And Baby Makes 19

Since everybody (at least the news I read) and their mother has something to say about the Duggars popping out #17, I'm going to add my two cents.

I'm fairly liberal politically and socially, and it seems that everyone I consider like-minded is hell bent on saying the nastiest things they can about these people. I will not. What happened to "My body, my choice"? Or does that just apply to abortions? If it does, then, as Penn Gillete would say, that's bullshit. If you believe no one should be forced to become a mother, you should also believe, with equal fervor, that no one should stop having children just because they've got more than the social norm. Have you seen the way they live (there's a TV show on TLC)? They're thriving beautifully, and without welfare. Maybe they do have to share socks and underwear, and they won't ever have trendy clothes, but do those things matter? I really don't think they do. Having lots of stuff doesn't automatically make you happy. (See: Paris, Briney, Lindsay, Nicole.)

Some people argue that it's "bad for the environment to have so many kids". No it's not. Your CAR is bad for the environment, and I'm willing to bet that the Duggars stay home a lot more than most folks do. And anyway, seventeen people do not have an impact to the point that we can deem the fact that they are all from one family irresponsible.

Others say it's a shame those kids are being raised "like that". Like what? The way their parents want them to be raised? Having a baby means you've been given the right to raise it however you see fit. It's an inherent human privilege, given to everyone who reproduces (with the exception of abuse and neglect, of course). This includes black supremacists, white supremacists, cult members, the verbally abusive, and (ugh!) my mother.

If we start dictating who can and can't have children (I read the words "cut her tubes!" at least a dozen times), we're right back in Nazi Germany.

To be fair (and I am!), I turned to some more conservative news outlets that I don't usually read to see what they had to say. While there were some really conservative Christians giving them props, the secular conservatives (all three of them) and moderate right were just as scathing as the left. Dad is a Republican politician. Wouldn't you be overjoyed that one family has produced a whole passel of people who are most likely going to vote in your favor? I would!

Which brings me to my next point. Where is the libertarian, feminist, tattooed songwriter chick with her artist/poet husband who eschew birth-control, and are working on #17 themselves?! THAT I'd love to see.

Look, if you're going to bash the Duggars, don't argue over-population, don't argue the fact that the kids won't experience the "real world" (most of the kids out here are fat and disrespectful anyway). Don't argue about her uterus being overworked (it's MEANT to do that). Everyone seems happy, healthy and loved.

You can, however, bash the hair. Because, my god.