Octuplets: Mother of All Issues
America’s latest responsibility riddle is defined by simple math and compounded by complex issues:
1 single mother
8 newborn octuplets
14 total offspring
15 minutes of fame
From miracle mom to mother of all outrage, Nadya Suleman’s spectacular fall from public grace continues in an avalanche of revelations: disability, inability, food stamps, no job, no spouse, and no viable plan for raising 14 children under the age of eight.
The responsibility dragnet snared her fertility specialist—at a clinic now under government scrutiny—and settled squarely on Ms. Suleman, who declared in a TV interview that she is a responsible parent, even though California taxpayers have been asked to pay the million dollar-plus hospital bill for her eight preemies.
“I personally do not believe I’m irresponsible,” Ms. Suleman said. “Everything I do revolves around my children.” Saying she was a single parent by choice, she questioned a perceived double standard between her unconventional lifestyle and that of couples who experience multiple births. “Why are they exempt from being called irresponsible?” she asked.
Selfish. Unstable. Irresponsible. The opinions continue to pour in by the thousands on talk shows and blogs, in headlines and on the street: Put her in therapy. Change the laws. Take her kids away. In a season of Wall Street bailouts, a Sesame Street bailout for the 14 kids of America’s mega-mom has not only angered many people, but, as one journalist put it, “exposes how publicly divided and personally judgmental we are” about the reproductive decisions of others and the question of how many children is too many.
“The ‘right’ number seems to lie somewhere between China and Nadya Suleman,” wrote another journalist. “But on what do we base that belief? The ability to pay for the children? The limits on the attention they will receive? How many is too many, and who gets to decide?”
Tell us what you think: Is there such a thing as too many children? Other families receive welfare, food stamps, and disability payments for their children; should Nadya Suleman be held to a different standard? Should Ms. Suleman’s reproduction—usually a private matter of personal responsibility—be the subject of such public debate?
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I think that Nadya has the right to the children that she has. Yes, there are people who not agree with her. The children need support and help and that should not be denied to those children. They should not have to suffer because other people are passing judgment on their mother. They did not make this choice. We should never restrict the number of children that a person can have. The beauty of the United States is to have choices. Also the beauty is that we all have the right to express our opinions.
Sara Douglas | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Ultimate irresponsibility
Nobody should help this woman. She deserves to suffer the consequences of her actions. Society owes her nothing at all. They should all be adopted into responsible families.
Gwen | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Very selfish
This mother is extremely selfish. I think it would be a personal matter IF this mother could take care of the children on her own. If she wasn’t accepting money from the government, by all means, she should be able to have as many as she wants. Being the taxpayers are paying her way and, I’m sure, will be paying for their health care, education etc. for the rest of their lives, it is definitely NOT a private matter.
The doctor who helped with this mess is equally responsible and should be thoroughly investigated. Maybe he/she should be the one to foot the bill for these beautiful children!
I’M ONE TAXPAYER WHO IS TIRED OF PAYING FOR THESE IRRESPONSIBLE PEOPLE AND THEIR ACTIONS!
Jane | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Octuplets
As long as she is accepting handouts from the government, on the backs of WORKING citizens and taxpayers, does she have the right to have 14 kids and expect someone else to foot the bill? She is lazy and needs to be held accountable.
Lisa | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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who paid for the invitro? etc....
I have yet to hear how she came up with the money to get the in vitro. It is no cheap venture. Also, how she thinks she can go to school and still be emotionally and physically available to her children is beyond me. She also stated she would like to work full time, can’t imagine daycare costs!
Julie Pytlak | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Insane
I am single with a nine year old boy. I know first hand how hard it is to raise one child without child support or a responsible partner. I can’t even begin to imagine raising fourteen. Working full time, taking care of the household duties, homework, it all wipes me out. I feel this woman is not mentally well. These poor children, When will she just have time to sit and love on these children. How is she going to get them all out of the house if there is an emergency? Social Services needs to step in and give this woman a reality check. Daycare businesses can not have a one to fourteen ratio. She needs full time help and I as a tax payer feel I shouldn’t have to pay for this. There are plenty of loving couples in the U.S. who would love to have a baby.
Nicole | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Anyone who believes it is her right to try to populate the world is as off balance as she is. She did not do this because she and her partner wanted kids they would care for and raise to be normal healthy adults. As a parent, I know that it is my husband and my own responsibility to provide for our children. We work so we are able to give them shelter, education, clothing, entertainment/culture, food etc. We give up things that we may want to do, or have because we are the type of parent who puts the child’s needs ahead of our own. We teach them responsibility for their actions so that one day they will be exemplary adults. This little girl, thought hey I will use my body to have a bounty of children and get famous, stay home, live off of others and use the children as my livelihood. I say let her support them, let her raise them, let her live the life she chose.
AMY SPEZIALETTI | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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As a taxpayer, I say that we get the right to limit people like this from having children that we are going to pay for. I have to live within my means and I have worked hard for every dollar that I have earned in my lifetime and to now have to pay for someone else to have the children that I don’t even have yet (because we can’t afford it as of now, weird how that logic works in the real world) makes me sick to my stomach. What is this country coming to, that this is something we are going to plaster on TV and give this woman exactly what she was looking for, and that was her 15 minutes. I say put the children in a home where they will be cared for and loved properly and make this woman get a job to pay for the accrued bills herself. I’m sure they could use a janitor at the hospital she birthed these babies, if it were the only way they would get payment. Work for it lady, the rest of us do.
Tiffany | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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You know what, people like this young lady do not need anymore criticism than they already received. How about praying for her and her children and love them regardless, just like Jesus loves us. Yes it was a selfish act, but how many of us have also made very selfish decisions in our lives. Prayer changes things, so lets pray for them and see how Jesus handles it.
Cory | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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Irresponsible
She should have a chance to support her family. But I think it’s a given that there’s a CPS agent with a file on her already. She has to provide for her own family and live with the decisions she made. If she’s not a fit mother, she shouldn’t keep her kids.
Hannah | 11 months, 2 weeks ago
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