SIMONE VIRZI — Copy Editor
I grew up in an environment where family, without question, comes first. My mom is one of five girls; my dad is one of four boys. Almost everyone is loud and opinionated—don’t even try to tell someone they’re wrong. It goes without question that there’s never a dull moment in what I consider to be a big family. Then there are the Duggars, who take the concept of a big family to a whole other level.
You may have heard of the Duggars. They have a show on TLC called “19 Kids and Counting.” Last Tuesday mother Michelle Duggar, 45, announced she’s pregnant for the 20th time. She already has two grandkids, but still believes it’s OK to have yet another baby. My mom is 42. I asked her if she would have another child now. Her response? “Oh, hell no!” If my mom is younger than her and couldn’t bear the idea of starting over, raising another troublemaker. I think it’s safe to say most women feel the same.
My mom is an ultrasound sonographer, often dealing with high risk pregnancies. She understands that the older a woman gets, the more complications the pregnant woman could potentially face (that’s not to say a young woman will automatically deliver a healthy baby). Just look at Michelle’s last pregnancy; the baby was born three months early and less-than-healthy, and she was in the hospital with an oxygen breathing tube up her nose for months. If you already had such complications with the last pregnancy, why, why, why would you subject another child to potential health issues? The child is at a higher risk of Down Syndrome, or may not develop the way a normal child should. That’s not fair to the family or the baby.
If you’ve ever watched five minutes of “19 Kids
and Counting,” you’ve seen the family is borderline Amish. The girls wear skirts down to their ankles. They’re also religious. Now don’t get me wrong, I come from a very religious family (my great-grandma is practically a saint), but this family takes it way too far. Michelle and her less-than-attractive husband Jim Bob believe if God wants them to have another child, they will; that it’s out of their power. They can’t possibly be serious! There are plenty of options– Michelle could get her tubes tied or Jim Bob could get a vasectomy. Don’t they already have enough children?
Just the fact that Michelle has had 19 of Jim Bob’s offspring shows there must be something wrong with her. But let’s try to look past that. Is the sex with Jim Bob that outstanding that she just has to keep coming back for more? The thought of merely screaming Jim Bob’s name is turning me off ! And what about Michelle? Hasn’t her vagina suffered enough over the 20 plus years she’s been popping out ankle biters? Can she even feel anything when she has sex anymore? By no means am I trying to be funny; these are serious questions to ponder.
Putting the Duggars’ sex life aside, I’m also concerned about the offspring they’ve produced. How do these kids have normal lives? The younger kids are practically being raised by the older kids, depriving the later from a real childhood. What teenager wants to watch a bunch of rugrats; it’s not like they’re getting paid to babysit for a handful of hours. These kids also get hand-me-downs because their parents have more kids than they can afford. Do they hand down underwear too? Even worse, the Duggars get home schooled. My biggest problem with this fact is that they don’t have normal social lives. Going to school would at least be a temporary escape from their circus of a family.
And who’s to blame besides Michelle and Hick Bob? TLC. They gave these “stunads” a TV show. They’re also responsible for the nightmare “Jon and Kate Plus 8.” So yes, I do believe the TV station is guilty. They’re practically glamorizing these Southern folks for having an obscene amount of children, who are basically neglected. Can two parents really give 19 children the attention they deserve?
