Monday, February 09, 2009

What if we ran foster homes the same as animal shelters?

One of the big news stories right now is the lady who gave birth to 8 kids. That would be a remarkably more amazing feat had it been natural, but in actuality, she had 6 embryos implanted in her uterus (two if which split to make twins). So, she actually chose to have the 8 kids, had them created in test tubes, and then she just carried them around for 9 months before they had to be surgically removed. Pretty much everything about this was unnatural. She now has a total of 14 kids, without a husband or any other type supporting parents, and she also has no job. Her plans are to go back to school. She better get some crazy high paying degree (can you major in CEO-ness?).

The price tag for the whole thing was quite exorbitant also. Who knows how she is going to pay for that part of it. I am guessing an insurance company will pay for it (so, all our rates will go up because of her) or the hospital will pay for it (so, our insurance will charge more for us to use that hospital) or maybe somehow taxes will go to pay for it (a bailout, to use a popular term). Either way, we, as a society, are paying for this. The biggest victims though are probably foster kids.

As I write this (and as you read this), there are kids who are living essentially in dorms with no parents. What hope do they have of being adopted when it seems that the first solution to infertility and wanting a "family" is for people to pay crazy $$ to get science to make them a kid?

Its the same hope that dogs and cats in shelters have against the desire for dogs that breeders churn out. They have to compete with a more specific example of what people want. When they lose and don't get adopted, we kill them. What if we let them reach a certain age and then released them? Why cant animals "age out" of shelter care?

Or maybe, we should start killing children in foster care. The chances of a kid who "ages out" becoming a burden to society are great, just like a stray dog or cat will no doubt cause trouble. Currently the options are "MY genetic children in a test tube or someone else's genetic kids (not my problem)." What if the options changed to "MY genetic children or save a life?" What if every time you wanted to create a child unnaturally existing kid had to be uncreated, also unnaturally? What if we hold a lottery for people who want to have kids, and if you win, you have to adopt an existing one first before you can make your own?

2 comments:

Nikki said...

This reminds me a little of garrett hardin combined with aldous huxley... dark view of humanity, but interesting

Dalen said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cb4dMOdI3Y&NR=1

Yeah, i am actually a huge fan of Huxley. I havent heard of Garrett Hardin though.

I might end up seeing Rachel in a couple weeks up in DC. Think i am going up there for spring break. When is yours and what are you doing?