Judge in Mass orders necessary sterilization...Appeals court disagrees. Scandal ensues.

I know this incident took place back in February, but I still think it was interesting. Was this discussed here? I did a couple searches and I couldn't find anyway.

Anyway, a Massachusetts Judge ordered that a woman who was schizophrenic and otherwise very mentally ill be forced to 1) abort, and b) be sterilized, because she would obviously be an unfit parent. If you read the actual appellate decision, which the court did not link to, you can tell that the woman has a plethora of problems...she didn't know how many kids she had or their gender, she makes all sorts of crazy, ect. The Mass Court of Appeals quickly overturned the decision, and the whole thing made the news to some extent.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/01/19/10192109-forced-abortion-for-a-mentally-ill-woman-no-way-says-mass-appeals-court?lite

Judge Christina L. Harms ended up leaving the bench, but she went on to defend her position. I think she has a lot of merit in her arguments...too bad Mass wouldn't let it stand. Thoughts on this? Does anyone remember this?

I don't remember this, but I still don't see why the verdict got overruled. If it's really to protect her "rights," then I think that the woman's not the only one who needs therapy. "Human rights" was a good concept, but now it's making things worse for everyone. The problems this woman has would definitely worsen should she have a baby.

One of the commenters made a valid point (emphasis added):

"I agree with docholiday--something is very wrong with this picture. If this woman is as seriously mentally ill as we are told. She is in no way compentent to make the decision to have sex. I think this pregancy is the result of rape of a imparied person, and that someone should be looking at that. I also think that the parents are unfit guardians as they have done nothing to prevent the pregancy in the first place, (if she's on that many meds it's too dang easy to add a birth control pill to the mix) The fact that they want her strelized is proof to me that they will not be taking care of her in a way that will stop her from being further victimized by whoever.

"Women with these types of mental illnesses can be coerced quite easily into having sex, they are easy victims and targets, I don't see anyone stepping up and addressing this. No one seems to have this woman's best interest in mind."

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snapplet
I don't remember this, but I still don't see why the verdict got overruled. If it's really to protect her "rights," then I think that the woman's not the only one who needs therapy. "Human rights" was a good concept, but now it's making things worse for everyone. The problems this woman has would definitely worsen should she have a baby.

I agree completely on this point. I think human rights as a concept is so skewed by policy makers that it is used as a shield for militant pro-lifers. They want a woman to have the baby in the name of "human rights" or to prevent the involuntary sterilization of someone who clearly cannot care for a child...also in the name of "human rights". But what about the rights of the child, who has to grow up with a schizophrenic mother who cannot care for herself or the child, condemning the child born in the name of "human rights" to a childhood of living in filth and poverty, subject to abuse at the hands of a mentally ill woman. Or what about forcing the mother to raise a child that she did not want to have because she has no support system and cannot afford the child, sending her to the poorhouse? Or what about the rights of humans to not have to support the public assistance programs that would not be necessary if people were not forced to have children they cannot care for in the name of human rights?

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kman
One of the commenters made a valid point (emphasis added):

"I agree with docholiday--something is very wrong with this picture. If this woman is as seriously mentally ill as we are told. She is in no way compentent to make the decision to have sex. I think this pregancy is the result of rape of a imparied person, and that someone should be looking at that. I also think that the parents are unfit guardians as they have done nothing to prevent the pregancy in the first place, (if she's on that many meds it's too dang easy to add a birth control pill to the mix) The fact that they want her strelized is proof to me that they will not be taking care of her in a way that will stop her from being further victimized by whoever.

"Women with these types of mental illnesses can be coerced quite easily into having sex, they are easy victims and targets, I don't see anyone stepping up and addressing this. No one seems to have this woman's best interest in mind."

That is a good point. I can easily see some jerkoff taking advantage of people like her for sex.

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brattymcpants
I agree completely on this point. I think human rights as a concept is so skewed by policy makers that it is used as a shield for militant pro-lifers. They want a woman to have the baby in the name of "human rights" or to prevent the involuntary sterilization of someone who clearly cannot care for a child...also in the name of "human rights". But what about the rights of the child, who has to grow up with a schizophrenic mother who cannot care for herself or the child, condemning the child born in the name of "human rights" to a childhood of living in filth and poverty, subject to abuse at the hands of a mentally ill woman. Or what about forcing the mother to raise a child that she did not want to have because she has no support system and cannot afford the child, sending her to the poorhouse? Or what about the rights of humans to not have to support the public assistance programs that would not be necessary if people were not forced to have children they cannot care for in the name of human rights?

Exactly. The word "right" has been thrown around so much it doesn't mean anything anymore. We should stop thinking that people should do something because it's a "right" and think about how it affects others' rights.