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Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
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DutchessOfDork
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
I am calling bullshit on this one. We were judging her before we even knew her name.
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electriclarrylandus
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
I'm mad because there are so many children without homes that she could have adopted instead of trying to have 8 CHILDREN AT ONCE.

How is she going to give them all the attention they need? Babies are insanely demanding and need to be held and loved at LOT to thrive. How in the world is she going to be able to do that with 8 babies, plus 6 others that will need attention from their mother as well?

This borders on child abuse/neglect because there is NO WAY. I am pissed.

I was some video on the news of the those babies in the hospital - while the newswoman was busy ooo'ing and ahhh'ing I sat there horrified. Who knows what kind of health problems those poor things are going to have being born so premature.

My heart breaks for those poor kids.
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prestocaro fears the culling
02/10/09

@electriclarrylandus: Well, in all fairness, it is really difficult to adopt. You have to jump through all kinds of hoops and even then you may not qualify for adoption.

One of those hoops is probably not being crazy/having babies to fill some hole in your life. Just sayin'
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Cerridwen
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
There is outrage because she has been criminally negligent with 14 innocent lives. One can do this regardless of race, gender, class or marital status.
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Tart of Darkness
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
Well, since almost day one they've said her father is Iraqi, then I assumed she was white. So what difference does it make?

I still think that she's a baby hoarder.
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pantaloons
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
I had not read or heard a single story about this woman that mentioned her race until now and it seems like most other people have no idea what race she is either. This argument is moot and stupid.
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prestocaro fears the culling
02/10/09

@dewdropper: I believe the word you're reaching for is moopid? And I agree.
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WashingMyHair
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
I'm waiting for the broke-ass state of Cali to find a reason to sue the fertility doc for reimbursement of all funds it'll be paying towards the well being of these babies.
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
"(She doesn't consider this to be welfare.)"

The LA Times, the Washington Times, and the New York Times certainly do.
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Maritsa
02/10/09

@Rooo sez BISH PLZ: It bothers me, too, that she seemed kind of condescending about welfare in her interview. Maybe she was being sincere, but the way she said she wasn't passing judgment on people who DO get it, but she doesn't - it seemed a little judgy, and now seems hypocritical. Like my mom's friend who wanted her 16-year-old to get an abortion when she got pregnant, and then put her on food stamps. And still claims to be pro-life and anti-welfare.
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rednrowdy
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
this race thing is stupid. check out the previous u.s. born octuplets, conceived through iv treatments to nigerian-born american citizens in houston. they got the media coverage in the beginning and then, just like most of these stories, the furor dies down. we only talk about the duggans and jon and kate plus 8 because somehow they got the ear of a network exec who gave them a reality show.

oh, mrs. chukwu who gave birth in houston to the first octuplets, didn't already have SIX KIDS AT HOME.
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petitechou
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
For me, it's an issue of responsibility. If she had the resources to support fourteen children on her own, I wouldn't much care what she did or if she did it as a single woman. I mean, I find the Duggars and their 18 children pretty freaky, too, but I kind of respect that they stress living without debt. And while it's pretty wacky, at least they have some sort a reason as to why they choose to have such a large family. All I've heard Nadya Suleman say are vague statements about wanting to be there for her children and her own family life. She seems totally out of it.

There might be an element of racist "Non-white populations are having too many babies!" idea, but I think people are mostly horrified by the fact that she has 14 children and no real way of providing for them.
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emilyanne
02/10/09

@petitechou: hmm but the problem with the Duggars is that they are only able to live like that because they have set themselves up as some freakyass church and thus claim deductions based on that and to me that's fiddling the system just as much. Not that I really disagree with the rest of your post but I just think it's wrong that people hold the Duggars up because to be honest it's a bit insane that they're allowed to simply call themselves a church and then get charitable deductions which allow them to overpopulate all over the place.
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J.D.Regent
02/10/09

@petitechou: isn't that just another way of saying that rich families can have a lot of kids but poor families can't?
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angelina jolie-laide is a gaudy tulip
02/10/09

@J.D.Regent: I hate to compare HUMAN BEINGS to material objects, but income dictates what you can "afford". Rich families can afford luxury cars and biannual vacations, poor families can't. Isn't it logical that children, one of the most expensive things to have, would be the same? I'm not saying it's fair, which is why I am in support of progressive taxation and keynesian economics, but doesn't it make sense for the time being?
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victoriasauce
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
Can we seriously just leave her alone? Fine, everyone hates her and she's the worst person ever to breath air. Enough already. There are far worse things going on in the world and it's annoying that so much time is being devoted to bashing someone. And by the way, if she does have mental issues/problems/etc., I'm sure this shit isn't making it any easier. Let's remember there are kids who need support, alright? Hate isn't going to benefit *them* at all.
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Lymed
02/10/09

@victoriaandrahmsittinginatree: Hate won't benefit the children. But outrage may prevent future high multiple births which should not occur because of the high risk. These children are so lucky that they appear to be healthy, the next set of octopluts may not be.
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picardia
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
I had no idea she wasn't white until this. I am still not quite sure I believe it.

