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Can Parents Sue If Their Kid Is Born With the 'Wrong' DNA? (gizmodo.com)

Long-time reader randomErr quotes Gizmodo: It's a nightmare scenario straight out of a primetime drama: a child-seeking couple visits a fertility clinic to try their luck with in-vitro fertilization, only to wind up accidentally impregnated by the wrong sperm. In a fascinating legal case out of Singapore, the country's Supreme Court ruled that this situation doesn't just constitute medical malpractice. The fertility clinic, the court recently ruled, must pay the parents 30% of upkeep costs for the child for a loss of 'genetic affinity.' In other words, the clinic must pay the parents' child support not only because they made a terrible medical mistake, but because the child didn't wind up with the right genes...

"It's suggesting that the child itself has something wrong with it, genetically, and that it has monetary value attached to it," Todd Kuiken, a senior research scholar with the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University, told Gizmodo. "They attached damages to the genetic makeup of the child, rather than the mistake. That's the part that makes it uncomfortable. This can take you in all sort of fucked up directions."

148 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sometimes a woman will trick a man into raising another man's child. It is more common than you think.

    1. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by haruchai · · Score: 1, Informative

      Sometimes a woman will trick a man into raising another man's child. It is more common than you think.

      There are plenty of cucks out there

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    2. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by dugancent · · Score: 1, Troll

      Too bad the alt-right and /r/the_donald has reappropriated the word to describe anyone who doesn't agree with them.

      --
      SJWs are the new boogeyman. -Me
    3. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Kjella · · Score: 3, Informative

      There are plenty of cucks out there

      Actually research indicate there aren't, at least not after birth control, legalized abortion and the awareness of DNA tests. Current estimates are 1-3% of the population. The excessively high numbers you get quoted from time to time are because they've self-selected groups where the paternity is in doubt, in these low confidence selections it's 10-30%.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    4. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by haruchai · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The legal system for child support came about because plenty of "real fathers" were only too willing to abandon their families when the going got rough or a more winsome piece of ass drifted on by.
      There aren't many mothers who haven't feared being own their own raising the kids, regardless of who the father was.
      Yup, there are plenty of sluts out there with low morals but they're outnumbered by the dicks, not the cucks.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    5. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Even if what you said is true it doesn't justify an action that is basically fraud.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    6. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by haruchai · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      He's not just "assfucking their country", he's assfucking THEM while moaning constantly about how great they are together & how wonderful life will be if he can keep doing this as much as he wants. And their response is "well, I'd never let Obama do this to me but okay"

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    7. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by thundercattt · · Score: 5, Funny

      The visectomy reminds me of my buddy. Living with his GF, she comes home "I'm pregnant!" All happy happy joy joy. He starts hauling her stuff to the curb. She is furious calling him deadbeat etc. He goes "I got snipped @18". All she said was "o". And helped carry the rest of her stuff out.

    8. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by mysidia · · Score: 2

      Sometimes a woman will trick a man into raising another man's child. It is more common than you think.

      I suggest routine DNA testing after birth to make sure the hospital didn't swap someone else's baby for yours.
      Maybe another parent made an under-the-table deal with some random nurse to secretly swap the wristbands so they could get the kid they wanted.

    9. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 4, Funny

      10 to 30 kids in my 1000 kid high school would be a lot of bastards.

      It's been quite a while since I was in high school, but I remember a much higher percentage of bastards than that.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    10. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Hognoxious · · Score: 2

      It might be a jackal. Check for a birthmark that looks like 666.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    11. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Reaper9889 · · Score: 4, Informative

      If I remember that study correctly, it was based on gene testing and only done when people were suspicious. So in 4/5 cases where people were suspicious, it turned out to be a false alarm. It seemes very reasonable to suggest that if you are not suspicious, then the odds are higher that the child is your own.

    12. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The legal system for child support came about because plenty of "real fathers" were only too willing to abandon their families when the going got rough or a more winsome piece of ass drifted on by.

      What revisionist twaddle. Child support after a divorce came about because originally fathers kept the children and got both the benefits of custody and the responsibility to support them. Then we decided that children belong with their mothers, but financial responsibility should stay with the fathers.

      The 'deadbeat dad' narrative came about as a way to defend this clearly unfair system, and the fact the fathers (quite reasonably) feel more responsible for children that they are allowed to be the fathers of, rather than kids they aren't allowed to see.

      The problem the GP describes, with cuckolds paying child support for kids that aren't theirs, stems from the same sexist urge. In most cases a DNA test can only give a man responsibility (even if they were underage and she wasn't, even if he was unconscious) but not remove it (he was married to her at the time and waited until the child was six months old, he 'acted like a father').

      And as a side note, it's incredibly crass of you to try to justify the ill treatment of some men by pointing out the bad behavior of other men.

    13. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by haruchai · · Score: 5, Interesting

      On the assumption that you're American, you're wrong
      http://www.child-support-laws-...

      "This financial dependency theme recurred almost in every children support case decided by the courts of America during the nineteenth century, primarily because newly divorced American mothers in nineteenth-century were almost always forced to live in poverty.

      Even families that were well off financially before the divorce found that after the divorce, the father almost always profited and the mother almost always became impoverished. This occurred because the men were suddenly free from the expenses of the family, whereas the women were forced to take on the financial burden of raising the children.

      In addition, if the mother did attempt to find a job for herself, she generally earned less than what a man would make in the same field. "

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    14. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 3, Informative

      This occurred because the men were suddenly free from the expenses of the family, whereas the women were forced to take on the financial burden of raising the children.

      Exactly, this is after men no longer had default custody of the children after a divorce and people were trying to put financial responsibility back on his shoulders. I'm sorry if my extremely brief overview missed some of the twists and turns between the old common-law system and the one we have today.

      But how is this a defense of ' "real fathers" were only too willing to abandon their families'? The fact you quoted was true no matter who initiated the divorce or for what reason.

