By now you have probably heard about the octuplets born in California. The mother has decided to remain anonymous. Rumor has it that she and her husband live with their parents and already have quite a few children to start with. Now, I haven’t found any articles to confirm this. However, if it is true, then why in the hell was she allowed to go on fertility drugs that have the potential to cause multiple births when she clearly already had a ton of children and for whatever reason, was living under the roof of her own parents? Does this sound like a financially responsible position to which someone should be able to receive drugs in order to pop out a few more children? I know this will not sound popular, but seriously, isn’t it possible to say no?
Another one of my push-button issues are women, who already on welfare, pop out multiple children causing more of a strain on state funds, knowing full well that they cannot support their children. I understand that some people have religious views in which they do not believe in the use of birth control or contraception. However, there is a way that one can avoid getting pregnant and it’s relatively cheap: Keep Your Legs Closed! Not only is it free, but also it does not break any religious beliefs. There’s also the route of being gay. If you see a pregnant lesbian, I can guarantee you that the pregnancy is not a mistake!
I really do think that there should be a mandatory tying of the tubes when women who cannot handle the financial burden of their children, keep popping them out. After two, they should have to go through the procedure. I realize that this touches on the discussion or reproductive rights. However, shouldn’t I have the right to not support someone’s poor behavior through my taxes? After all, I’m not out there getting knocked up and expecting someone to flip the bill for me. Then again, I’m not hitting the streets trying to get knocked up in the first place… not really my style.
So, while the conservatives were bitching about birth control funding in the current Stimulus Package, I was delighted to hear about the proposed funding. Contraceptives are a good thing. They prevent unwanted pregnancies. Just think about the cost of raising one child. I looked at a few websites and articles on the cost of raising kids. In a lower income family, the cost of raising a child to the age of eighteen is in the neighborhood of 190,000 dollars. Now, let’s say that the family is one welfare. Between food stamps and WIC, you’re talking about quite a bit of money just to get the kid through infancy. Now, let’s look at the cost of contraceptives. The pill costs somewhere between 20-50 dollars. Condoms go for around 50 cents to 1 dollar. Tubaligation can cost between 1000-3000 dollars. That’s still cheaper than the cost of raising a child and having the government flip the bill. However, the contraception portion of the proposed packaged ended up getting dropped. Damn it.
Don’t get me wrong. I like kids… the ones who behave. Hell, I might even go out and adopt one or two later on in life. I also understand that with the rise of unemployment, many people are finding themselves seeking financial assistance from the government until they get back on their feet. That I can understand. My problem is those women who don’t have jobs, collect welfare, and who are irresponsible enough to keep popping out and keeping the children. Some mothers who know that they are not financially stable opt to put their children up for adoption to families that can support the kids. I have mad respect for those women, since it has to be a tough decision to give up their own flesh and blood.
Oh, and I found an interesting site about the Stimulus Package, which covers everything there is to know about the current Stimulus Package. Click here if you want to check it out.
Filed under: political morsel Tagged: | baby, contraceptives, Octuplets, Stimulus Package, tubaligation
This is a touchy issue and one that I sit firmly on the fence for. I try to look at it from every angle and then I still can’t make up my mind. I’m pretty sure it is UnConstitutional to force women to have tubals. I don’t remember why, but I do remember an LA Law from years ago where a woman was forced to have Norplant implanted, because she kept having kids and kept abusing them. The case went to the higher court and the Norplant was removed. I don’t think we should have to pay for women to keep having babies, but I don’t think we can force them not to. It’s a circle.
And I do believe in selective reduction if there are EIGHT babies in your uterus. (Or even 7 since one was hiding during ultrasounds)
All I can say is, it makes my uterus ache just hearing that number. I am going to go eat a handful of birth control now.
I am not going to write anything, other than to provide a link to some important history on forced sterilization:
http://www.commondreams.org/views/072100-106.htm
The text linked here is a bit long, and I would encourage anyone to read it thoroughly for some more background on this issue.
I agree that parents should be financially responsible for their off-spring. I also agree with LeftLeaningLady. It’s a tough call.
Here’s a more current website:
http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/
There will be no hard feelings if you choose not to post these links, D.
Just as I hope there would be no hard feelings for me providing the links
.
