VS
(news.cnet.com) (tmz.com)
Ok I had to blog about this, might be a little redundant but I feel like it picks up on our discussion we had on Thursday...
http://www.feministing.com/archives/013707.html (very short blog article)
I think this is a fitting add-on to our discussion in class the other day about population control, it seems the octuplet mother is receiving death threats. I think this is a feasible outcome if we start to put bans on how many people children can have, and attach a stigma to it. Hmmm, kind of like abortion. These people who are threatening her probably believe they have some right to do so, since they are the ones paying ‘with their hard-earned tax dollars’ to take care of her children on welfare.
Also the contrast with the Mccauhey septuplets is very startling, but hardly anyone mentions it. I guess it is ok to have 7 children if you’re doing under the guise of good Christians.
This is a complete distraction to what is really going on in our culture, I am not going to be able to tease it all out right here but there is definetly something wrong. No surge of media covers child abuse this extensively or how African American welfare mothers have a higher percentage of births or how many other people willingly bring children into this world without giving a thought to whether they can afford to care for them (namely religious people who don’t believe in birth control) but somehow these issues go overlooked.
People have even gone as far as to say that Nadya has a baby addiction.. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29163803/
riiiight, she’s addicted. It seems like this is another way to ‘blame the victim’ and not look at her circumstances at all. Just say ‘you made your bed now lie in it’ is basically what I keep hearing. I’m not sure what circumstances could lead to this but I’m sure our crazy baby culture has something to do with it, and of course I am not trying to take away the responsibility she should have for these children, I just don't think she should be persecuted for it.
And everyone is practically laughing at her for asking (no wait begging according to this article) for help, http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/11/octuplet-mom-asks-for-money-on-new-web-site/73
But meanwhile the Mccaugheys were given a house…and had much other support from the community, they knew they couldn’t do it on their own either but no one shunned them for it, or threatened their life. They actually have called Mccaughey a ‘wonder mom’ àhttp://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-756585.html
I think focus needs to be somewhere else besides banning choices on life, or deciding if the state has the power to take away these children. ( I think they already do). this is an unusual case..and complicated but it does not mean that everyone is going to go do this kind of stuff now. Just my opinion and I welcome all other opinion and criticisms etc. Thanks for reading my rant haha.
P.S. the deal with the first picture is that there is a debate over whether the photo was touched up to make her (Mccaughley) teeth look straighter...I found that a little bit interesting