      And again, you seem to be suggesting that the bad behavior of those men justified the unfairness to all men. I'm suggesting that the number of 'dad abandons family on a whim' phenomena was blown out of proportion by the unfortunate victims of those cases, bigots, and people who saw a political advantage to be gained, and that even if it was true it wouldn't justify a wholesale shift in legal responsibility.

      the father almost always profited and the mother almost always became impoverished

      And the mother almost always got to raise the children and the father did not. I agree that both were unfair, but at least they weren't both unfair in the same direction, as they are tending toward now.

    15. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Kjella · · Score: 1

      It's been quite a while since I was in high school, but I remember a much higher percentage of bastards than that.

      Asshats have a much bigger chance of being raised by asshats, nature vs nurture and all that. Being a bastard is just one of those "kick where it hurts" words like that you're fat, have freckles, wear glasses, wrong skin color, have a funny dialect or speech impediment, it's f-f-f-f-f-unny you see. I've been on the receiving end of a lot of teasing but ultimately I've understood it's all about some people's need to establish a pecking order. And I've kicked downwards where maybe I shouldn't, but it felt good to have someone below me. I wasn't very mature at the time and I didn't act very mature.

      We act like children are born innocent and all that, but there's a saying that from kids and drunk men you hear the truth. Well from kids and drunk men you're also more likely to get punched in the face. We're far from innocent, we're a bundle of raw emotion caught in a web of civilization. Not behaving like wild animals is a trained behavior. I tend to think we have a far greater capacity for cruelty than anyone really likes to think about, the Nazi concentration camps are but one example. Having done that analysis on myself, if I genuine believed in something... I'm scared to consider how far I'd really go.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    16. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by haruchai · · Score: 1

      Kindly point out where I was defending it. I stated how it came about, to the best of my knowledge.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
    17. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      Kindly point out where I was defending it.

      Without some clear distancing language (e.g. the legislature thought that...) one can't tell the difference between a mere statement of fact and an endorsement - English is funny that way. That's why I kept saying 'you seem to be suggesting' - I want you to make your position clearer.

      I stated how it came about, to the best of my knowledge.

      And I'm trying to point out that men leaving their wives and children on a whim was never a large fraction of divorces, but it did make a good boogyman. Or to use your terminology, there are probably more sluts than dicks (or maybe roughly the same number), but for some reason legally we not only favor sluts but are also willing to disfavor all men for the actions of the dicks.

    18. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      True, but in this case, the woman de facto confessed.

    19. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      If she wasn't cheating, she would've suggested his vas deferens reconnected, but obviously she knew she was cheating, and worse, trying to stick the wrong guy with parenthood.

    20. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      If we're going to be a pro choice nation, let's go all the way. How much of a fucking double standard is it that a mother can "choose" keep a child or not, but a father gets forced to support a child for 18 years. If pro choice supporters don't want to be flaming hypocrites, they need to fight for the end of child support.

      The situation's not symmetrical, because men can make women pregnant, but women can't make men pregnant.

    21. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Bull. Where can't a woman get an abortion whenever she wants it?

      Well, Malta bans it outright, as does Ireland, and Poland only all it under special circumstances. And of course, Texas and other US states under the thumb of right-wing theocrats have eliminated lots of clinics, and of course, there are the murdered doctors assassinated by the thugs in the anti-abortion movement. That these are the same people aghast that health insurance was covering birth control which reduced the incidence of abortions merely makes it ironic. Their opposition to a cost control method made things worse.

      Kermit Gosnell would perform abortions between a pregnant woman's contractions in the labor room if that's what she wanted, and he was by no means the only late-term abortionist in the world.

      Or you could go to Grover Norquist and Ayn Rand who would drown them in the bathtub.

      Kinda a tell there, kenh, why don't you go help Bill O'Reilly write his memoirs about sexual harassment?

      Because actually, regressive legislators in Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas are still trying for their person good laws.

      All that effort, yet they don't even want sex Ed classes in school. They would much rather force a human vegetable to take up space in an ICU.

    22. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      Actually, you will find out that underage fathers are not required to pay child support unless they want custody. Then they will be paying after they hi their majority.

      So you're correcting me, but then say "they will be paying", which is exactly what I said, so ... you agree? What? Or are you saying that if they don't want custody they don't pay (which is completely incorrect)?

      Same with unconscious. That's called rape, you know.

      If he's wasn't penetrated it's not rape in the US, nor in the UK. And paternity is strict liability - even if the woman was convicted of sexual assault that wouldn't be good enough. So it might be technically possible to avoid liability, but I haven't come across a case like that, ever, while on the other hand there have been several cases of men held liable for child support after the woman admitted that he never woke up the entire time, so...

      You really should stop trying to justify the punishment of the many by false appeals to the victimization of a few when the actual legal details are different.

      Who am I trying to punish?

      Same problem when the scofflaw deadbeats bemoan the costs, it is a lie, done only for sympathy, not even true. Your credulous endorsement discredits you.

      So all men who gripe about child support are lying, child support is always cheap? And repeating facts from actual court cases discredits me?

      It's like the people who bewail how a lesbian couple could have a bunch of kids, but one partner not made to pay child support. Not a one of them was willing to admit the lack of samesex marriage was the issue. No, no, they just wanted the man to be persecuted.

      Hunh? If a man donates sperm to ANYBODY (gay or straight, married or single-but-in-a-relationship or single-completely-by-themselves) if the messy legal process to avoid legal parenthood isn't followed he still can be held liable. And I don't think we persecute men, we just don't care that much if they get hurt in our rush to support women and children.

      Please change your dosage - I'm not qualified to tell if you need more drugs or less - but you've lost contact with the real world.

    23. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      men can make women pregnant

      No, if we're staying legal here, men can only offer to have sex with women. He can't make her have sex, he can't make her stop taking birth control, he can't prevent her from getting an abortion.

      women can't make men pregnant

      But they can make men pay child support, even if he never wanted kids, even if he never consented to sex. Can you at least admit that that isn't fair?

    24. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      men can make women pregnant

      No, if we're staying legal here, men can only offer to have sex with women. He can't make her have sex, he can't make her stop taking birth control, he can't prevent her from getting an abortion.

