It's Mother's Day. My email and Internet is back up and running, somebody in the county cut a fibre optic line, and hence, no email, or anything for a while. I wasn't going to post about the baby number 18 that is going to be born on New Years, to the infamous Duggar family. Whether or not it is a boy, or a girl, Jingles, Jo Jo, Jube Jube, Jazzzam, Jo Mama, Jizzy, would make fine names. Now, after having time to pontificate this announcement, I realize there is a big and terrible dualism. If it was a family, that happened to be on welfare who had eighteen kids, many people would be outraged. "They are draining precious resources". "Taking away needed tax dollars". . . the putrid "welfare rant". If it was a family with eighteen children, who came over from another country, who also happened to be receiving state funding, because they were running from persecution, some of the public would also be in an uproar. The immigrant rant, that some think is okay. But since this is a family, who is not openly declaring any state aid, we are not supposed to comment about them, unless it is positive. They do receive tax breaks, as rumour has it, they have their own church within the house, and Jim Bob is supposedly the minister . . .hence tax write offs. TLC has obviously helped them. It's not to be written about negatively, because they are right wing religious, and therefore untouchable. We are not supposed to cringe at their lifestyle, unless you are a certain type of militant lesbian (anti-breeder, anti heterosexual type, not saying all lesbians are this way, but on certain websites this view goes unchallenged, encouraged and applauded). For the record, I am very pro gay, and it is not my intention to pigeon hole all lesbians into that mindset. Pro Choice, also means the right to procreation, and I was told that by de facto that makes Mrs. Duggar a feminist in her own right. There is also a belief that a woman might "enjoy pregnancy and breastfeeding", so the more you have the more to enjoy. The mother has been told she is "high risk" for future pregnancies and is putting her life in danger. Chromosomes are getting a little sticky at Michelle's age. Yet, Jim Bob still is on the prowl. Now, what would happen if Mrs. Duggar died (god forbid) during childbirth? What if the baby is born with an issue? I suppose, the girls in the family, with all their experience would step up to the plate and raise the family, as they do anyway, because it is their "jurisdiction". Even as a very liberal person, I cannot endorse this televised lifestyle (not that anyone is asking me). Yes, many families have lots of kids, but, they are not running to the networks to shine in the public spotlight and get endorsements. We have a huge Mennonite population in this area, I do not see them lining up to have their own television slot on TVO, nor the family of seven living up the road, nor even the single mom of five, who has such difficulty caring for her children, that they are given to the grandparents to look after, and she still keeps having kids. . . a friend who came from a family of fourteen, his family never, ever wanted the spotlight on their dynamics. I have another friend from a family of ten. I have noticed that the Polygamist family (two wives, a third was pending, and after giving much financial support, was booted from the family), and the Wiccan family have not been seen on TLC for some time. I would love to see a show about a gay couple who adopts multiple children (too controversial for the right wings, or the homophobes), or a childless couple who remains so by choice and instead breeds goats to fill the void (too boring and upsetting to those that like to have kids), maybe even a reality show based on Jamie Lynn Spears teenage pregnancy (too influential supposedly on tweens). I would love to see a television show of a super right wing Pro Life family, who pickets at abortion clinics, step up and adopt a baby that was slated for abortion, or actually sponsor a teenage mother who is faced with abortion. I wonder how that would go over? It wouldn't, 'cause it ain't considered cute y'all. You know, maybe if the Duggar's went Green it would be more palatable. If someone was able to set them up with their own wind farm, geothermal heating, solar panels and rain barrels, it would be appreciated. Even compost-able diapers would be a blessing. Hopefully they are using Pampers, because, thanks to Salma Hayek, each package bought, donates one vaccine of Tetanus for a needy child, heck that family could help immunize an nation. ***** by the website, they have used 90,000 diapers so far, I did not notice if they were cloth or store bought.