by Marianne Moody Jennings

About the author: Marianne Moody Jennings is a professor of legal and ethical studies at Arizona State University.

With Guinness multiple births like the Iowa McCaughey septuplets or the Chukwu octuplets of Houston, gratitude emerges: “Better thee than we.” Just the Huggies bills and colic necessitate a declaration of cruel and unusual punishment.

The Hypocrisy of Condemning Multiple Births

Also with these multiple births come medical ethicists and zero-population growthers (who since 1970 have been predicting Old Testament locust plagues if childbearing continued) with a rousing chorus of grinching. Their bemoaning of fecundity includes “irresponsible,” “techno births” and “bizarre spectacle.” Mention the word “miracle” around this crowd and you’ll find yourself hot- glued with Binkys and driven from town on a...