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Thread: It shouldn't be taboo to criticize parents for having too many kids

  1. #1

    Exclamation It shouldn't be taboo to criticize parents for having too many kids

    It shouldn't be taboo to criticize parents for having too many kids

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/chip-...ancy-1.4481165

    Celebrities Chip and Joanna Gaines took some heat for announcing they are pregnant with their fifth child

    By Kristen Pyszczyk , for CBC News Posted: Jan 13, 2018 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 13, 2018 12:27 PM ET

    Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper, were probably surprised at the backlash on social media last week that accompanied their announcement of baby number five. I was surprised too.

    Not because I disagree with their critics, who admonished the couple for having too many kids, but rather because it's a sentiment so seldom heard in a society that generally celebrates procreation with almost militant cheerfulness.

    While having a child or five is a very personal choice, it's also a choice that affects everyone who inhabits our planet. So while many people might find the backlash unwarranted, it's actually a conversation we need to have in order to challenge our uncritical acceptance of the life-fulfillment-through-procreation story.

    Population control is a fraught topic, and carries with it associations with eugenics and other nasty historical events. But we still need to talk about it, and people who reacted strongly to the Gaines' pregnancy announcement know this on some level. It's not an exaggeration to say that the survival of our species depends on it.

    In August of last year, New York Magazine published an article claiming we are living through a mass extinction. The article claimed that the earth will be uninhabitable within 100 years due to various consequences of climate change, food shortages and economic and political instability.

    In fact, Stephen Hawking has encouraged humanity to find a new home within 100 years in order to survive. He cites "climate change, overdue asteroid strikes, epidemics and population growth" as reasons for this abbreviated timeline.

    That said, I don't think the possibility of an asteroid hitting the earth is reason enough to abstain from procreating freely. But if by some miracle we do end up colonizing another planet within the next century, the logistics of transporting eight billion people are staggering, unless we also invent a Star Trek-style transporter. So let's lighten the load, friends.

    But how?

    The best way I know of to change attitudes is to have an open conversation about them. The fact that people are starting to react to those who have many children is great, but we need to go much further.

    Now, as a feminist, I tend to oppose any cultural conversation that involves telling a woman what to do with her body. But women have long been told that they need to have kids to have a meaningful life, and they are groomed for motherhood from a very early age.

    But we don't often hear arguments for alternatives to motherhood. Women need to be presented with options for a fulfilling life that don't involve taking 20 years of their lives to care for offspring. Changing the narrative around motherhood should help to offset some of the cultural conditioning we receive throughout our lives.

    In the global West, where the environmental footprint of one person is far larger than in developing nations, it's crucial that we begin to present all people with alternatives to the traditional nuclear family. This inevitably involves calling out people who have kids like they're going out of style.

    Shame is a powerful tool for changing behaviour: it's how we introduce new and existing social conventions. It's unfortunate that Chip and Joanna bore the brunt of changing attitudes, but let's learn from the reaction and examine our own actions.

    Changing the narrative around motherhood should help to offset some of the cultural conditioning we receive throughout our lives. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

    It's not OK to have five kids without once considering adoption. There are so many children in North America and beyond in need of loving homes, yet adoption rates in many areas are lagging.

    I get that humankind's theoretical demise is not enough to justify abstaining from what is for many the most meaningful experience of a lifetime. But it's not theoretical. Climate change is getting measurably worse, populations are multiplying exponentially and economic inequality is not getting better. And to top it off, Prince is dead. Don't bring a child into this.

    Procreation is becoming a global public health concern, rather than a personal decision. So when people do irresponsible things like having five children, we absolutely need to be calling them out.

    And if the birth rate in Canada declines, so what? As old You-Know-Who cuts off aid to not-for-profits that educate on abortion, restricts immigration and stops sending money to countries that need it, we will have a steady supply of smart and talented immigrants. Their loss, our gain.

    Anyway, here's wishing Chip and Joanna the best!
    Another mark of a tyrant is that he likes foreigners better than citizens, and lives with them and invites them to his table; for the one are enemies, but the Others enter into no rivalry with him. - Aristotle's Politics Book 5 Part 11



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  3. #2
    ...but you can't criticize welfare moms for popping out a fifth kid or you are racist
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  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by dannno View Post
    ...but you can't criticize welfare moms for popping out a fifth kid or you are racist
    Exactly!

    This married couple are supporting their family, leave 'em alone!

  5. #4
    The only times you can criticize how many kids someone has are if they can't support them or if they can't care for them properly, and it still might not be your business to say anything to them depending on the circumstances.
    If you are commenting on people in general rather than criticizing a specific couple you have more leeway but "overpopulation" is a lie that is contributing to the destruction of the west.
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  6. #5
    Common people, you can find people on the internet criticizing just about anything about anyone. Now is there really any significant number of people/group criticizing a successful couple for having a very average 5 kids? answer is a no.

    99.9% of the people on social media and 100% of regular people would not have heard of this so called backlash if this writer did not give the internet trolls the spotlight. This is what you get when there is nothing newsworthy in an industry that needs to make news 24 hrs a day. Also this gives people like Dannno a reason to make a racial mountain of a story out of a mole hill.

  7. #6
    People need to mind their own business.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  8. #7
    Its a vagina, not a $#@!ing Clown Car!
    1776 > 1984

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  9. #8
    Some say so long as they can support their kids, mind your own business.

