The news of a California woman giving birth to eight babies is the hot topic of today. When I saw the story on the news, I was interested in knowing more about it. The news said that the woman possibly had the help of fertility drugs and IVF to have multiple babies. The team of doctors who delivered the babies were happy with their success that all eight babies were safe but I was more curious about the mother whose identity was being hidden to protect the babies.
The next day I was watching the news and they said that the woman is in her 30s, she is a single mother and had six other children under the age of eight! Ok now my ears really perked up. A number of questions went through my head like; How did she get a doctor to implant so many embryos in her? Who is the father? How is she going to afford all the diapers, baby formula, clothes.....and the list goes on! Well let's tackle these questions one at a time. In my opinion it is unethical and immoral to implant multiple embryos at one time and isn't there a law that no more than three embryos be implanted at a time? Now if she is single than she must have gone to a sperm bank to get the required stuff but was there really a need to do that when she already had six kids? Believe me some people go through hell to try and conceive one child. All the emotional toll it takes on the individual and the couple is indescribable and then you hear about something like this, and you are like what the hell? Becoming a parent is an honour and a privilege and also a tremendous blessing. Bringing even one child into this world and giving him or her the best possible life is a big responsibility but for some people popping kids out has become a recreation, a business or simply a fashion. Now coming to the question about being able to afford these kids. In this economy when you hear about massive layoffs each and everyday, people cutting back on their expenses, learning to live within their means and the big corporations going belly up, how is this woman going to pay to raise 14 kids! Does she even have a job? If she does, then who will take care of the kids while she is at work? Is she even close to making the kind of money to support 14 kids? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I do know that I will somehow end up paying for her kids. My husband and I are lucky to have jobs and work very hard to budget our lives in these trying times and I don't want to pay for people who are irresponsible or make poor decisions in their lives. I know that sooner or later this woman will apply for welfare or some kind of government aid to raise her kids and as taxpayers we will be paying the tab.
I wish this woman all the best because she was given the honour to become a mother for the umpteenth time but the future of these babies concerns me deeply.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Hypocrisy
Last weekend I went to the movies to watch the much hyped and ridiculous movie "Rab ne banadi jodi", but that is not the topic of my blog but the promo that was aired before the movie started.
The movie is titled "New York". Now right when I saw this title I knew that it is not about the city or its people but rather about the dreadful tragedy we all suffered seven years ago when two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. Those of us who were there or who had loved ones there were horrified but equally troubled were the people who were watching the tragedy on TV. It was an emotional time for the country and we are still in the healing process. I can't even begin to imagine the turmoil that family members of the victims were and are going through to this day.
The media was flooded with images and stories about 9/11 and its survivors. Several documentaries and movies were also made based on this catastrophe. Some were embraced as lessons to be learned and others were shunned because they unnecessarily exploited a grave tragedy to make a profit. All said and done we were finally coming out of this better human beings be it learning that not all Muslims are bad people and that terrorists have no religion.
So why after so many years another film is being made on the same subject? The promo began with the image of sexy John Abraham trotting his stuff in the back drop of this great city. There are others who add the glamour but the crux of the story is innocent Muslims wrongly accused and suffering torture by the hands of the law enforcement and The Homeland Security. Now we all know that many Muslims did face a lot of discrimination and prejudice, even now if you look brown you are subjected to "random screening" at the airports. But this is nothing compared to what other countries do to you if they suspect any foul play. As a permanent resident of USA I have faith in its justice system even though it can be sometimes cruel. Coming back to my point earlier in this paragraph, why after so many years another film is being made on the same subject? Haven't we seen enough movies and documentaries about the same? Haven't the filmmakers made enough money cashing in on this tragedy? It makes me sick to think that a powerhouse like Yash Raj Films would back a project like this.
Now to justify the title of my blog I must say that I was in India recently only two weeks after terrorists traumatized the city of Mumbai. There was a lot of anger and frustration which is well justified. But I also saw a lot of hope, hope for change, hope for safety and hope for an honest government. One day I came across an article in a daily newspaper there which featured many acclaimed filmmakers stating a point. I decided to read on and it was about some small time filmmakers who were planning to make a film on the 26/11 terrorist attacks. In the article, more known filmmakers were angry that some people would stoop so low to exploit this tragedy. They were openly boycotting any such project by saying things like, "its unethical" and "unsentimental".
So why is it that if a tragedy hits close to home everyone starts getting patriotic and self righteous? How come these same filmmakers are willing to produce and finance a movie about something that happened seven years ago and rehash all the old wounds, but not let anyone capitalize on their own tragedy? This is the limit to hypocrisy really.
R
The movie is titled "New York". Now right when I saw this title I knew that it is not about the city or its people but rather about the dreadful tragedy we all suffered seven years ago when two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. Those of us who were there or who had loved ones there were horrified but equally troubled were the people who were watching the tragedy on TV. It was an emotional time for the country and we are still in the healing process. I can't even begin to imagine the turmoil that family members of the victims were and are going through to this day.
The media was flooded with images and stories about 9/11 and its survivors. Several documentaries and movies were also made based on this catastrophe. Some were embraced as lessons to be learned and others were shunned because they unnecessarily exploited a grave tragedy to make a profit. All said and done we were finally coming out of this better human beings be it learning that not all Muslims are bad people and that terrorists have no religion.
So why after so many years another film is being made on the same subject? The promo began with the image of sexy John Abraham trotting his stuff in the back drop of this great city. There are others who add the glamour but the crux of the story is innocent Muslims wrongly accused and suffering torture by the hands of the law enforcement and The Homeland Security. Now we all know that many Muslims did face a lot of discrimination and prejudice, even now if you look brown you are subjected to "random screening" at the airports. But this is nothing compared to what other countries do to you if they suspect any foul play. As a permanent resident of USA I have faith in its justice system even though it can be sometimes cruel. Coming back to my point earlier in this paragraph, why after so many years another film is being made on the same subject? Haven't we seen enough movies and documentaries about the same? Haven't the filmmakers made enough money cashing in on this tragedy? It makes me sick to think that a powerhouse like Yash Raj Films would back a project like this.
Now to justify the title of my blog I must say that I was in India recently only two weeks after terrorists traumatized the city of Mumbai. There was a lot of anger and frustration which is well justified. But I also saw a lot of hope, hope for change, hope for safety and hope for an honest government. One day I came across an article in a daily newspaper there which featured many acclaimed filmmakers stating a point. I decided to read on and it was about some small time filmmakers who were planning to make a film on the 26/11 terrorist attacks. In the article, more known filmmakers were angry that some people would stoop so low to exploit this tragedy. They were openly boycotting any such project by saying things like, "its unethical" and "unsentimental".
So why is it that if a tragedy hits close to home everyone starts getting patriotic and self righteous? How come these same filmmakers are willing to produce and finance a movie about something that happened seven years ago and rehash all the old wounds, but not let anyone capitalize on their own tragedy? This is the limit to hypocrisy really.
R
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