Marquette Warrior: In the Enlightened Netherlands: “Unfit” Moms Forced to Use Contraception

Monday, November 10, 2008

In the Enlightened Netherlands: “Unfit” Moms Forced to Use Contraception

Via Marquette feminist blog Word Warrior, a proposal in the Netherlands to force women judged unfit mothers to use contraception.
Women in the Netherlands deemed “unfit mothers” may soon be forced to take contraception, if a draft bill currently before the Dutch parliament is passed. The bill “targets women who have been the subject of judicial intervention due to their bad parenting,” says its author, a member of the Netherlands’ socialist Labour Party.

Under the proposed legislation, a woman judged unfit who refuses to take contraception and becomes pregnant would have her child taken away at birth. The infant then would be placed in a foster home.

While it’s certain that such a measure could potentially prevent convicted child abusers from conceiving and abusing more children, many questions have been raised about the draft bill’s potential impact on human rights in the Netherlands.

Disabled mothers already face a worldwide uphill battle for the right to bear children. Earlier this year, “K.E.J.,” a woman with developmental disabilities, was taken to court by her own aunt, who wanted K.E.J. to be sterilized against her will. K.E.J. won her court battle. But would a woman with similar disabilities be judged unfit under the proposed Dutch system? What about a woman who could not care for a child due to a mental illness like post-partum depression, but who has entered a treatment program and wants to try again?
Interesting that we are on the same side of this issue as the feminists at “The Word Warrior.”

Our comment to them: once one decides the Nanny State is just fine, don’t expect it to merely take away freedoms that you happen to dislike. It will soon enough take away freedoms you consider essential.

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7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sure there is a segment of even this population that thinks this is a good idea... scary as it is. The problem is with your definition of "abuse".

The UK is preparing to pass a law which would make having a fat pet a crime... considered animal abuse, punishable with both a fine and potentially jail.

If having a fat pet is considered abusive by some, then would having a fat child also make you an abusive parent, warranting of forced contraception?

The gov't has no business entering into this area of our lives, period... even for the most supposedly altruistic reasons.

8:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Their response to you should be: Next time you are about to launch into another tired argument against your silly straw-man versions of what feminism is, you might want to pause and reflect on the fact that REAL, ACTUAL feminists have at least some views with which you actually agree.

9:29 PM  
Blogger John McAdams said...

you might want to pause and reflect on the fact that REAL, ACTUAL feminists have at least some views with which you actually agree.

Well . . . you tell me.

Have feminists opposed smoking bans in private businesses like bars?

Have feminists opposed initiatives in places like New York to outlaw transfats?

Do feminists oppose CAFE standards imposed on the auto manufacturers?

Consider my post a plea to feminists to respect human liberty.

11:33 PM  
Blogger Dad29 said...

Heh.

That's the Progressives, alright.

Tried it in Wisconsin in the early 1900's when the Progressives were Republicans.

11:01 AM  
Blogger Dad29 said...

Consider my post a plea to feminists to respect human liberty

Or "human rights," which is a bit more focused (and contentious, yes...)

11:02 AM  
Blogger TosaGuy said...

In Australia, a German doctor was not allowed to residency because his child has Downs Syndrom. The case is currently being reexamined because of his "contribution" to society as a doctor is very high.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2008/10/australia-denie.html

11:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hate to say this but you can expect nothing less from a country with socialized "everything". Since the state has to pay financially to care for the unfit mothers and their children, it makes sense that the Netherlands would move in this direction for the collective good of the country in the guise of protecting children, which doubtlessly they abort by the ton in the Netherlands. Wake up America! It is coming.

11:17 PM  

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