      Okay, technically perhaps I should have said "A joint decision by a man and a woman can lead to the woman being pregnant, but can not lead to the man being pregnant." I didn't mean to suggest that it's not in part the woman's doing, only to point out that it is in part the man's doing, but only the woman becomes pregnant. The argument for the woman being allowed to choose whether or not she has an abortion is that it's her body. We could argue about when there is also a child involved. That's a legitimate question. The man's body, however, is not involved.

      But they can make men pay child support, even if he never wanted kids, even if he never consented to sex. Can you at least admit that that isn't fair?

      Admit it would be unfair if the man was raped? Yes, although I doubt that's a very common occurrence.

      Or admit it's unfair that women have wombs and men don't? Yes, but only in so far as it's unfair that some people are born smarter, stronger, and more attractive than others. The world isn't fair. (And this particular inequality is a two-edged sword. Personally, I'm quite happy without.)

    25. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      The legal system for child support came about because plenty of "real fathers" were only too willing to abandon their families when the going got rough or a more winsome piece of ass drifted on by.

      Is someone questioning the reality of deadbeat dads?

      The problem, such as it is - is that the pendulum has swung the other way, and in a weird and counterproductive direction. You can leave and divorce your spouse because you found that she decided to create a child with another man, and you will be responsible to pay support for their child. The courts are very upfront about this, actual paternity is irrelevant.

      You can simply be a sperm donor, and become responsible for child support.

      So the legal system has taken the problem of deadbeat dads, and turned it into a different problem as increasing numbers of men choose to opt out of procreation and marriage.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    26. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      men can make women pregnant

      No, if we're staying legal here, men can only offer to have sex with women. He can't make her have sex, he can't make her stop taking birth control, he can't prevent her from getting an abortion.

      women can't make men pregnant

      But they can make men pay child support, even if he never wanted kids, even if he never consented to sex. Can you at least admit that that isn't fair?

      Nope, they won't. Dead lock that the OP will bring up another wrong of men as a counterpoint. Unknowingly, they help create the present day toxicity towards males, as all males get tarred and feathered according to the actions of some of us. But there is a real problem when doing that.

      There is a present day problem of "Where have all the good men gone?" as women hit their 30's and want to start raising a family. And it's a big problem as a fair number of men are opting out of wife and family, and it turns out to be the analytical and thinking men who are more likely to be a "good man".

      Oddly enough, the reaction to this is an attempted shaming of men as not growing up, being selfish, which makes a weird mix with the other accusations thrown at them of being rapists deadbeats and the whole litany of problems men cause.

      Which of course, just exacerbates the problem. Sex and marriage and family are actually options for a person, not legal requirements.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    27. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The previous posters used the phrase "relatively recent" as either could or could not get abortion without a hassle.
      I suppose that "relatively recent" means different things to teenagers and those in their 60's.

      When I was a kid in the 1950's/60's there were very few choices for an abortion. One was performed by a non-medically trained person (so-called back alley abortion with a high death rate), there was self-administered chemicals to induce a miscarriage (it was illegal to publish information on this), and the other option, actual doctors, was only for the wealthy and well-connected. For the average middle-class person, abortions were not available.
      There were no clinics that did abortions outside of a few major cities, and those that did exist were selective in their clients.

    28. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by clovis · · Score: 4, Funny

      Sometimes a woman will trick a man into raising another man's child. It is more common than you think.

      I used to do something similar when I was delivering Pizzas for a living. Whenever one of my girlfriends had a baby, I would drop off the baby instead of the pizza and told them it was theirs. Later the court ordered me to pay 30% of the child's upkeep. Not a total win for me, but I feel like I saved 70% on the cost of raising the kid.

    29. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by AutodidactLabrat · · Score: 3, Funny

      No. The study was based on gene testing in high risk populations for known defects.
      It was repeated several times
      Seems those women simply "Forgot" where they had been

    30. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      Admit it would be unfair if the man was raped? Yes, although I doubt that's a very common occurrence.

      Jumping out of the bushes and raping him is probably quite rare, though I should mention that that situation is rather rare for women as well. But sex while too drunk or high to consent, or passed out - that might be a bit more common.

      But we're getting off the track of the main conversation, this was meant to be a bellwether for our expectations of men. If even the most extreme situations (being too young to legally participate, or even not committing any voluntary act at all) aren't enough to mitigate responsibility, then it's pretty clear that we're not giving men in other situations (lied to about birth control, not told about other possible paternity) a fair hearing.

      Or admit it's unfair that women have wombs and men don't? Yes, but only in so far as it's unfair that some people are born smarter, stronger, and more attractive than others. The world isn't fair.

      Sure nature is unfair, but that doesn't mean we have to be. Nature sticks women with kids after sex, but lets men walk away, and also give us instincts to try to counteract that imbalance. So we invented induced abortion and birth control, fought to make them legal, and then to make the free. And we also make men pay for dates, pressure them to marry pregnant partners, and now hunt them down after one night stands and even after they're victims of sex crimes. At some point our one-sided re-balancing of the scales will start to make things unfair in the opposite direction, and I think we've passed that.

    31. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1
      I'll stick with one subsection of this incoherent/trolling wall of text:

      Doesn't matter how you claim it.

      Claim what?

      you should have stuck with leaving the child in foster care

      The convicted statutory rapist still has custody, if you put the child in foster care that's kidnapping.

      And even then, people will end up being taxed. Somebody ends up paying for it.

      And the most appropriate person to do that is the adult who took criminal advantage of a child.

      Sorry, but a lot of things aren't free, just try to have a dog, a house or a car.

      "Being the victim of a sex crime isn't free"?

    32. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      Truly, you should be allowed to take a fruit just because you have a penis.

      Maybe 'allowed to take a fruit' is a common phrase where you're from with a non-obvious interpretation, but I've never heard of it. So I'll respond as best I can.

