Octomom

[Morwenna Hitch]

I just watched a documentary about octomom and I was frankly horrified at people’s reactions to her. There were people saying that she's paying for nannies etc. from government funds and how this was terrible and we shouldn't have to pay for people like that to go around having loads of babies. This isn't even true but I would be fine with it if it was, it seems perfectly reasonable to me for the government, who are there to protect and serve the people of their country, to support someone who is in no position to earn the kind of money she needs to look after her children.

But this isn't even the case, she is earning her living entirely from media attention. So people go on about how she is using her children and she shouldn't be allowed to spend money that should be the children's. She had to go to court because people thought the money should be kept safe and then given to the children when they’re 18, as if they'll thank you when they grow up without enough money to eat. Basically it doesn't matter where the money comes from, she'll be hated anyway because he didn't work for it and the american psyche says its wrong to help someone who can’t help themselves, everyone has to make their own way.

It reminds me of something that happened to me last year, I came into school and my friend said to me something along the lines of "Have you heard an immigrant family's been given a 6 bedroom council house worth half a million pounds" I instantly responded "Seriously? Wow that great!" the disgusted look on my friends face told me I'd said something wrong. I didn't get it, all that sprang to mind was that a family's life had been massively improved, but no, I later found out that we're supposed to hate them because they came from another country and got a house paid for by our taxes. So what? It's not made your life any worse but it’s made their live a hell of a lot better.

This is getting kinda long so I'm gonna wrap it up. Basically all this irrational hate in the world is making me lose faith in mankind, and if anyone is likely understand that helping people out is good, surely it's the nerdfighters, so tell me what you think, about octomom and government aid and why people freaking love to hate other people so much.

[Neiloy Mukerjee]

While I do fully agree that the job of the government is to be an institution that sends resources where they are needed in order to improve the lives of its citizens, I think the issue that comes up isn't really a problem with the taxes being spent on octomom and immigrants, but rather with it not being spent elsewhere. That is, it's a question of where the money would do the most good.

There are needs throughout the country, including the economy, education infrastructure, and energy resources, so I think it is understandable that someone would feel that the money would be put to better use if it were spent on something that more directly serves the public as a whole, such as road repairs or mass shelters.

Admittedly, I think a lot of people who complain about the way taxes are spent lose sight of the purpose of the taxes in general, but I feel that the above is a pretty reasonable argument for discontent with the status quo.

[Magoonski]

Wow...on some level I agree with you but on others I just have to look at my paycheck. The reason people are mad about that kind of thing is because when you do the right things, pay your taxes, be fiscally responsible, don't break the law etc, but you're still struggling paycheck to paycheck of course you're mad and jealous..it's unfair (of course life isn't fair anyway but whatever).
Yes, it is good that an immigrant family, especially if they come from a war torn country or escaped from genocide, can find a safe haven and frankly I support immigration and free housing for the homeless but half a million pounds? Did the house really have to be that expensive? Couldn't they live in a town where real estate wasn't as expensive? They could have had a six bedroom pre-fabricated house, completely brand new on an acre of land for half of that (depending on location of course). It's good they have a house but when the needs can be met for less then why aren't they?
As for single mothers (and fathers) my heart does go out to them, I know a few single mothers personally who are doing their best. They work full time and some even go to college part-time to ensure a better life for their children. Unfortunately, the system in some states, Maine for instance, has too many loop-holes that essentially encourage mothers to have more children to get more money because there is no concessions made for those who are partially independent.
Octomom's case was different, it wasn't an accidental pregnancy, she already had five(?) kids, no spouse (not that it really matters), no job and was living with her parents when she decided to implant all eight of her remaining embryos...point is she could have waited. She could have been more responsible and tried to save money or wait for the first wave of kids to get older but she didn't. She put her family in jeopardy and if it wasn't for the media paying her, she would have bankrupted her parents and starved all her children...because even Federal and State aide is nowhere near enough to pay for that many people, in most cases it's barely enough for one. She was reckless.

[kassandra/sabelmouse]

i have taped it but not watched it yet.

as for government handouts. i never understand people. it's the filthy rich they should get mad at.

[kassandra/sabelmouse]

i watched it now.
how does this woman cope. i have nothing but admiration for her.

it's amasing that people are so down on her. there are so many childen living in bad situations. poverty, abuse, drug addicted parents not to mention what sometimes goes on behind nice quiet middleclass homes and they focus on this.

as for mummy time ectr i supose it's a little similar to growing up in a kibbutz. studies have been done about kibbutz children growing up in large groups with few adults.

i hope she is ok moneywise. maybe if she married lawyerfriend people would shut up?

i would have thought the pro lifers would be happy that she did not throw those embrios away or had an abortion.

they should make her their posterwoman.

people disturb me. if you have nowt better to do than trow abuse around online you need a life.

