"I did youth work with a family who fostered then adopted 4 half brothers from the same mother. She was a heroin addict. Every other year she'd have a baby, malnourished, underweight, in withdrawal, neglected taken away."
That's truly tragic. You've been a blessing to those children, and that's beautiful.
Given the harshness of this reality, I understand why past generations looked to forced sterilization. There's really no winning with that, but after 4 kids (to date) with that fate, it's a legitimate moral debate (not an easy one, nor should it be) as to the relative good. I guess it's a sibling to the abortion debate.
I'm a brit, around the same time a US based charity set up here that paid drug using women to get (temporary but long term) Birth Control. I thought it was a good idea but it was (is) very controversial. They started after a similar experience.
The kids I worked with were so lucky to get a nice loving family, a very strong community to support them, lots of opportunities for socialisation and education etc.
God knows what happens if you're not that lucky.
Edit: I have to be honest, I enjoyed the work. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. :) the kids had their moments but mostly they were really excited to do anything and getting male attention was a big draw for them (one they got over the fear of men they all arrived with).
That's truly tragic. You've been a blessing to those children, and that's beautiful.
Given the harshness of this reality, I understand why past generations looked to forced sterilization. There's really no winning with that, but after 4 kids (to date) with that fate, it's a legitimate moral debate (not an easy one, nor should it be) as to the relative good. I guess it's a sibling to the abortion debate.