      Although this is a rather minor issue, your response is exactly the kind of thing I was trying to point out. Men have a specific set of extra duties in sexual relationships, and just pointing out that it exists upsets people, even though violating those unspoken rules upsets them even more. If a man has sex without 'paying for it' they feel he's acting entitled - even though this is explicitly more egalitarian than most relationships, and expecting the man to pay really is entitlement - for the woman.

      And I think that kind of stuff is nonsense - everyone should be allowed to take any freely-given 'fruit' they like. You don't own women, and you don't get to tell them with whom they're allowed to share their sexuality, or under what circumstances.

    33. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      BTW, in all seriousness, I'm 100% all for signing a pre-nup that opts the couple out of any state involved divorce proceeding and instead substitutes that with a jury trial via a local church. The shaming alone from that process as an old person on the jury yells out "I'VE BEEN MARRIED 60 YEARS AND YOU WANT TO DO WHAT? MAN THE 1!@$123 UP SON!" will produce sound results. OK fine maybe it isn't for everyone, but it should be an option.

      My wife got into a routine of whiling away her evenings by hoeing into bourbon, playing on Facebook, and yelling abuse at me. Should I venture to say anything back, she'd really crank it up, stomping around slamming doors, or get right in my face screaming, and follow me wherever I go. She has lied about me, e.g. telling her friends and family that I said "I didn't marry you to get this fat", when I have never said anything of the sort. Also we had a joint account, and, after the bills were paid (thankfully, I guess), she would spend the remainder on bourbon, tobacco, junk food, gifts for her friends and family, and "to make it fair", gifts for me, that I didn't want. ("See, I got you something, why aren't you happy?"). When I tried to talk to her about things, she'd either promise to improve, and perhaps do so for a while, or she'd yell abuse.

      I stuck with her. Eventually, I separated our bank accounts, and moved all my stuff into the basement, and put a lock on it, and things are now going relatively well. It's hard though, especially since she's spread it around that this has all come out of nowhere, and she's very hurt but she's just doing her best to cope, and "thinking about the kids".

      Anyway, you'll have to excuse me if I take a different point of view, and tell you where you can shove your ignorant-as-shit old church person, and their "MAN THE 1!@$123 UP SON!"

    34. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      It seemes very reasonable to suggest that

      any concept supported by claims as strong as "It seemes very reasonable to suggest that ..." is screaming out to be tested, because if there's one thing we know about people, it's that people are very good at fooling other people. That is why the professions of "confidence trickster" and "politician" exist.

      Where I'd look for data would be cases where the volition of the (putative) parents isn't involved in selecting the children to be tested - when checking siblings (cousins, IIRC going further out isn't much better than random chance) as organ or particularly bone marrow donors for a victim.

      Good luck getting your proposal to access such data past the ethics committee.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    35. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      Jumping out of the bushes and raping him is probably quite rare, though I should mention that that situation is rather rare for women as well. But sex while too drunk or high to consent, or passed out - that might be a bit more common.

      But we're getting off the track of the main conversation, this was meant to be a bellwether for our expectations of men. If even the most extreme situations (being too young to legally participate, or even not committing any voluntary act at all) aren't enough to mitigate responsibility, then it's pretty clear that we're not giving men in other situations (lied to about birth control, not told about other possible paternity) a fair hearing.

      Honestly, I still have some trouble imagining a man having sex with a woman against his will. I generally don't get an erection unless I actually want sex. I'll grant you have a case with statutory rape, or, obviously, if the child isn't theirs, but these things can be checked. I can well imagine some women might lie about birth control, but what would you do if the man claims this? Simply accept his word? This isn't (or at least certainly shouldn't be) enough to condemn a man for rape, and I don't think it should be enough to condemn a woman for deceit either.

      Sure nature is unfair, but that doesn't mean we have to be. Nature sticks women with kids after sex, but lets men walk away, and also give us instincts to try to counteract that imbalance. So we invented induced abortion and birth control, fought to make them legal, and then to make the free. And we also make men pay for dates, pressure them to marry pregnant partners, and now hunt them down after one night stands and even after they're victims of sex crimes. At some point our one-sided re-balancing of the scales will start to make things unfair in the opposite direction, and I think we've passed that.

      There are all sorts of norms, pressures, and expectations in society, some of which are unfair to women, and some of which are unfair to men. I don't think men should have to always pay for dates, or marry pregnant partners. I don't think we were talking about these things though, but rather about law. Legally, I do think men should be required to contribute to supporting their children, unless they have a good reason not to.

    36. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      Honestly, I still have some trouble imagining a man having sex with a woman against his will. I generally don't get an erection unless I actually want sex.

      First, wanting to have sex isn't the same as consent. Men really do turn down women for sex, even when they're turned on - you don't have to be a slave to your emotions, even if that's what's expected of you.

      Second, erections are reflexive - hormones, vibration, or just falling asleep can cause erections. If nothing else, there's pressure on the prostate... I guess what I'm saying is that if boys in an African war zone can get erections when forced to have sex with their own mothers in front of the psychos that just butchered their dad, I'm pretty sure there are less extreme examples.

      I can well imagine some women might lie about birth control, but what would you do if the man claims this? Simply accept his word? This isn't (or at least certainly shouldn't be) enough to condemn a man for rape, and I don't think it should be enough to condemn a woman for deceit either.

      We shouldn't ever just take someone's word, but if a man gets his girlfriend on tape admitting that she stopped taking birth control without telling him in order to get pregnant and make him marry her, I think that should play some role in how responsibility is meted out.

      Legally, I do think men should be required to contribute to supporting their children, unless they have a good reason not to.

      And I'm pointing out that in our legal system almost nothing is a 'good enough' reason: In some US states there are men paying child support because the mother chose them at random and the man missed the single mailed summons. The court says they're the father by default, and the first they hear about it is when their wages get garnished.

      So even if our lists of what's 'good enough' don't align exactly we should still be able to agree that something should be on it.

      The rest was just an attempt to point out our biases - ones that run so deep that our entire vocabulary changes when we stop talking about what she should do and start talking about what he should do. If we can't admit to those, how are we going to come to a fair and just conclusion?

