you have left out some details for the third candidate: he was homophobic, aryan supremacist and quite a few other endearing qualities, that do matter.
Also, it is false to say he never cheated on his wife as he married his wife just days before he died and he had affairs with several women.

The Beethoven example is egregiously misleading. Beethoven was born well over two hundred years ago, in an era when the infant mortality was quite high by modern standards, and even infants who survived were often afflicted with serious health problems. Children didn’t die or experience physical problems so frequently back then simply because they were all born to mothers who were themselves in poor health, as is implied here. Offering an 18th century example in a 20th century setting is a very poor way of making a serious point.

If the woman in the example had been advised to abort her pregnancy based on the (mis)information supplied here, the world would never have known the magic of Beethoven’s music. But maybe a different woman who did opt to terminate her pregnancy might have spared the world another Stalin or Hitler. This is the sort of speculative “What if?” game that neither side can win, so it’s best not to play at all.

*YAWN* @ Manoj’s response. Obviously he/she/it hasn’t received that very abortion item via email a zillion times like I have.

Back to the response to question #1. My response to her? EIGHT kids? I’d toss her a box of Encare contraceptive suppositories and inform her directly, as someone else obviously has not done so sooner:

HEY LADY IT’S A UTERUS, NOT A CLOWN CAR.

I’m well aware of what was left out, Manoj, I had planned on that being a topic of my next post.  And i’m not sure Hitler had affairs with several women, he didn’t like women that much.  Not that he was gay, but he was way too much in love with Germany to take the time to be intimate with women - Even his long time girlfriend/wife.

What’s sad is he was so in love with Germany even when Eva attempted suicide several times because of the lack of affection, he didn’t care.

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Maven, are you saying people aren’t entitled to all the children they want and can afford?  Do you live in China by chance?  Why should someone not be afforded the opportunity to raise as many children as they want?  Because they’re blind, deaf or mentally retarded?  If that’s the reason, are you saying children such as those are less valuable than healthy children?

Nope. USA, in fact. I think we all, as denizens of the earth, have a moral responsibility *NOT* to deplete the natural resources that overpopulation affects.  I think there is a balance to be struck between what one is financially capable of providing as well as what the earth can sustain. Additionally, being a person who has SEVERAL friends who have 5 and 6 children respectively, I see with my own two eyes the falling short that occurs with having virtual “litters” of children. I personally would only have as many children as I have hands to hold them. I don’t judge. This is just my opinion.

Signed,
Treehuggin’ Maven

Hitler had, among other relationships, an incestuous affair with his niece, who committed suicide.
Thanks for your comments, Maven and Manoj.

I thought this was amusing (and thought provoking) until I read the comments. I think people are overreacting to it.
That being said, I agree with mven that people should stick to no more than 2 kids per parent (preferably one) because it gives the children more attention and time with their parent. Not that they have to, it would just be preferab le.