Saturday, September 16, 2006

Family Values Kidnappings

Today, a woman broke into a home in Lonedale, MO, slashed the throat of a new mother, and stole an eight-day old infant. There have been similar cases of baby-knapping in Kentucky over the last couple of years as well.

One likely cause of baby kidnapping is the "family values" rhetoric that has become so dominant in American society. Because the paraphernalia of traditional families--two-parents, stay-at-home moms, abstinence until marriage, the perfect wedding-- has been hyped so relentlessly, the value of babies has increased to the point that not having children has become intolerable for many men and women. In some cases, not having children has become so intolerable that couples steal newborns rather than be deprived.

Maybe it's time to start thinking positive thoughts about childlessness again.

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