If you seek to invovle the state in this instance, then, surely, it is reaosnable to allow the state to enter and require abortions for young single girls that are incapable, or illprepared, to support an infant.

Unless you're willing to cross that bridge, then no, the state should not get involved - except to intervene vis a vis child services forcing them into state custody if the parents are incapable of financially supporting the children.

 It could be a cultural thing, and thus the state could not get involved as they would be interfeering on a cultural/religious level. Also, Goodskeptic is right - if the state were to intervene here, it would have to intervene in countless other situations which would enevitably lead to a huge financial black-hole and, potentially, a riot of sorts (sorry if I'm not making sense - kinda in the clouds right now). 

But I'd have to say, bottomline, not it's not the state's business to dictate how many kids a family can have. Too much to enforce, not very practical and, most likely, not too interesting for a governement.

 My first thought to this was did it matter if they were Iraq?  But from other posts, I know that crazyheart doesn't tend to show a racial bias.  And that point does clear up a couple questions I had.  Like where was the father, maybe out of the country.  Why was she living with her parents, maybe as her primary residence is not in US.

I don't think it's the state's business regarding number of kids.  Providing the parents can give the children the appropriate level of care.  We don't know the financial situation of this couple.  We don't know what their child care plans are.  We don't even know how old the other children are.  Hard to make judgements without all the information.  

But there is a state that does regulate family size.  China.    

Well if they are Muslim (assuming so) then it makes perfect sense that they are living with their parents.  Islam has no need for old folk's homes, families are tight knit and as parent's get old, their children are charged with looking after them.  Houses are shared.

However there is no real religious justification for having a shitload of kids xD

As-Salaamu Alaikum

-Omni

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28927339/

Kenzie, I just mentioned the nationality  because on the news at noon it said the grandfather (I  believe) might go back  to Iraq to do contract work to help support the family.

I understand that fertility treatments are quite expensive.  US has no universal medicare so unless some insurance company paid, the family would have to come up with the money itself.  If they can afford the treatments then I would assume that they can also afford to support their children.

In Canada, I don't believe that fertility treatments are covered by Medicare.  Perhaps they should be. I know of two different couples in two different provinces who tried fertility treatments that didn't work and decided that they cannot afford to try again.  One couple has an adopted child - so if the treatments worked this would make two.  The other couple had their first child by fertility treatments and wanted to try for a second.   

In Canada I think that if Medicare decided to cover fertility treatments they would be within their rights to limit this to the first two or three children in a family - and not pay for treatments for child 4 or 5 or more.

Some time ago I had a thread about large families (17 children).  In this overcrowded world I seriously question the morality and ethics of people choosing to have large families.

Again - to play devil's advocate - how can we even entertain the notion that one's "choice" to have 20 children that they're incapable of supporting is somehow "unethical" - yet supporting "pro-life" to force a woman to have a baby she neither chose to have, nor is realistically capable of supporting, somehow "ethical" and "righteous"? 

Goodskeptic - I for one am not pro-life.  I believe that every child should be a wanted child.

No, it's not the state's business. But it IS the business of her doctors. This is a medical ethics issue. Many fertility doctors have come out saying so as well. They do not understand how she received 8 embryos in her situation.

It is a strange, strange story.

First of all.  It is safe to say that we are all pro-life.  However, the question is whether or not people are pro-choice.  I believe it is a woman's decision to choice because she knows of her own financial and emotional situation.  I believe what is in the best interest for the child or child to be or not to be.  Only the mother or to be mother knows what is right for her.

    The woman who had  8 children and already had 6 at home.  She is 33 and lives with her parents in California and is not wealthy, I have so many questions.  I wonder why she decided to get fertility treatments when she is divorced and already has 6 at home? where is the father? why did the doctors put so many eggs inside her? does she have a lot of help? how will she be able to give them equal attention?  If I was her neighbor, I would want to help her out as much as I could.  I would even want to adopt one of her children so that I would not have to go through pregnancy again.  I have one son and I would like another child but I didn't like being pregnant the first time.  Now, that the children are here, I think the state should intervene to see that they are getting the proper attention that they need.  I think the medical system should have refused to give her the treatments and they should hold the moral responsibility, they acted in an unethical manner.  The only people who suffer in the end if they do not have proper attention, finances and adequate education are the children. 

I agree with you tonka once you are at the point of having embryos in your womb. At that point, she calls the shots.

But there is still an ethical issue regarding why any doctor would risk the life of a young woman who already has 6 children, and risk the lives and health of all these 8 babies (the largest of whom was 3 lbs, and the smallest of whom was only 1 lb), by implanting that staggering number of embryos. That is why there is an investigation into who did this, because it smacks of a science experiment, rather than a family planning excersize.

It is very unethical that some fertility doctor implanted so many eggs.  Perhaps a few divided and so it might be that within the 8 there are some identical twins but it is ridiculous.

I thought that convention dictated 3 or less now.

There is a state issue related to the extreme cost these children will run up in medical bills.  Of course in the states it is an insurance issue.  hopefully it will be covered.

A tiny premie can cost $100,000 to leave hospital and of course they have a much higher risk of other medical issues for life.  Times 8??  Wow.

Regardless of who these parents are I really don't understand having up to 8 eggs inserted when you have 6 kids.