Childfree Reflections

With Marcia Drut-Davis

Archive for the ‘The Dugger Family of 19 and Counting’ Category

December 19th, 2011 by Marcia Davis

The Dugger’s Loss of Their 20th Child

I would never say anything bad to an extremely religious couple who have lost a human life. No point in doing that. However, to post photos of the fetus’s hand touching Michele’s hand and the little feet of the dead fetus, is, in my opinion, horrific and dangerous pronatalism.  It’s the same thing I feel driving by abortion clinics with photos of dead, mangled bodies. (By the way, how are they even able to photograph those pictures?)

I would urge the Duggers to certainly do what they must do for their personal grief on the loss of number 20. Please remember how many people are offended and unnecessarily made to feel guilt if they have chosen abortion or lost a child of their own.

Grief is personal. Please be careful in how that’s shared.

 

June 7th, 2011 by Marcia Davis

The Duggers;warm, happy family or pronatal nightmere?

This AM, there they were again. The Duggers sat with their 19 children. Each child sat with smiles plastered across their faces and not even squirming! Jim-Bob, the father of this huge brood, announced his oldest son and daughter in law couldn’t be there because she was due with their second grandchild.

When asked by Matt Lauer if they all wanted large families, it was unanimously “yes” for those who knew what he was asking. The younger children just sat, smiled and never moved.

So, I ask you, is this the portrait of the joys of a huge family, or a pronatalistic nightmere? Of course they have the right to make their own choices about procreation. (Remember, their religious beliefs add to their goals. )However, why does media constantly embrace this family? Why are millions watching their TV series? Is it amazement, jealousy or just skeptical distrust of how they are portrayed?