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by Anonymous User on Friday September 07, @01:21PM EST (#1)
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I recently read about a case where a disabled person (I think a woman) sued her parents for NOT aborting her. She basically argued that she did not want to be born, that she was involuntarily forced into being.
I believe she won a monetary judgement against them.
Unfortunately, I'm forced to side with her. If mothers and fathers both have a "choice," why doesn't the kid also have a choice? I experienced parental rejection firsthand, and let me tell you...It's awful beyond description to be rejected by your own parents. I grew up feeling (and sometimes still feel) that I wasn't meant to be here, because if my own parents didn't want me, my existence must violate nature itself. I've learned to control these feelings and live a productive life, but they'll never go away completely (Mother's and Father's Day inevitably bring them back up).
My mother and father both had a choice, and they chose to abandon me. Well, what about my choice? I would not sue them because I don't want to have to see or speak to either one of them ever again, not even in a courtroom. If they died, I wouldn't even visit their graves. However, shouldn't I, under the premise of equality and fairness, have the CHOICE to sue them because they conceived me against my wishes? They both told me I wasn't supposed to be born, yet through their recklessness and wanton disregard I was conceived. I see that as their fault, not mine.
Furthermore, does this also open up a debate on whether suicide should be legal? While I don't think suicide is a good thing, and I'm not *advocating* that people should do it, if you're going to argue that everyone should have the right to do what they want with their own bodies, those rights should extend to the ultimate right of choosing to self-destruct.
Especially to children who are in a situation where one or both parents have told them, "I don't want you, I don't care what happens to you. Go to hell." If parents have no legal responsibility to their children, why should they have any right to force them not to commit suicide if the kid says, "You know what? I don't like this. I didn't choose to be born, I didn't want to be born, I wish you'd aborted me. I want out"?
This all may sound disturbing, but again, in a truly free society where we give everyone choices over their bodies, we must accept that some people will choose to do things with their bodies that the rest of us think are morally wrong. But as long as those choices don't violate the rights of another--and someone choosing to OD on sleeping pills doesn't violate anyone else's rights--who the hell are we to tell that person what to do?
Lastly, I also strongly feel that child labor laws should be abolished. Therefore if a child's parent or parents decide not to provide for them, the kid can CHOOSE (there's that word again) to get a job, quit school if necessary and provide for itself. I know if I'd been able to start working when I wanted to, and I wanted to get a job when I was about 10, I would have been able to help my grandparents buy food, medical care and all the other necessities that my parents weren't giving them a dime to provide for me. My CHOICE was that I wanted to work. To this day, it still burns me up that the gov't prevented me from doing so.
The Choice for Men people are right in that the Constitution does not compel parents to provide any financial support for their children--not even if the parents are married, not even if they claimed they wanted their progeny to be born. If you disagree, you tell me exactly where it says anything about parents supporting their kids. However, if the parents have no responsibility to do this, it is unconstitutional (and morally wrong) for us to enact child labor laws and mandatory schooling laws that prevent these kids from supporting themselves, and from quitting school if doing so is necessary for them to work enough hours to put food on the table.
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Certainly, it may sound like a good idea for a child to have the choice about whether it wanted to be born or not, but I think what comes into play here more than anything is the fact that children must come "of age" before they wisely make decisions about themselves and their futures.
Although not Constitutionally responsible, I believe parents are *morally* responsible for teaching and caring for their children. That's not to say that I do not agree with Choice For Men. I do. Completely. I'm simply saying that damages awarded to a child who did not want to be born is taking things to an extreme. Are you certain that's the reason the damages were awarded, or was it for abandonment/emotional distress?
It sounds as though you've been through hell regarding your own parents, Anon. User. I cannot put myself in your shoes because my parents are good people. But if we allow children to sue and be awarded damages for being born, then we may effectively litigate the human race out of existence.
There are many times I wished I had never been born. There have been many times I wanted to die. I suffer from depression, and those feelings are some symptoms of it.
I realize psychotherapy and psychiatric treatments are disdained by some on this board, but I have had quite a bit of luck with them lately. These days, I'm feeling better than I have in years, and have no desire to take my own life.
You might benefit from at least talking to someone, Anon. One session with a really good psychotherapist and you'll know whether or not it's for you.
As for legalizing suicide... I see no reason why it should be specifically legal or illegal. If one kills oneself, who will be prosecuted for committing the illegal act?
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by Anonymous User on Friday September 07, @08:16PM EST (#3)
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Nightmist, I've read your posts regarding your battle with depression. I am glad that you've found a way to grapple with this monster, and that it's working for you. You are right, I suffer from it myself. Usually I manage to keep it in check, but sometimes it spills out. It's a lifetime battle, just as an alcoholic will forever battle the urge to drink.
I do think we reap some rewards from our condition. These, I feel, are gifts given to us to make up for the fact that we suffer from this. Check out a book called "Touched With Fire" by Kay Redfield-Jamison. It explores the link between depressive disorders and brilliant creativity.
(I am a writer.)
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(I am a writer.)
Ah, that's interesting. So am I. I work for a weekly newspaper, but I've also published various works of fiction in literary magazines over the past 10 years.
Indeed, I think you are correct that our condition is one suffered by many artists in many media. However, I felt it was time I did something about it for myself. Things were bad enough that I had practically quit writing. Now I'm back to it.
Good luck, Anon.
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Somehow, I don't think our forefathers would or could even fathom in their wildest dreams some of the crazy things that have emerged over the last hundred years or so, most outstanding among them, that any child would sue his parents for any reason, let alone for even bringing him to birth.
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