    37. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      First, wanting to have sex isn't the same as consent. Men really do turn down women for sex, even when they're turned on - you don't have to be a slave to your emotions, even if that's what's expected of you.

      No, I don't have to be a slave to my emotions, but the suggested situation, a woman that I find attractive attacking me, and forcing me to have sex with her, just doesn't sound very plausible to me. I guess, partly, I'd wonder, if she's attractive, why does she feel the need to force anyone to have sex with her? Partly, I suspect that being attacked would ruin the mood for me, thus rendering the exercise futile. (Partly, too, I'm not sure I would be attracted to a woman who was bigger and stronger than me enough that she could overpower me, but perhaps that's just personal taste.)

      Second, erections are reflexive - hormones, vibration, or just falling asleep can cause erections. If nothing else, there's pressure on the prostate... I guess what I'm saying is that if boys in an African war zone can get erections when forced to have sex with their own mothers in front of the psychos that just butchered their dad, I'm pretty sure there are less extreme examples.

      I don't know about what you're referring to, and I still find it difficult to imagine. But okay, just because I find it difficult to imagine doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I'm fine with men not having to pay child support if a jury finds the woman guilty of rape (including statutory rape, and all the same rules that apply in the converse situation).

      We shouldn't ever just take someone's word, but if a man gets his girlfriend on tape admitting that she stopped taking birth control without telling him in order to get pregnant and make him marry her, I think that should play some role in how responsibility is meted out.

      Fair enough.

      And I'm pointing out that in our legal system almost nothing is a 'good enough' reason: In some US states there are men paying child support because the mother chose them at random and the man missed the single mailed summons. The court says they're the father by default, and the first they hear about it is when their wages get garnished.

      Okay. I don't live in the US, so I'll take your word on it.

      So even if our lists of what's 'good enough' don't align exactly we should still be able to agree that something should be on it.

      I'm not going to argue with that.

      The rest was just an attempt to point out our biases - ones that run so deep that our entire vocabulary changes when we stop talking about what she should do and start talking about what he should do. If we can't admit to those, how are we going to come to a fair and just conclusion?

      In general, I think there's often biased language where there's disagreement. Not that this isn't a problem, but I don't think it's a problem unique to this situation.

    38. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      You're missing the damn point. The woman gets a pro choice pass. If she gets pregnant, she can kill the kid. The man gets no such choice. He will be forced at gunpoint to support a child he doesn't want. The abortion makes the supposedly asymmetrical symmetric again, so I reiterate my point: if you're going to be pro choice, don't be a fucking hypocrite about it.

      Reposting something I posted elsewhere:

      I think it's a mind, not a body, that defines a person. One body is usually associated with one mind. However if we think about (or postulate) cases where this isn't the case, I think it becomes obvious that it's the mind that's important, and the body is just a vessel.

      e.g. We think of Conjoint/Siamese twins as twins, two people, not one person, because there are two minds, despite there being only one body. If a person is decapitated, they are dead and gone, regardless of whether their body could be kept on life support, because it is the mind that is important not the body, and the mind is gone. Considering the hypothetical situation in "body swap" stories like Freaky Friday, we would say that the people are in different bodies, not that the people have different minds in them, because it is the mind, not the body, that defines the person.

      There can't be a mind until after 20 weeks gestation (18 weeks after fertilisation), because connections don't begin to form in the cerebral cortex until then, so until then there is just an empty vessel, IMHO.

      As to abortion making the situation symmetrical again, no it doesn't.

      Men have contraceptive options. They can have a vasectomy and/or wear a condom. Women have no right to force men to do either of these things. These are men's choices to make, because they involve men's bodies. A woman could refuse to have sex with a man because he hasn't done these things, however.

      Women have contraceptive options, and also have the option of an abortion. Men have no right to force women to do these things. These are women's choices to make, because they involve women's bodies. A man could refuse to have sex with a woman because she hasn't used contraception. If it comes to a woman choosing whether or not to have an abortion, however, it's a bit late for the man to decide he didn't want to have sex.

      Don't be a fucking moron.

    39. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 2

      Partly, I suspect that being attacked would ruin the mood for me, thus rendering the exercise futile.

      Except that penises don't work that way. One of the main reason that men who are raped by men don't report is because they're confused or embarrassed because they got an erection or even ejaculated. I mean, if you could just turn it off with willpower, why would premature ejaculation ever be a thing? Why would teenagers have to carry things in front of themselves on occasion?

      But okay, just because I find it difficult to imagine doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

      And we're better off with people who disagree but have open minds and are willing to listen than with people who all mindlessly agree. I tip my hat to you, sir.

      if she's attractive, why does she feel the need to force anyone to have sex with her

      You girlfriend wants to get pregnant and you're not ready yet, your ex wants to get back at you, she's mad at your girlfriend, she's mad that you turned her down - sexual assault it isn't usually just about sex, it's sex and power.

      bigger and stronger than me enough that she could overpower me

      What if you're sick or injured or drunk or high?

      Or what if she threatens you? She'll divorce you and say you molested the kids. She can call the cops and say you tried to rape her (and even if the case if thrown out quickly, it can still be devastating). And if you physically resist, that's great - until she get injured (even slightly), then the story will be that you attacked her.

      I'm not saying that this is very common, or that men need to get all paranoid. But just because someone's half your size doesn't mean they can't get leverage over you.

      In general, I think there's often biased language where there's disagreement. Not that this isn't a problem, but I don't think it's a problem unique to this situation.

      Maybe I'm overemphasizing language, but you do have to push people to even realize that there's even a debate to be had. His girlfriend lied to get pregnant and wants to keep it, who cares, he had better upend his life - end of story. Even when there's an awareness of how much that sucks there no 'maybe it doesn't have to be that way' spark of inspiration.

    40. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      Except that penises don't work that way. One of the main reason that men who are raped by men don't report is because they're confused or embarrassed because they got an erection or even ejaculated.