As a neonatal nurse, I am surprised and glad these babies are doing so well…and the cost of the NICU is prohibitive for one, let alone 8! We don’t know their financial situation, but doesn’t sound promising, does it?
LLL- It is definitely a touchy issue. However, I decided that I would let some of my thoughts be known. I wish that between sex education and contraceptives made to be easily available to all, that the babies being born into families where they cannot be financially supported would decrease. However, I also am aware that there are women who do intentionally have more children in order to collect more welfare. Just like there are foster parents who are horrible, but do it to collect the money.
skyewriter- any comments that include links have to be manually approved to cut down on the SPAM. That’s why your comments did not show up right away. I have no issue with promoting the discussion for all sides on here, whether it is in agreement with me or not.
I am aware of the controversy of forced sterilization, and I do have issues with it. I also believe in reproductive rights. At the same time, I also believe that if a person is going to keep popping out children left and right, not put them up for adoption, and if there is cause to think that the children will be neglected/abused, or their quality of life is on the level of being inhumane, I do think that tubaligation should be part of the conversation. If another measure can come into play that would actually work, I am totally receptive to that. I also understand that, as LLL pointed out, that it is unconstitutional. My thought on this is a bit hypocritical, and I completely admit to that. It’s also very much unpopular, which is why you won’t see me screaming about it in public any time soon.
Ultimately, this is a very hard subject to address and I am aware that I do not know everything there is to know in this world. I have found that writing a posting that I almost did not publish on here is well worth it. I really do appreciate all of your thoughts and wonderful links like those that skyewriter has mentioned because it is such a deep subject that I believe people should take time to think about… no matter what your conclusions are.
So, please keep the comments coming, good bad, or indifferent. As long as we are respectful to each other, I’m happy.
Thanks, D, for posting on this topic. I know it couldn’t have been easy.
It shows you have a lot of integrity, grit, and honesty.
I feel frustrated like you do about this. I know in previous conversations I have had about this in other situations, I have fell on the side of tubal ligation for women on welfare who keep having children. If the state is paying for the babies (Medicaid, welfare, etc.) then shouldn’t the state have the right to STOP having to pay for those same babies and their irresponsible mothers (and fathers)?
But at the same time, I feel like a bad feminist (little ‘f’ feminist; not a raging “F” FEMINIST!). Women, regardless of class, race, or creed, should have control over their own ovaries and wombs.
It is something to think about; pregnancy (not “birth”) control access and education are crucial in a solution to this problem.
Thanks for getting a conversation started.
I love this line:
However, there is a way that one can avoid getting pregnant and it’s relatively cheap: Keep Your Legs Closed! Not only is it free, but also it does not break any religious beliefs.
You all are awesome and taking on a very grueling subject….I too am on the fence here…so many issues all rolled into one.
Seeing so many deliveries and sick babies, disfunctional family situations, drug babies, etc, I am definitely a believer in birth control and family planning issues (don’t know about forced, but I’ve had my moments in my career!!), and am really blown away that these issues are always put on the back burner when it comes to funding programs, not to mention being used as a political pawn. Education is also really important, and where’s the money for that? We have lots of work to do for our fellow womenkind, so don’t stop talking about it, researching, blogging, asking questions, and advocating.
Hopefully someday, we’ll get it right!
You know, you don’t see poor women in, say, Sweden having 8 children. How did they get their education system so right? I have relatives there, I’ll have to ask them.
it’s pretty amazing that all eight of those babies survived the birthing process
I checked out the links that skyewriter provided and learned something, so I can go back to bed now.
D, you are right in so many ways. I wanted to punch something when I read this morning that the mother of the octuplets already has SIX other children at home, the oldest of which is 7. Why was this woman on fertility drugs? How is she infertile?
But yes, there are women who continually have babies, for more WIC, more money, more, more, more. I also think they are women who continually have babies because they don’t know any better and that means that we, as a society, have failed.
I don’t believe in forced sterilization, but why can’t something semi-permanent be a choice? (Like Norplant, is that still available?) There was a woman who was paying women to get sterilized and the courts made her stop. Isn’t this taking away the free rights of the women to take her money?
This is a great post and it is nice to see an actual dialogue instead of just general name calling.
It blows , my mind that someone would do this on purpose..
They may be doing fine now, but these kids could have some major health problems down the road.