Also, for all that this looks like a Huge Mistake in my eyes, I'm in the STFU camp about this. People can do whatever they want with their wombs -- good, bad or just plain crazy -- and this is why I am afforded the same courtesy.
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tscheese
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
As an individual of pasty-white Caucasian heritage, I have to admit this: I sometimes simply don't see the prejudices that still exist in American culture when it comes to ethnicity and skin color. These prejudices aren't aimed at me, since I'm ostensibly in the "majority", and as a result I simply don't know what it's like.

So I may simply be ignorant here, but what the hell does this have to do with race? I don't care if she's blue, green, or seven feet tall and made of titanium - this lady doesn't seem right in the head!
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prestocaro fears the culling
02/10/09

@tscheese: Word, my cheesy friend, word.

And, we both thought she was cray-cray long before these details of race emerged, right?
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Sev
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
To be fair - When the part about her already having 6 children first broke, before her picture or her name was released, dumb ass commenters on news sites were already decrying her as an "illegal" or "urban" and screaming about their tax dollars.

My point here is this - stupid, racist idiots will always find something or someone to project their hatred onto.

Side note - I wonder why racists always assume the only people who pay taxes are white people? I also wonder why they assume anyone on welfare or public assistantce is a person of color. Why?
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prestocaro fears the culling
02/10/09

@Sev: cognitive dissonance, that's why.

I totes know racist white people on welfare. They still accuse people of color of abusing the system that they so glibly abuse. It'd be hilarious if it weren't so sad.
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Never_Nude
02/10/09

@Sev: Many, many undocumented workers apply for and receive a Taxpayer ID number (TIN) and pay taxes into a system that will NOT BENEFIT THEM. The hubby is an immigration attorney and he sees this all the time. So yeah, whites are definitely not the only folks paying taxes.

Also, to add to teh stoopid, if you're undocumented you can't receive many benefits that citizens or residents do. The kids, as citizens, could receive food stamps, but that's about it.
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Lymed
02/10/09

@Sev: I love trying to explain to these people that every time an undocumented immigrant busy something in a state with sales tax, they are paying taxes and that if they are paying rent that part of that rent is actually the property taxes the landlord has to pay and if they have a job with by using a fake social security number then taxes are being withheld from that paycheck and they are probably actually paying more taxes than a legal resident because they wouled likely be eligible for the EITC if they could file their taxes.
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J.D.Regent
02/10/09

@Never_Nude: it's ridiculous. immigrants, even undocumented ones, contribute to society in so many ways INCLUDING by paying taxes (both sales tax and income tax as you point out) and receive very few benefits for it.
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Maritsa
02/10/09

@Lymed: Thank you, excellent point about the taxes.
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Red-headed bookworm
02/10/09

@Never_Nude: Thanks for bringing that out. I tell people that all the time.
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Vivelafat says Sweep the leg, Johnny.
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
I know this will be an unpopular opinion but I agree with the blogger, or at the very least recognize that if he thinks race and sexism are factoring into people's opinion of the woman then perhaps I shouldn't dismiss it as bullshit.

Honestly, I have unpacked my knapsack enough to know that I have subconsciously made some decisions based on a institutionalized racism. This is something that I try every day to fight against, but am in no means always successful. To say that public opinion of this woman is not at least somewhat influenced by her race is ignorant. Just look at the comments on the Times website. I may not be forming my opinion based on the color of her skin but it doesn't mean that A. No one is or B. Perhaps my opinion is being influenced by the media which you can be CERTAIN is.
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pestified wants-a-Bush-tribunal
02/10/09

In reply to Race, Religion & Responsibility: About The Backlash Against Octuplets' Mom
Oh, table the race argument already. What I'm curious about is how was she able to get all this care upfront? A series of "pre-patient counseling" people looked at this S and said "Sure, we'll treat/admit you, because of course you'll be able to pay for all this?"

The rest of us can jolly well bleed out in an ER filling out forms, and she's got entire hospital staffs attending her?

I've got insurance and a full-time job and can't qualify for dental care financing.

How in the hell, peeps? Hope to hear from you healthcare Jezzies on this one.
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Little Green Frog (Wise Latina)
02/10/09

@pestified wants-a-Bush-tribunal: Well, at least in Georgia, a hospital MUST deliver babies when the mother shows up, regardless of insurance or legal status. They cannot deny the care.
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Lymed
02/10/09

@pestified wants-a-Bush-tribunal: She has health insurance. The health insurance does not pay for the fertility treatments, so she had to pay for all the treatments leading to the pregnancy, including the actual IVF. However, the insurance covers her prenatal care and childbirth once she is pregnant, no matter how she got pregnant. I'm not sure if her insurance covers her children or if they are on SCHIP, but a hospital is always going to atabilize a premature baby.
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