Responsible Motherhood

From my perspective as a female and someone who hopes to have children some day, I that both 1. entering the military when you have children or 2. having children when you cannot support them are not good decisions from a parenting standpoint. Although Applebaum made a strong argument for a preferential treatment of single mothers and maternity benefits for women serving in the military, it is hard to fathom the justification of such a preference when part of the job description includes serving in the war and being deployed for lengths of time. It is commendable that women are now joining to serve the country and attempting to support their children in a non-traditional manner, but it is not a good career for either fathers or mothers who want to raise their children and be there for them in the future. The very nature of a military occupation makes it a questional occupation for both fathers and mothers, and especially single parents. Sticking to a safer job would be ideal in the situation of parenting. I was somewhat upset that Applebaum took such a stereotypical view of mothers and females. She didn't take into account the hardships faced by military fathers and seemed to overemphasize the motherly instincts.

Most people would also agree that parents should budget to ensure they can support their potential offspring. In the case of Nadya Suleman, she is neither a competent mother nor a responsible one. She has obviously overstepped the boundaries in female rights to reproduction. It is upsetting because she has seemingly single-handedly made a joke of women's right to choose.