MYOB Rant

This blogging every day thing is going to expose me more than I expected. More than anyone expected, I expect. Every random thought or idea is going to end up here.

Speaking of random, my latest irritation is all the Octo-Mom coverage. I can't tell you how disturbed I've been feeling about all the criticism of the woman who had eight babies. So what!?! Maybe she and her doctor went overboard to ensure a viable fetus, and maybe it made sense given her history of failed conceptions and/or fetus viability problems. It's soooo none of my business. Maybe she doesn't morally get down with abortions. I believe in free choice, including the choice to give birth. Forced abortion or sterilization is as offensive a concept to me as depriving a woman the option not to breed. Given my stances, as described supra, I just can't stand all the news of this woman. I also can't stand how judgmental, sexist, and crude much of it is.

The speculation that she's sucking up public money seems to be just that -- speculation. And even if she is, who cares? Moreover, it's bringing out the public benefits lawyer in me! You have to be financially eligible and have your whole life scrutinized thoroughly to get free medical care, food stamps, and/or a monthly cash-for-the-whole-family allotment that wouldn't last me week. Reporters, bloggers, and assholes should learn some truth and recall what Clinton's "welfare reform" "accomplished." The laws, regulations, and rules in place prevent or limit aid in many many ways. There are limits on the time someone can be aided and really restrictive limits on assets and resources. My dog, Omar is worth enough to make me ineligible. Then there are the welfare-to-work mandates that both require recipients to get to work asap and ensure that as soon as they're making minimum wage, they'll make too much money to be eligible any longer.

So today, when I saw this story, I came up with another super obvious reason to hate the fuss all the more. Yeah, what about all these men who father lots of babies? How come we don't see extensive and critical coverage of them?