Friday, August 03, 2007

The Full Range of Choice

This morning, I was visiting a favorite blog of mine, Ruby Soho Adventures, and read this post about a woman who just gave birth to her 17th (living) child. Here was the comment I left:

I must agree, the thought of 17 children baffles me, just as my grandmother's own 11 children baffled me.

But, I have a question for you - if memory serves, you are pro-choice. Is it not this woman's choice to have 17 children? As crazy as it sounds to us, doesn't she have the right to have as many children as she wants, just as you and I have the right to have an abortion?

Now, I struggle with this. Personally, I think 17 new Americans causes a great impact on the environment. And why can't they adopt? Why can't they be foster parents?

But can we condemn them for their choice when we demand the freedom to practice ours?


So, what's your opinion on the matter?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a friend who is one of 12, and I can say for her she wasn't pleased when her mom kept having children, mostly due to the fact her family was extremely poor. Of course they are all loved and taken care of. I always think that can't be healthy for the woman's body. Child bearing is hard work and doing it repeatedly has to take its toll.

Yet, part of the pro-choice argument is that it is the woman's body, and her choice. So I concur, if we repect a woman's choice we respect them all.

Nanimal said...

Dude, cora - rock on.
I read all the comments and the ones that made me mad were the ones that totally agreed with the ruby soho woman who clearly is very oppinionated. I have a hard time with that - pro- choice is pro-choice - no matter what your choice is reproductively and by making nasty comments about others' choices it leaves her wide open for nasty comments about her choices. sad that people have such a hard time seeing both sides. (I had some sleep and could tackle you other very interesting post... well done)