      This is news to me, but okay, I'm willing to accept that it's theoretically possible for a woman to physically arouse a man who is not attracted to her, by somehow forcibly stimulating his anus. This isn't a skill she'd be able to develop with a willing partner, however, since they would be aroused anyway. Nor do I expect it would be easy to find some kind of how-to guide, or join a gang of women who do this. And she couldn't have learned it as personal experience from being a victim (being the wrong gender). Without some kind of inside knowledge, I think she'd have to essentially take a punt, and hope to strike it lucky, which doesn't seem like a very empowering situation. She'd have to take the risk that, despite her best efforts, she might fall flat on her face, and if she's willing to do that, then it's easier to hit on a guy in a bar. And she'd have to be okay dealing with a man's anus, when it's the penis she wants. A woman raping a man still seems much less likely to me than a man raping a woman, or a man raping a man. (At least if we are talking about forced rather than coerced, and the victim is not attracted to the attacker.)

      if you could just turn it off with willpower, why would premature ejaculation ever be a thing? Why would teenagers have to carry things in front of themselves on occasion?

      No, I don't think men can do that. (Or at least I can't.) I just don't think I would feel aroused while being attacked, even by someone I was attracted to. I think I would probably feel frightened and humiliated.

      we're better off with people who disagree but have open minds and are willing to listen than with people who all mindlessly agree. I tip my hat to you, sir.

      Okay, thanks. :-)

      You girlfriend wants to get pregnant and you're not ready yet, your ex wants to get back at you, she's mad at your girlfriend, she's mad that you turned her down - sexual assault it isn't usually just about sex, it's sex and power.
      What if you're sick or injured or drunk or high?
      Or what if she threatens you? She'll divorce you and say you molested the kids. She can call the cops and say you tried to rape her (and even if the case if thrown out quickly, it can still be devastating). And if you physically resist, that's great - until she get injured (even slightly), then the story will be that you attacked her.

      Okay, maybe. It does sound a bit more plausible to me if it's a partner or ex-partner, who knows the victim is attracted to them, especially if the victim is somehow incapacitated, other than by being physically overpowered, in a way that allows them to still be aroused. I can easily imagine that, if I was, say laid up in a bed with multiple broken limbs, an ex-partner would have little trouble forcing themselves on me against my will (if no-one else was around to stop them). This is a pretty specific situation, though. For drunk or high, okay, in situations that it would be considered rape if it happened to a woman. For threats though, again, I suspect I might find this unarousing (especially if the threat was that she'd say I molested the kids).

      I guess this is partly speculation, having never actually been in this specific situation. I have been verbally abused by my partner though, and received (comparatively minor, and more veiled) threats. And though I am physically attracted to my partner, I certainly haven't been aroused in these situations.

      I guess though, if I had been having an affair, and my lover threatened to tell my wife about it if it didn't continue, that might not be unarousing (especially if it was accompanied by something like "I love you so much, and I know you really love me, an

    41. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You're missing the damn point.

      You're failing to admit your point.

      The woman gets a pro choice pass. If she gets pregnant, she can kill the kid.

      It's called a fetus, not a kid.

      The man gets no such choice.

      He has a choice of whether nor not to engage in intercourse. He even has a choice of whether or not to have a vasectomy.

      He will be forced at gunpoint to support a child he doesn't want.

      Society has determined that parents are obligated to care for their children, yes, we know this. Lots of things are coerced though, so what's your problem?

      The abortion makes the supposedly asymmetrical symmetric again, so I reiterate my point: if you're going to be pro choice, don't be a fucking hypocrite about it.

      And to reiterate how your supposed point is frivolous, there's no hypocrisy in it. Men don't gestate, it isn't in their body. There is no symmetry possible. And thus no hypocrisy, as the differentiation is not held, but existent, independent of belief or thought. It isn't even believed or intended to be equal. Men don't gestate. It isn't their body. They don't get to make choices for another individual (barring certain unusual circumstances). So they don't get to impose an abortion. That cannot be hypocrisy, you should really look up the meaning of the term.

      If you want things to be equal, sorry, but you can't without changing biology.

      If you don't want society to hold parents of children accountable, your better argument would be based on that line, but you'll likely be unpersuasive on that argument, since the idea of supporting children is rather deeply held.

      Still, at least you might have a chance.

    42. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by Dread_ed · · Score: 1

      It's a sexy word and makes me want to rub one out. Probably because I have a fascination with gender politics, dominant and submissive behaviors, as well as a general female worship thing going on (not just sexual mind you, in fact that takes a back seat to other characteristics.)

      --
      When the only tool you have is a claw hammer every problem starts to look like the back of someone's skull.
    43. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      Honestly, I still have some trouble imagining a man having sex with a woman against his will.

      That's because you're fucking retarded.

    44. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      Damn, I wish I hadn't commented in this thread so I could upvote this.
      Oh, and the only "good reason" that is acceptable is that someone else has already been branded as the father.
      There have been children who were raped who had a child support bill the moment they turned 18. It's fucking disgusting.

      On the other hand women have multiple ways out from being a parent:
      Abortion
      Adoption
      They can simply drop their child off at a church, police station, or fire station

      Hell, they can even murder their baby, claim postpartum depression, and never even spend a day in jail.

    45. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      I'm not saying that this is very common

      It is just as common as men raping women. The statistics are intentionally doctored in addition to men being extremely reluctant to report it, due to the fact that almost all police departments will do nothing more than laugh at them, and possibly threaten them with arrest.

    46. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      Simple, women are a protected class and men are considered less than human. It's codified into so many laws it is pathetic.
      Hell, it wasn't until the mid 2000's that it was possible for a man to legally be raped. The statute was written specifically with rape being defined as a man penetrating a woman. It still is written in such a way that it is only considered rape if a man is penetrated. So, a woman can spike your drink, ride you while you are unconscious, punch you in the face a few times for good measure, and record the whole thing, and still she will never be charged with rape. She will likely not even spend a day in jail, and if she gets pregnant from it you are still responsible for child support.

