Reply #248: You can save your disdain because I grew up in a super huge family too.

[grace0418]

I too was "harranged" by people. It's never right to tell people that they are a form of pollution, especially children who have no control over the matter. So you're assumption that I am "one of those people" is completely off-base, sorry. However, I feel it is entirely appropriate to voice disagreement with an ADULT'S choices. "Live and let live" works great until someone who has no choice has to pay the price. You may be thinking of libertarians not liberals, because I believe that people who care about society and the world at large should speak up when they see something bad going on. I also believe that people who care about the world should not overtax its resources if they can help it.

And please notice that I said "little chance" not "no chance". So consider yourself lucky. In my family's parish there were eight families ranging in size from nine to fourteen kids. Two of my brothers even married two sisters from the family of fourteen, so we are all very interconnected. I know for a fact that the kids from all these families dealt with a lot of issues that are the direct result of not having enough individual care and attention from a parent. Most of us turned out fine, some didn't. My siblings are all wonderful, intelligent, creative people. But we all had huge hurdles to cross along the way, and most of us have not crossed them all. You know, plenty of neglected kids turn out fine too, but that doesn't make neglect the right thing to do.

So yeah, I think having too many children is a selfish, irresponsible choice. Even for my parents.