Comments on: Is It, Ya Know, Kind of Evil to Have a Child?

By: Mickeymouse1299

Mickeymouse1299 — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:52:25 +0000

Not quite sure why Kelley has her panties in a bunch, why does it matter who is who? can't you just let it be?

~Mickey Mouse :)

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:50:49 +0000

Sorry for posting a million comments but I just keep thinking of other things I want to say. Ego and love are inextricably bound. You cannot separate one from the other, that has been argued by many philosophers and psychologists. There is nothing inherently wrong with ego, its a natural part of being human that everyone experiences. You cannot escape ego.

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:45:05 +0000

I mean, if we decide to believe some of the points in the article, then we might as well just all kill ourselves. What would be the point of living at all if “We spend most of our lives with unfulfilled desires, and the occasional satisfactions that are all most of us can achieve are insufficient to outweigh these prolonged negative states.”

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:37:05 +0000

It's knee jerk because of the public persona you portray, that's how your audience understands you. If I knew you in person, I probably would have a different reaction.

It never even crossed my mind that you would be in favor of forced contraception. Believe me, I am very well aware of the nuances of feminist theories. However, I do believe it is universal and obvious in all feminist theory to RESPECT a woman's choice (and to me, that's what it means to be “all about women's rights”), and it seemed clear in this post that you were making a harsh judgment on a woman who might decide to have a biological child by saying it is selfish. Of course, respect and judgment have two different meanings, and I guess I am interested to know what you think the difference is. You have the right to judge, just as a woman has the right to choose. I just wonder if you ever considered the fact that non judgment is also a part of respect?

By: Caity

Caity — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:27:16 +0000

This is a very negative way to look at life. Why does life have to be such a horrible thing? Yes adoption is an option but so if having your own children. Maybe if you looked at life in a more positive way you wouldn't have this opinion.

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:14:03 +0000

I am not saying that reproducing is the only way to experience it, I'm just saying that the experience of love alone makes life worth living for me. Perhaps I am suffering from “pollyannaism”, but I just wanted to point out that while its obvious the article makes some interesting points that most people have not thought of, it is still a miserable way to view the world.

By: Indigo

Indigo — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:29:53 +0000

Eh, I was pissed and I didn't spell check. “Shellfish” - yay for me.

By: evilbeet

evilbeet — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:55:38 +0000

Also, let's be clear that I am not in favor of forced contraception, for anyone, even though I'll admit it sometimes strikes me as a fantastic idea. I think that's how you “respect” a woman's decision to have or not have a baby. It is, in the end, her decision, and I respect it in the same way I respect a woman's decision to have or not have an abortion, in the same way I think that goddamn retarded Octomom DOES HAVE the right to have those eight babies, awful as it all may be. I will fight for women to have the rights to these choices. That doesn't mean I agree with them.

I hate how, no matter what I say, the response from commenters is “I thought you were all about women's rights,” like it's some kneejerk argument everyone keeps in their back pocket. I am a supporter of women's rights. I vehemently disagree with “women's rights” as they're practiced and preached today. So, yeah, I'm all about women's rights. I just think what most people consider being all about “women's rights” is stupid, parroting and unexamined.

By: evilbeet

evilbeet — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:48:53 +0000

This comment made me LOL. I'm not going to block you — no one else spells “shelfsih” in an angry rage quite like you. It almost reads more like “shellfish” that way. Hee.

By: evilbeet

evilbeet — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:57:34 +0000

I'm not entirely sure why you think this argument disregards the future of your six-week-old daughter. In fact, it champions her future. Fewer human births will provide more resources and opportunity for your daughter, and for the humans she'll undoubtedly birth. I don't actually think we should kill existing babies, sheesh.