    47. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by beastofburdon · · Score: 1

      You know, the reason there was an uproar over that statement is because it is completely true.

    48. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      Honestly, I still have some trouble imagining a man having sex with a woman against his will.

      That's because you're fucking retarded.

      It's because I haven't been presented with any evidence of it, and it doesn't align with my personal experience.

    49. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      It is just as common as men raping women.

      I do realize that with saner definitions that almost all the 'gendered' crimes turn out to be surprisingly even-handed or tend to victimize men. But even with that, worrying that a given woman will suddenly 'turn on you' is just as silly as assuming that men or blacks are out to get you.

      Basically, I was worried that listing things like that makes it seem like I won't even speak to women lest they call the cops on me.

    50. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      Since you've been so kind as to offer so much free advice, here's some from me to you:

      You've got to do a better job trolling. This is so pathetically obvious that it's depressing to watch you struggle. I understand that life can be very lonely, but you have to find a healthier way to fill the void. :(

      Best of luck,

      Your only friend,

      Yndrd

    51. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by yndrd1984 · · Score: 1

      I just don't think I would feel aroused while being attacked, even by someone I was attracted to. I think I would probably feel frightened and humiliated.

      And that's the point, you would feel frightened, you would feel humiliated, you would not feel aroused - but you can still be made to have an erection. Physical stimulation alone (and no, not just through the back door), without any 'enjoyment' on your part, is enough.

      I have been verbally abused by my partner though, and received (comparatively minor, and more veiled) threats. And though I am physically attracted to my partner, I certainly haven't been aroused in these situations.

      But I'm presuming that she didn't have her hand down your pants in an effort to get you hard.

      That said, I guess the whole rape aspect is perhaps kind of besides the point, and lying about contraception may be a more common way of achieving the same goal.

      Yep, but everything else we've pretty much aligned on. So, whether you reply or not, thanks for the conversation.

    52. Re: Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      Okay, I concede.

    53. Re:Lots of children have the wrong DNA. by GargamelSpaceman · · Score: 1

      We need to foster culture of EVERY man as a routine testing their new babies for paternity using one of the tests available at WAL-MART for under 30 dollars.

      Then it stops.

      --
      ...
  2. Bullshit, Todd. by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "It's suggesting that the child itself has something wrong with it, genetically, and that it has monetary value attached to it," Todd Kuiken, a senior research scholar with the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University, told Gizmodo.

    That's a lot of shit. It's suggesting that people didn't receive what they paid for, and should receive recompense on that basis. It doesn't mean that the child is bad or wrong. It means the clinic is bad and wrong.

    If you think giving a couple the wrong genetic material is OK, then why shouldn't you be responsible for footing the bill if someone else knocks up your wife? This is basically clinical cuckoldry. That's not what they paid for.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by markdavis · · Score: 2

      +1 Insightful

      I was going to write the exact same thing. It is about punishing a COMPANY that did something wrong.

    2. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by The+Evil+Atheist · · Score: 1, Interesting

      You didn't even read to the end of the summary, it seems. The problem is they are not suing over the mistake made by the clinic, but that the child has the wrong genes. Suing the clinic over medical malpractice is fine, but the couple has sued for a completely different formulation of the problem.

      --
      Those who do not learn from commit history are doomed to regress it.
    3. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 2

      You didn't even read to the end of the summary, it seems. The problem is they are not suing over the mistake made by the clinic, but that the child has the wrong genes. .

      They are suing because the child has the wrong genes because of the mistake.

    4. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      a senior research scholar with the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University, told Gizmodo.

      "Senior Research Scholar" is a title that tells us nothing of the person's qualifications to make the comment. You can just be the oldest student that helped to an internet search and get that title. I'm sure he's not speaking in any professional, and likely not even a thoughtful capacity when he chooses words like "fukced up directions",

    5. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Parents literally devote a huge portion of their lives to raising a child, and large part of the reason is to propagate their own genes, not someone else's.

      Sure, if someone chooses to adopt and raise someone else's child, that's fine. But the clinic fucked up and took the choice away from the father, he is now FORCED to raise someone else's genes or else look like a total asshole.

    6. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The kid does have the wrong genes. They wanted their kid, they got somebody else's kid. It fucking matters!

      The clinic is responsible for child support, in the same way a guy would be responsible for child support if he impregnated a woman by accident (protection failed or whatever).

      Such a punishment is necessary to prevent this sort of thing. No punishment = widespread malpractice. That's reality.

    7. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by ScentCone · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The problem is they are not suing over the mistake made by the clinic, but that the child has the wrong genes.

      The kid having the wrong genes is the direct fruit of the clinic's malpractice. It's no different than a baby being dropped on its head by the doctor. You don't sue ONLY for the mistake, you sue for the consequences of the mistake. Two parents decide to merge their DNA and make a baby. They do so knowing their, and their families' histories. The clinic chooses to negligently upend that planning with an unknown set of consequences - and robbing the parents of having allowed the father to contribute his traits to the child they've chosen to make. The ramifications are numerous, both emotionally and quite possibly medically, intellectually, etc., for the child. You can't separate the negligence from the life-long consequences.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    8. Re: Bullshit, Todd. by Entrope · · Score: 1

      Most countries are unlike the US in that they sharply limit liability for medical malpractice. This couple probably could not have won ongoing damages solely for malpractice. After all, they didn't sign up to raise a child that is biologically parented by some stranger -- but because of the clinic's mistake, they are now on the hook to do exactly that.

    9. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      This. Someone with mod points needs to make this +6.

      ATimes has better coverage: http://www.atimes.com/article/world-first-singapore-court-rules-parents-deserve-kids-genes/

      The couple paid to have the Chinese mother's egg fertilized with the German father's sperm in vitro and then implanted in the mother, where it was to gestate and be born as their child, of their genes. Instead, the lab used an Indian man's sperm. The laboratory cuckolded the father and gave him a child that does not look like him. It has different genes and a darker skin tone than either parent. It will always look different from the father, and both the father and child, as well as everyone else who meets them, will know instantly that the mother gave birth to a child belonging to a man other than her husband.

