In what world is this a good idea?

First, let me say Happy New Year! I know I haven't been posting, but after the election was a sort of...relaxing period, followed immediately by terrible weather and the Christmas holiday!

So, I'm sure you've all heard about the mother of the octuplets down in Cali. Of course, it was all happy-happy, touchy-feely...until it came to light that the woman already had 6 kids. And lived with her mother. And was (of course) implanted with all those babies. Now, it tends to be a fairly common occurrence that the presiding doctor will recommend that a couple of the fetuses are aborted, in order to make things safer for the mother and the children. And as a woman who already had 6 kids, you'd think she would have taken them up on the offer.

Well, now comes a new revelation - the woman is, after denying using any form of welfare service, on food stamps! She gets $490 a month for 3 of her previous children...which leads to the question - and how much will she end up with for the new 8 children? Along with the news of the food stamps, her publicist (She needs a publicist now? How does she pay for him?) says that she doesn't view food stamps as a form of welfare, but "as payments available to people with needs". Ummm...isn't that what welfare is? Payments given to people who need assistance to take care of their families?

What really torques me off is that the woman *already had 6 children*. She had so many that she had to live with her mother in order to have help with them. She had 6 children, had to live with her mother to have help, and still got food stamps. She had 6 children, had to live with her mother to have help, still got food stamps...and decided to have EIGHT more children! She had 6 children, had to live with her mother to have help, still got food stamps, decided to have EIGHT more children...which will more than likely lead to even more significant government assistance, paid for by the rest of us.

Because here's the thing - all this is news now, but what about in a year? 4 years? 8 years? When all the news outlets have moved on, her publicist has started "representing" the next basket case - what happens to those kids? I don't give a damn about the woman - honestly, I'd love to know if anyone has suggested that she have a psychiatric evaluation...But those kids will have to live with her outright stupid and selfish decision for the rest of their lives. And trying to take care of 14 children as a single mother in today's economy means that those children will go hungry. They will have very little to call their own (they don't even have their own home - and that was *before* the newest additions!). In all honesty, the odds suggest that a decent percentage of them will end up on the streets - gangs are plentiful in that area, and will probably feel like a better family than the one they have now.

My solution? The doctor who so carelessly implanted this idiot with all those fetuses needs to be court-ordered to help support them until they turn 18 or finish college. As far as I'm concerned, he's no different than a dead-beat dad who show's his immaturity by failing to take responsibility for the process he has participated in. He can help make sure those kids have food on the table and a place to live. It's not a complete solution, but it's sure as hell better than nothing at all. And if there was ever to be an option for state-sponsored sterilization, this "mother" has just become their poster child.

**UPDATE** Wow. Lady moves fast. She now has a website where anyone can donate money...of course, all credit cards accepted. It amazes me how ballsy this woman is, to CHOOSE to have 8 more children, knowing that she couldn't afford them, and to now ask the public to help her support them! I know some people hold the opinion that by not giving, we are "punishing" the children. However, I disagree...I believe that responsibility needs to be taken for the choice that was made to have 8 more children (not 1, not 2....eight) when affording the first 6 was a struggle. I refuse to help pay for her neglectful choice when there are so many more worthy causes that deserve help and attention. Want to donate to a cause? Find a food bank, or a battered woman's shelter, or head to the local animal shelter. Donate money, donate food - or, most importantly, donate time. Anything. They could all use it, and they don't have the book deals coming.