Pinning Medals on Barbara Harris
Bravo to Barbara Harris (“Mother in the Middle,” by Sharon Bernstein, May 14). In a world that is choking on its inability to care for the children it produces, Harris is making a difference. Crack babies are unbearably heartbreaking. There are way too few Barbara Harrises around who are willing to cope with this problem on a day-to-day basis, to provide these children with hope for a reasonable life I can only hope that, following Harris’ lead, we can find a way to reduce the need of the state to care for these unfortunate children, and to use the money we save to provide effective drug treatment programs.
Geraldine Clark
Via the Internet
Barbara Harris (“Mom in
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To paraphrase Jocelyn Elders, we as a society need to get over our love affair with the fetus.
I’ll take Harris’ position a step further and suggest that abortion should be mandatory for anyone, drug addicts or not, who already has two kids. I don’t care if you’re white, black or purple, a crack “ho” or a member of the British royalty: Your genes are simply not that impressive that they should be inflicted on the world beyond two children. Want more babies? Adopt ‘em!
Dawna Kaufmann
Los Angeles
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Harris does not go far enough. Every man or woman who stands in line to cash a welfare check should be required to show evidence of his or her inability to bear even more progency, evidence that they will no longer live off the labor of their neighbors.
R. Shelton
Glendale
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Six years ago, behind prison walls, I gave up my parental rights to my son, who was born while I was addicted to cocaine. The same day, my oldest son hanged himself. I have mourned both of them ever since. I now have been sober six years and would do anything to have another child. I cannot imagine what the influence of $200 has on these women whom Harris is recruiting. These women are not capable of wise decisions.
Beverly Locke
Los Angeles
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I am constantly amazed at the statements from so-called civil rights activists that Harris’ activities are akin to eugenics and are violating women’s civil rights. In the past 30 years, it seems to me, women’s so-called rights have been elevated to the point of godliness, and now women no longer care about the rights of the many children who become everyone’s responsibility in the end. Women have the right to take drugs, the right to abort (murder) their babies, the right to have children without fathers, the right to expose their children to drugs. Please allow these same women the right to decide for themselves if it is worth $200 to stop having children.
Christine Lesniak
Via the Internet