secure existence disturbed by someone of questionable morals who puts fame above family responsibilities.

See also:

Bristol Palin Begins Campaign Against Teen Pregnancy http://www.wowowow.com/politics/bristol-palin-begins-campaign-against-teen-pregnancy-286754