Have you caught any of the coverage of the woman from California and her birth of octuplets? How could you not? At first the "miracle" of the birth of eight babies was praised. Then it was found out that the mother was a single, living at home with her parents and already had six kids. I won't even get into the debate over fertility treatments, how many embryos to implant, or whether a single mother should be making these decisions. The thing that disturbed my about the tone of the coverage was the lack of value placed on 1) children in general and 2) large families.
There are so many of these that come to mind. The first was when I was listening to NPR and a woman called in and said, "How could a parent give the kind of attention that a child needs to that many children?" The physician guest on the show did a great job of say that he knew of many families of 10, 11, or more children that were quite functional. The other one was from the octuplet mothers interview with Anne Currey on NBC. Anne Currey actually said, "What would POSESS you to want one more child?" As if six kids were CRAZY.
Amanda and I have been blessed by four beautiful children. I just don't understand how someone can talk about kids as if they were a commodity to exploit or a deficit to manage. Whether you have twelve kids or none at all, what do you think about the coverage of this mother and her situation?
6 comments:
Children are a blessing from the Lord...end of story! It's ridiculous to think that somehow large families are "dysfunctional". The size of the family doesn't have anything to do with that. We all know people who have had IVF treatments that haven't worked so for some reason that only God knows, this woman's treatment was successful. One questions this young woman's motives, but only she knows the whys of her decision. I would hope that her doctor counseled her concerning all of the risks to the babies and herself, but even so, the babies are here and they're "fearfully and wonderfully made".
Truthfully I haven't caught much of the coverage. I heard maybe a 3 minute bit with an interviewer I don't recall and she said, "Are you trying to be like Angelina Jolie". After that question I tuned out. I know the mother has large lips, but I must have missed the other factors that would prompt such an inquiry.
I don't like the attitude you are referencing either. It's a commonly held one unfortunately.
T
I agree that no-one can judge her ability to provide emotionally for the children, although I don't think that anyone would argue that a 14:1 child/parent ratio is ideal when the mother is a full-time student. But I also agree with those whose concern is focused on her ability to provide financially for a family of 15.
She was already receiving federal health benefits and $500/month in food stamps; and now is asking the state of CA pick up the bill for the octuplets' healthcare while she lives off disability benefits.
Each and every child is a blessing that is immeasurably valuable - so valuable that I don't think that public concern for the children's food, healthcare, and general well being is out of line when the mother is obviously unable to provide.
She can love those children like nothing else in the world, unfortunately that doesn't put food in their mouths.
Also, she has the crazyeyes...I'm just sayin'.
Wow, there is so much to think about here. I completely agree with your post. Children are viewed as a burden and drag. And big families are a called leaches. People view them as a waste of the earth's resources. It's incredibly sad that the pinnacle of God's creation has taken a backseat to the well-being of the earth.
And this woman from CA will find herself pretty lonely indeed. The left will hate her because of sheer number of children (even though they're the ones who made it possible for singe moms to have these procedures done).
And the right is unhappy because of the glorification of single motherhood.
There is one causal relationship between children and crime. It is single motherhood. Not poverty, not race, not geography. This alone is reason to fight against it. Not to mention a single woman having babies, just because she can in this modern day and age, is totally against God's design.
I for one, am praying this woman puts those precious babies up for adoption in a two parent (non-gay) family. It probably won't happen.
I've seen some of the coverage. I completely agree with Gregg!
Cg
Both my G'ma and G'pa on my dad's side came from large families (7 + 8 children), and they were two of the most unselfish/generous people I have ever known. Both, however, were raised by two parents (both, incidentally pretty stern fathers and fun-loving mothers!).
It's the most natural thing on earth for a woman to want to have children with the man she loves (and it's also one of life's greatest blessings!)...but to substitute a lab procedure for a father who is going to be around is to disrupt the Lord's plan for families.
Shube
Post a Comment