[danman]

In soviet union she would have gotten a medal of state, and several boons such as free public transport

[Allie In Action]

I saw her on some magazine the other day, with the cover saying "Octomom loses 70 pounds." And I was like.....I WONDER WHY...

Sorry, that's all I have to say.

[LEe!]

is it the government's duty to protect and care for its citizens? yes.
a government is meant to keep the peace and maintain order so that a society can grow.

should the government ALWAYS protect and care for its citizens? no.
if the government began to take a greater role in our lives then we won't be living our lives; the government would live our lives.

should Octomom have kids in the double digits when she couldn't afford to support one autistic child? no.
having a child is a serious responsibility, and if she cannot meet the needs of one child how can she be expect to meet the needs of fourteen children?

should the government clean up someone else's mistakes? depends.
some mistakes are just that-mistakes. accidents happen and bad choices are made. but some bad choices aren't made by people who are informed, knowledgeable citizens. if you have to move-in with your parents because you can't support your own three kids then you don't have money. having more kids after this means you are clearly spending money YOU DON'T HAVE. i think an informed and knowledgeable citizen would have made a wiser choice and wouldn't try to get pregnant over and over again.

should the government help the Octomom out? yes.
why should we make the lives of these children tougher over something that clearly was not their fault? why should we punish children when their only crime was being born?

should we take preventative measures? yes.
i think the government should try to do a background check if someone is getting invitro(sp). i mean raising four kids is pretty hard, why should someone be allowed to have more if they clearly cannot support the children they already have? obviously, if you are a millionaire having all those kids really means nothing because you can care and provide for them (like Brangelina). Octomom was not a millionaire before she became pregnant, who in their right mind would approve of her artificial insemination afterwards?

[Dan S.]

I'm one of those people who are angry over Octomom, but who agree that the government should be stepping in and helping out if necessary. In addition, the government should also step in and help out by removing children and placing them in other families - if necessary.

My anger stems from several different facts. The first is that having eight children at once greatly increases the risk of complications during birth and causes the children to be born prematurely. Knowingly, and willingly, exposing a fetus or baby (with the intention of carrying said child to term) to great harm is a moral wrong. Second, if you are planning on having children, which in vitro fertilization implies, a responsible parent ought to have the means to support said children nearly independently. Finances should not bar a person from having a child entirely, but responsibility dictates that finances should play a part. Third, while there are plenty of single parents out there, children do better in a two parent household (including gay or lesbian households!). Married couples do a better job at sharing financial and time resources. A responsible single parent would not plan on having eight children at once - in addition to the children she already has.

Being an excellent parent in the present in no way changes her prior irresponsibility.

Octomom knowingly and willingly endangered herself and her children and showed a gross lack of responsibility with her decision to have them. That said, her children should be afforded care, and she should be given help to care for them. But -- any funds or positive changes in lifestyle which she, herself, may be benefiting from, exist because of her gross irresponsibility -- hence the anger.

[Morwenna Hitch]

Thanks for all the replies so far, one small thing I wanted to point out is that she wasn't trying to get pregnant with 8 babies. 6 fetuses were implanted and 2 of them split into identical twins, I doubt she was even expecting all 6 to successfully start growing.

[kassandra/sabelmouse]

it rarely happens and never did before when she had it done. admittedly 7 is allready plenty to be getting on with.

she seems to be doing a better job than some people with 1 or 2.

[Mercedes Babe]

Hi everyone. I just joined this forum to make a comment on this. Many people all over the world have been very misinformed about this woman, and that documentary (which I have seen) was extremely misleading.

She took student loans, disability payments, other government money to intentionally have one child after another that she could not afford. We have a group that we have been gathering lots of evidence against her on, please pop in and view some of the information we have. The link is at the bottom of this. We have entire threads on her getting caught in lies and committing fraud.

The government DID step in... she was receiving foodstamps and other government assistance. While on that assistance, she spent tens of thousands of dollars to have more children she could not afford. She DID NOT qualify for assistance if she had that money. She spent tens of thousands of dollars on IVF while taking free food from the government... food truly needy families could have used. Her responsibility was to feed her children with that money, not create more children she could not afford.

Feel free to read up some of the information we've compiled on her. We admittedly don't like her, and we are compiling this information for the authorities.

http://www.nadyasuleman.com/forum/

[kassandra/sabelmouse]

why do people hate her so much?

there are plenty worse things going on. is it helplessness to change your own life for the better or anger at the government or what.

why get so obsessed with this woman when there are terrible, terrible things going on in the world?