Old Mother Hubbard

Old Mother H. lived in a shoe, she had so many children, she didnt know what to do. Well, one idea would be to practice birth control of one means or another.

The old nursery rhyme neglected to explain why Mother H. had so many kids or inform us as to the wherabouts of the father. Perhaps in children's fables that doesn't matter much. But today, with six and one half billion people crowding the planet, it is germaine.

Our present day prolific mother is Nadya Suleman, known by the popular media now as "Octomom". That moniker is lame, however, since this Mom doesn't have eight children, which in itself is way too many. But Nadya has 14 kids now. She has no husband, partner, job, or house. But she does have 14 children.

Most of the news coverage and scandal/indignation ignited by the story revolves around Ms. Suleman lacking funds or employment to handle bringing up these children. People are angry that government taxes and welfare programs are going to be spent raising 14 kids. Rightly so.

But here is another concept, not covered by the media, but more serious than tax dollars going to feed and clothe these particular 14. Planet Earth is not going to handle well the continuing over-population of human beings. At six and one half billion, we as a species are going to pay a steep price indeed for this constant breeding frenzy.

Mother Earth is groaning under our weight. Fish stocks in the oceans are depleted and shrinking at the fastest pace in human history. Arable land is nearly used up. Energy supplies grow tighter with each new nation that wants cars and trucks and SUV's. Our water supplies grow more polluted, and climate change threatens rain and weather patterns.

Now, there are two possible solutions to this growing problem. Either people can be sensible and rein in their prolific reproduction, or nature will solve the problem through plague, pestilence, or other catastrophe.

You will notice that "Right to Life" has been strangely silent on the Mom and her 14 kids. Since they hold all life as holy and sacred, perhaps they support the concept of having as many kids as one can pop out. And once children are born, these pro-life groups usually don't much care for mundane issues like providing children with health care, shoes, food, and schooling.

What I know is that if every Mom decided she wanted 14 kids, or eight, or even five children, then life isn't going to very pleasant for any of us on this ever-shrinking planet Earth.