Should some people be sterilized

[ShyGuyInChicago]

I heard of a man in Tennessee named Desmond Hatchett. As of 2009 he is 29 years old and has 21 kids by 11 different women. He works a minimum wage job and cannot afford to support all of his kids even though the state has taken half of his paycheck to support his kids. Some members of his community believe he should be sterilized or rather castrated in order to prevent him from having more kids. What are your thought. I disagree with that.

[Number02]

Why Do you disagree with it?

I think it would be a good idea, because the man clearly has no idea of, or respect for, the consequences of bringing a child into the world without the means to support it.

If he won't put something on the end of it, he doesn't deserve to have it working properly.

[Kaius]

Im never for having the right to have children taken away, but have to agree with Jay for this one. He's clearly shown he has no intention of thinking about how he could support those children before he did it. His explanation of it, "It just happened". Tbh, he can't complain about the position he got himself into. The cost of a packet of condoms is way less than the cost of supporting a child. If he can't support those children he should have thought of that beforehand.

[nick]

To me this is the same argument as cutting off someone's hands for stealing. Its a pretty barbaric approach to crime and justice, and in this case its not even a crime is it? What about the women? He couldnt have made all those babies on his own.

[ShyGuyInChicago]

Why Do you disagree with it?

I think it would be a good idea, because the man clearly has no idea of, or respect for, the consequences of bringing a child into the world without the means to support it.

If he won't put something on the end of it, he doesn't deserve to have it working properly.

I don't think it is just his fault. Some of the women had to know about the other kids.

[Amnesiac]

I heard of a man in Tennessee named Desmond Hatchett. As of 2009 he is 29 years old and has 21 kids by 11 different women. He works a minimum wage job and cannot afford to support all of his kids even though the state has taken half of his paycheck to support his kids. Some members of his community believe he should be sterilized or rather castrated in order to prevent him from having more kids. What are your thought. I disagree with that.

The right to reproduce is natural, and people shouldn't be sterilized unless they've done something apprehensible (serial rapists). Is this guy an idiot? Yes. He'll pay for his idiocy with his own money and time. Once he gets in deeper trouble for not paying child support that'll be enough, it's a bit far sterilizing him.

[Jess]

yeah, why aren't the women taking care of the kids? No, he shouldn't be sterilized

[ShyGuyInChicago]

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/01/man-fathers-21-kids-with-11-moms/

Desmond Hatchett, a 29-year-old man from Knoxville, Tennessee, has father -- are you ready for this? -- 21 children. With 11 different women. None of whom he is married to. And you thought Jon and Kate Gosselin had a lot of kids.

Oh, and he makes minimum wage, which makes it difficult for him to support all those kids financially, which has some Tennessee residents calling for a more permanent solution to Hatchett's fertility. If you get my drift.

According to this report from KCAL-TV, Hatchett claims to know all the children's "names, ages and birthdays." Which is impressive, considering I can barely remember mine, and I only have two kids, both of whom I see every day.

One of the mother's says that the $67.50/month Desmond is supposed to pay in child support isn't enough because her child is a "heavy milk drinker... and milk ain't cheap."

It's all well and good to make jokes about this sort of thing (one budding comic genius at this site says, "Now that's what I call burying the Hatchett!"). But the fact is, this dope has brought 21 unplanned children into the world that he can't support. If it happens once, OK. I still say men should be more careful where they, you know, spill their seed. But once, maybe you forgive. But 21 times?

We can't put all of the blame on the man, however. According to the news report, some of the women knew about Desmond's, um, prolific nature and they "deal with it." If you know the guy has done this before, don't you at least make him wear a condom? And if he refuses, tell him to get the hell out. Right?

The one positive thing in all of this is that Desmond does seem to care. While he's not able to make all of the payments (although the mom of the heavy milk drinker says that when she asks him for money, he "usually" pays), he does show up in court when he's supposed to. I know, small comfort. Especially since "The children can't all be supported by Desmond, so the state of Tennessee has had to step in," according to Hatchett's lawyer Keith Pope. By "step in" he means "pay for their care."

Local residents are angry, with some calling for forced sterilization. (I can't type the name of the method they suggest because it makes me cringe. But you know what I'm talking about.)

What do you think? Should a man who fathers this many accidental children be sterilized?