    Circumstances change and people lose their employment.

    A child is not like a car you can turn back in.



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by juleswin View Post
    Common people, you can find people on the internet criticizing just about anything about anyone. Now is there really any significant number of people/group criticizing a successful couple for having a very average 5 kids? answer is a no.

    99.9% of the people on social media and 100% of regular people would not have heard of this so called backlash if this writer did not give the internet trolls the spotlight. This is what you get when there is nothing newsworthy in an industry that needs to make news 24 hrs a day. Also this gives people like Dannno a reason to make a racial mountain of a story out of a mole hill.
    I think there is an unusual amount of negative attention given by media towards chip and his wife. They are Christian and do not openly embrace “gay rights” like the media expects them to. They have been the brunt of many personal attacks and fake spins in hopes that they can be torn down.

    As Tod said- this family can support itself, so no it is not alright to criticize their family. 5 kids isn’t really a nutty amount of kids.

    I don’t recall seeing articles of similar vein when it comes to other media showcased big families. How many kids do they have? 8? 13?

  12. #10

  13. #11
    It’s really nobody’s business.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by asurfaholic View Post
    I think there is an unusual amount of negative attention given by media towards chip and his wife. They are Christian and do not openly embrace “gay rights” like the media expects them to. They have been the brunt of many personal attacks and fake spins in hopes that they can be torn down.

    As Tod said- this family can support itself, so no it is not alright to criticize their family. 5 kids isn’t really a nutty amount of kids.

    I don’t recall seeing articles of similar vein when it comes to other media showcased big families. How many kids do they have? 8? 13?
    Are you telling me that some people on the internet do not like the couple and would use any possible reason to criticize them? if yes, then that makes more sense that the idea that any significant number of people think 5 children is too much.

  15. #13
    You can't tell a feminist what to do with her body, unless it's against the patriarchy. Snicker.
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    In Washington you can see them everywhere: the Parasites and baby Stalins sucking the life out of a once-great nation.

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    It shouldn't be taboo to criticize parents for having too many kids
    So, the liberals confirm 'pro-choice' only applies to killing babies not getting pregnant.
    Quote Originally Posted by dannno View Post
    It's a balance between appeasing his supporters, appeasing the deep state and reaching his own goals.
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  17. #15

  18. #16
    So five kids is a lot?

    What is this, China?



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  20. #17
    Apparently her Mom didn't teach her any manners. This Kristen Pyszczyk chick needs to buy a vowelor 3

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Superfluous Man View Post
    So five kids is a lot?

    What is this, China?
    Canada where the government has to pay for the health of the spawn. China is still aboot 40 years up the road, yeah.

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by asurfaholic View Post

    I don’t recall seeing articles of similar vein when it comes to other media showcased big families. How many kids do they have? 8? 13?
    If you're referring to the Duggars, there's an incredible amount of hate directed to them on a regular basis. Tom Woods has 5 and his ex-wife routinely posts about strangers making rude comments.

    This is a next wave forming.

  23. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by tod evans View Post
    Exactly!

    This married couple are supporting their family, leave 'em alone!
    "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to tod evans again."
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  24. #21
    Here's my take - people can say whatever they like.. freedom of speech yada yada.. but also.. no one should be afraid to call out someone on plain old rudeness or being just wrong
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  25. #22
    This subject seems to come up every yr . Is Danke not taking care of his Asian Spawn ?

  26. #23
    There are so many children in North America and beyond in need of loving homes, yet adoption rates in many areas are lagging.
    Never looked this up, but my understanding has always been that it is very hard to find a child to adopt. I know a woman who had to go to China to adopt. Seems to me this author is full of crap.
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  27. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    Never looked this up, but my understanding has always been that it is very hard to find a child to adopt. I know a woman who had to go to China to adopt. Seems to me this author is full of crap.
    I don't know much about the adoption situation but I know government makes it more difficult than it should be, they want to raise as many of them in the CPS system as possible.
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

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    You cannot have liberty without morality and morality without faith

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    Those who fail to learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
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  29. #25


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  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by oyarde View Post
    This subject seems to come up every yr . Is Danke not taking care of his Asian Spawn ?

    I already sold them a while back.
    Pfizer Macht Frei!

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  31. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Danke View Post
    I already sold them a while back.
    LOL , I hope you converted it all to gold & ammo .

  32. #28
    Define too many. For some, one is too many.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  33. #29
    People haven't said anything to me personally other than, "wow, that's a lot," or raise their eyebrows when I tell people that I have four kids.

    Although I've had a few people actually ask me if they were all with the same woman who I am still married to, and showed surprise when I said yes.

    One woman in her late 30s with no kids asked me about the impact to the environment. I responded that a man and wife with 4 kids in one house use less resouces than a divorced man and woman with one kid in two houses. She actually agreed.
    ...

  34. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by RJB View Post
    People haven't said anything to me personally other than, "wow, that's a lot," or raise their eyebrows when I tell people that I have four kids.

    Although I've had a few people actually ask me if they were all with the same woman who I am still married to, and showed surprise when I said yes.

    One woman in her late 30s with no kids asked me about the impact to the environment. I responded that a man and wife with 4 kids in one house use less resouces than a divorced man and woman with one kid in two houses. She actually agreed.
    I used a lot of resources to feed my 9 kids . It improved safety , nobody was going to hit a deer or turkey in front of my house and result in a lethal accident .

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