Arkansas couple celebrates birth of 18th child... yes 18th

[jarrod]

that's cool that they love them & can pay for them & all, but still...a middle child usually has some neglect issues, & these people have 16 of them! can they even remember all their names? how much time do they spend with each kid? is there any privacy in the house? how much garbage do they produce each year? does anyone really think that they are that great of a parent that they should raise 18 kids? maybe they could have pumped out a couple of their own then adopted.

i don't know, i try not to be a judgemental person, but something about this situation bothers me.

jf

 

[Big Don]

Personally 18 children will never come out of my vagina

Mine either, and I don't even have one.

 

[Tez3]

I wonder how many children they'd have if the men had to bear them lol?

 

[Big Don]

I wonder how many children they'd have if the men had to bear them lol?

Either the race would have died out several millenniums ago, or human cloning would have been perfected.

 

[Tez3]

Either the race would have died out several millenniums ago, or human cloning would have been perfected.

Although it shocked a lot of people when that 'man' got pregnant it was a disappointment to many women when it was revealed that actually 'he' was a 'she' who'd undergone a sex change op but not fully!

 

[shesulsa]

And all those children in state homes without parents because they're not spanking new, sweet-smelling infants freshly squeezed and wailing.

And all those natural resources falling off the planet at an ever-increasing rate.

It's their freedom ... but also quite selfish.

 

[arnisador]

If that's what they want, good for them.

 

[MA-Caver]

And all those children in state homes without parents because they're not spanking new, sweet-smelling infants freshly squeezed and wailing.

And all those natural resources falling off the planet at an ever-increasing rate.

It's their freedom ... but also quite selfish.

Well... yes... and no. They could be selfish by NOT having anymore themselves.
They are also not wholly responsible for children sitting in state and foster homes waiting for adoption since there are thousands of childless couples out there who are just as qualified to adopt... but they don't... aren't they being just as selfish too?
Many WANT to adopt but are denied for some reason or another. Are they being selfish?

Just gentle counter-points m'friend. :asian:

 

[shesulsa]

Well... yes... and no. They could be selfish by NOT having anymore themselves.
They are also not wholly responsible for children sitting in state and foster homes waiting for adoption since there are thousands of childless couples out there who are just as qualified to adopt... but they don't... aren't they being just as selfish too?
Many WANT to adopt but are denied for some reason or another. Are they being selfish?

Just gentle counter-points m'friend. :asian:

Oh, I know. I just keep thinking about the growing population and the strain on the planet. Ah well.

 

[theletch1]

Oh, I know. I just keep thinking about the growing population and the strain on the planet. Ah well.

Now that sounds like a good idea for a new thread.

 

[Big Don]

And all those children in state homes without parents because they're not spanking new, sweet-smelling infants freshly squeezed and wailing.

And all those natural resources falling off the planet at an ever-increasing rate.

It's their freedom ... but also quite selfish.

So, people who have their own children rather than adopting are selfish?

 

[shesulsa]

So, people who have their own children rather than adopting are selfish?

Bait much?

 

[Big Don]

Bait much?

Just asking for clarification of your comment:

And all those children in state homes without parents because they're not spanking new, sweet-smelling infants freshly squeezed and wailing.

And all those natural resources falling off the planet at an ever-increasing rate.

It's their freedom ... but also quite selfish.

 

[shesulsa]

Just asking for clarification of your comment:

Then you probably could have looked at this post where I did just that.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Well I'm not much for butting in to other people's lives to tell them what to do.

And if they have the financial means to ensure those kids an acceptable quality of life then there's not much I can say to that.

But I remain entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that this is the negative consequence of considering childbirth a "right" rather than a responsible decision.

The argument could be made that this is how the human race survives.

That argument could have even held water a century or so ago, when large families were a necessity because the reality of life back then was that all of your kids would NOT survive. And when families still actually farmed in large enough numbers to affect the economy and needed all the helping hands.

Neither condition exists anymore.

*Shrug* I guess you're either born one of life's optimists or you're not.

I'm not.

Like I say, I'm against government interference with family size, but I choose to go the voluntary extinction route myself.

Part of this is personal choice; I do not currently, have never in my youth, and by this time in life never will desire a permanent life companion or offspring. That's just the way I'm wired. I am not bothered by this as we have entire families pumping out 18 kids to make up for my, and 17 other couples' difference.

Part of this is on moral grounds:

Firstly, I was born with terrible genetics; Both my parents are diabetic, both have had heart problems and one has had a stroke. Both had eyesight that eventually needed correction and so have I from a young age. They did not develop diabetes until after their heart attacks, and so neither have I yet. I have done what I can with attempts to remain in better shape at my age than they were but again, no guarantee.

The fact of the matter is that I damnwell have NO RIGHT to pass that sort of defective "blueprint" on to some poor sap who has no say in the matter.

Secondly, I don't believe the human race has the right to survive anymore, owing to how each succeeding generation has increasingly ****ed up the world and left the mess for the next poor saps, and so no one should be making any more children, period. The difference is I am not so far insulated from reality as to attempt to ever try to force this to actually *happen* .

What can I say? My faith in humanity as a species has gone round the bowl and down the hole. No sense lying.

 

[shihansmurf]

I wonder how many children they'd have if the men had to bear them lol?

I passed a small kidney stone a couple of years ago. I mean really small. It was the most absurdly painful thing I think I have ever been through in my life, and I'm a married man that really doesn't get on well with the in-laws so I got a pain tolerance, ya know.

Now the stone I passed was about a quarter of the size of typical bit of corn and given how many orders of magnitude a baby is larger......

We would of had to developed cloning technology as cavemen or I don't see us making it this far.

Mark

 

[Cryozombie]