Ask any student on campus, and you’ll find no shortage of opinions on the never-ending, nonissue that is abortion.  Sarah Palin’s family was recently targeted because of her daughter’s unplanned pregnancy. Democrats call them hypocrites while discounting their commitment. Republicans praise their responsibility while ignoring their duplicity. Both sides miss the point.With the Palin family, Republicans were forced to acknowledge their own limited, if not flawed, approach to sex. But the Palins also provided direction for families struggling with the same problem.This isn’t an endorsement of liberal policies or leadership. Democrats haven’t gone unscathed amid a discussion only relevant during election cycles.Barack Obama, speaking about his daughters’ sexual education at a campaign stop in Pennsylvania, said, “… if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby [or]… an STD.”Apart from his apparent equation of babies with STDs, Obama’s abortion standpoint portrays his party as out of touch with mainstream American values. Abstinence is the most effective method of keeping his daughters from contracting chlamydia or, God forbid, a baby. But it’s also the most boring and the least popular. His running mate, Joe Biden, is a pro-choice Catholic, reinforcing the ticket as the epitome of an out-of-touch party.The Obama ticket supports increasing education geared toward providing instruction on abstinence for the wise and prudent minority and birth control and STD prevention for the curious and irresponsible masses. The McCain ticket only offers support for the abstinent. And I thought Democrats were the idealists.But both sides deflect from the issue. Obama’s comments, whether a mishap or a Freudian slip, only highlight why many Americans struggle with his views. His being out of touch on abortion distracts people from hearing his solutions.But I’m not inclined to reignite the culture wars — no matter which side stands to gain.Regardless, this unplanned pregnancy is not necessarily the result of bad parenting or a sign that abstinence education can’t work. It’s not the result of hypocritical Republican family values or wishful thinking. It’s an effect of facing the consequences for poor decisions.Pregnancy is not a punishment but a consequence. This misunderstanding diverts focus from the lessons to be learned from the rest of Obama’s statement, which was a rational view on unwanted pregnancy — comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-only education.The Washington Post documented the common ground between two of the parties’ top leaders: Palin and Bill Clinton agreed the unintended consequence of her daughter’s youthful ignorance is best characterized as an “early awakening to adult responsibilities.”Teen pregnancy results from a lack of accountability that satiates a growing sexual appetite among today’s youth — for which I blame liberal outlooks — and an inability to provide prevention for lifestyles that don’t fit the ideal model of abstinence — for which I blame conservative policies.Conservatives must stop allowing liberals to control the conversation and discuss reasonable solutions applicable to all Americans. In the same context, conservatives should oppose abortion but shouldn’t let this become the deciding factor when considering a presidential candidate.  I’m not endorsing pro-choice Catholic Democrats — an absurd hypocrisy beneath reasonable Catholics and Christian conservatives.But the American sexual environment has changed, and with that change, our tendencies have continually centered on the same misguided discussions. As The Washington Post put it, if we can focus on a responsible conversation about sex and youth, the result is an environment that provides the young with the ability to understand sexuality. We should also shift responsibility from Palin to her daughter. It’s time to quit giving children excuses and start blaming them for their mistakes.The problem is lack of education and good decision-making. Sex   education should be expanded to include topics such as safer sex, contraception and restructuring domestic roles to encourage prudence.When it comes to abortion and sex education, parents and teenagers should think globally but act locally. Control what you can. Fight the urge to label others on the wrong side of the cultural divide. Focus on the actual wars we face, rather than perceived cultural wars.  We can’t afford to fight each other right now.The Palin family is responsible for bringing Americans closer to a rational outlook on sex and a reasonable attitude on life and responsibility. The Palins have opened a dialogue about the most heated, yet trivial, debate of our generation.Divorced from Palin’s principles, her family’s realism — coupled with Obama’s liberal yet reasonable solutions — are together posing answers to questions regarding American life and accountability.We have a lot to learn from both parties and should put both Palin’s example and Obama’s judgment on a pedestal.—-Contact Daniel Lumetta at [email protected]