Mum of 9 Files Lawsuit Claiming Her Reproductive Rights Were Violated When She Was Sterilised Without Her Consent

[Earlybird]

This emotive story is beginning to gain national play, and is causing an ethical, moral, social and economic discussion in America.

Many say what the lawsuit claims occurred was/is barbaric, but the Mum's personal past has become a sticking point in the court of public opinion.

Background highlights:

• Mum had her first baby at 13, and quit school at the same time
• Mum has 9 children from four men - first two when she was a teenager, subsequent 7 were conceived while in 2 long term relationships.
• Mum has never been employed and receives financial aid from the state for 2 of the 4 children who live with her (the other 2 are supported financially by their father)
• Grandmother has custody of 3 of the children, who live with grandmother
• Mum has a litigation history having sued a chain of chemists in 2001 claiming they sold her an expired spermicide which failed to prevent a pregnancy (she won)
• - Mum was sterilised when she was 35, so in theory, had quite a few reproductive years ahead of her.

Part of why the story is beginning to get national attention is the overwhelming outpouring of angry public sentiment toward the Mum.

Extremists hail the doctors as 'heroes'.

More measured/moderate opinions are finding it difficult to defend the Mum because 'rights come with responsibility' and this Mum has been 'irresponsible' by continuing to have children she cannot afford to raise.

news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?&articleid=1222682&format=&page=2&listingType=Loc#articl eFull

What is your view?

"tethersend - If you are not happy with the system as you say, how would you change it."

lemonadedrinker, I am waiting for you to point out where I said I was happy with the current system. That or, I don't know, an admission that I didn't? Possibly a retraction of the aspersions you cast on my professionalism:

"If you are happy with the current system tethersend then I feel sorry for the children you work with as the care system in this country is failing miserably. The fact you are part of it and don't think it needs to be changed or can't think of any ways it could be changed is fairly worrying in my opinion."

I will then answer your question.

Out of interest, lemonadedrinker, what is your job? If you've mentioned this already, I apologise for missing it.

The thing is, you can refuse to admit if you like that if a system of compulsory sterilisation were instituted to prevent births to incompetent parents, people with learning disabilities would be liable to be sterilised. It merely weakens your argument when you pretend that it is different when it is not.

Edam makes, imho, a very good point. A society that forcibly sterilised anyone would be one that had failed. It is a vile prospect altogether.