Teen Dad

In ancient Rome armed men were thrown into the ring against each other, unarmed men were thrown in against wild animals, and, basically, the ancient audience was constantly entertained by one or another man being torn apart or hacked to death. Sometimes, the man won.

And, with an admitted slight difference, the same ethic is often at work for dads today. Even as the people in charge of the Republican convention announce everyone should respect his privacy, they are dragging Alaskan impregnator Levi Johnston onto display for the nation. His MySpace page has already been deconstructed and his family laid siege to.

Johnston, of course, is not alone at being a teen dad dragged through media muck. But the question has to be why? Just for the public's amusement?