Tuesday, February 24, 2009

OctoMom

OK, I've tried avoiding it. I stopped watching the news but it was on every website. I stopped reading the websites but it's on the radio. I turn off the radio but the women in line at the supermarket are talking about it. I turn my head away from the women but it's on the front of every magazine in line. It's OctoMom, and it's not going away.
The thing that bothers me about this situation is not that a woman who has 14 children with no income, partner, or education is on food stamps and asking for handouts. What bothers me is everyone else. "Leave that poor woman alone," they say. Leave her alone? Do anything but leave her alone. Help her.
If she were married with 2 children and holding an excellent job, but could not foresee that 14 shots of vodka would get her drunk and cause her to be sick and out of control, we'd send her to rehab. If she were a single woman who slept with 14 men all at once because she needed to feel "loved," we'd get her into counseling. If she were a widow living in a house by herself with 14 cats, at the very least we'd call the Department of Animal Control. Why would we not help her now?

Nadya Suleman needs an evaluation, a diagnosis, and the tools to heal herself. In the mean time, everyone in that community should be at that door helping those poor, sweet children. They should be arriving with diapers, formula, paper towels, and dinner. They should open their arms and form connections with the children who must now inherit 8 brothers and sisters on top of a donor for a father and a sick mother.
For the past 8 years we lived with a government who seemed to say, "Every man for himself. If you're rich, get richer. If you're strong, get stronger. And leave those behind who hold you down or hold you back." Now, I'm not saying I'd like to be a socialist society; but would it hurt if we started looking at each other with compassion and love instead of judgement and fear? If we all put our egos and judgements away and took into consideration a human being needs help, then maybe the Nadya Sulemans of the world wouldn't feel the need to have 14 children "to love" in the first place. So please, don't leave her alone.

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