      That clinic needs to be punished, and other fertility clinics ought to be worried at how easy it could be for that mistake to destroy patients' confidence in the clinics. Why would you go to a fertility clinic now, when you know what they could do to your family? The fertility clinics need to band together and regulate themselves heavily in order to bolster confidence that they are not cuckolding factories.

    10. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

      ... It's suggesting that people didn't receive what they paid for, and should receive recompense on that basis.... That is the gist of this.

      .
      If I go to a car dealer and buy a car, and the dealer subsequently delivers a different car to me, the dealer failed in his side of the transaction.

      imo, it depends upon what the transaction papers say. Do they say the clinic should deliver the sperm for a "generic child" or sperm with a specific DNA. If the clinic did not abide by the agreement, then everything else is a moot point.

    11. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 1

      But what makes your own kid have the privilege to be raised by you, purely by genetics? What are you? A Nazi?

      Everyone should be happy to raise someone else's kid, especially a German ...

    12. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Kjella · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You didn't even read to the end of the summary, it seems. The problem is they are not suing over the mistake made by the clinic, but that the child has the wrong genes. Suing the clinic over medical malpractice is fine, but the couple has sued for a completely different formulation of the problem.

      You keep talking about "right" and "wrong" genes as if it was a flawed designer baby that didn't match the contract specifications. If you make a child, you pay child support. If it's not your child, you don't pay child support. If it doesn't have dad's genes, biologically it isn't his which leaves half of the child's expenses unpaid. If the accidental donor can't be held economically responsible, the clinic should. If a man can have a one night stand and pay for it the next 18 years, I don't see why they can't have one lab accident and pay for it the next 18 years.

      I think the clinic is lucky to only pay 30%, I'd say the cuckolded father has every right to disavow this child and for the mother to demand the clinic pays half in the absentee father's place. The man in this couple has essentially agreed to become the adoptive dad of someone else's child and pay 20% of the expenses himself, I think that's overly generous. In fact I bet in the US they'd both sue the hospital for many millions of dollars over the emotional trauma of discovering "their" child isn't their child.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    13. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Oligonicella · · Score: 3, Interesting

      From the court's decision:

      "In the circumstances, the Court recognises that the Appellant's desire to have a child of her own, with her Husband, is a desire that is a basic human impulse, and its loss is keenly and deeply felt.

      "The ordinary human experience is that parents and children are bound by ties of blood and this fact of biological experience - heredity - carries deep socio-cultural significance...

      "And when, as in the present case, a person has been denied this experience due to the negligence of others then she has lost something of profound significance and has suffered a serious wrong.

      "This loss of 'affinity' can also result in social stigma and embarrassment arising out of the misperceptions of others, as was the case here."

    14. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Oligonicella · · Score: 1

      The man and woman went in together. He jerked off in a cup. That sperm was what was to be used.

      Yeah, they were to use specific DNA.

    15. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by markdavis · · Score: 2, Interesting

      >"The kid does have the wrong genes. They wanted their kid, they got somebody else's kid. It fucking matters!"

      I will certainly say that in many ways it should not matter. It is their kid, just not their offspring. Semantics aside, one can provide the exact same love and joy for a child, regardless of genetics. Look at sperm/egg donors, adoption, even pet lovers- doesn't even have to be the same species :)

      The only reason it might really matter is later when dealing with healthcare and hereditary diseases, blood and organ donation, etc.

      But it was a mistake. And the company SHOULD be punished. And punished they were! Had the company done it intentionally (like they just don't care, or it saves them money) then the punishment should be even worse.... because then we are talking fraud.

    16. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      >"The kid does have the wrong genes. They wanted their kid, they got somebody else's kid. It fucking matters!"

      I will certainly say that in many ways it should not matter. It is their kid, just not their offspring. Semantics aside, one can provide the exact same love and joy for a child, regardless of genetics.

      One can do that. However, no one should force others to do so against their will. The clinic's negligent behavior overrode the choice the parents made.

      You could adopt a few children tomorow. It does not logically follow that someone forcing you to do so against your will is doing a good thing (for you or for the kids).

    17. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"One can do that. However, no one should force others to do so against their will."

      Nobody was forcing them to be parents. They were prepared to be parents and take the financial and emotional responsibility... that was the whole point of the procedure.

    18. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Kohath · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The kid does have the wrong genes. They wanted their kid, they got somebody else's kid. It fucking matters!

      More-or-less everyone understands this. And more-or-less everyone throughout history would understand this.

      The people claiming this is "weird" or "fucked up" are either strange themselves, or they're pretending. Either way, they're pushing a moral or ethical idea that contradicts nature. They're going to need a better sales pitch.

    19. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      The child has the wrong genes because of the mistake. They are suing over the mistake.

      Malpractice is a legal term that shouldn't be used. People who aren't up on the local laws in Singapore will probably use it wrong.

    20. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      I read somewhere that the average person has 20 genetic mutations, so sue God, that kid isn't 50% your genetic material. It's more like 49.9999999%

    21. Re: Bullshit, Todd. by bsolar · · Score: 1

      Not sure which countries you are talking about: in most European countries I know medical malpractice is always open to huge liabilities. I think you are confusing malpractice with accident: in case of medical accidents nobody is at fault, so nobody is liable. In case of malpractice somebody it's at fault, usually due to some form of negligence. This leads to liability and could easily even lead to criminal charges.

    22. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by mysidia · · Score: 1

      problem is they are not suing over the mistake made by the clinic, but that the child has the wrong genes.

      That is a Red herring. The child has the wrong genes BECAUSE the clinic made a mistake, The child having the wrong genes is a RESULT of their medical malpractice, therefore, the clinic has committed damages in the amount of the costs of correcting the result to be what the parents' paid for. Not only did the parents Not get what they paid for, when the parents go to correct by going through the process again, the clinic will still have saddled them with the additional costs associated with the previous child that was created by the Clinic's mistake; the law does not allow the parents to return the Child to the clinic for a refund, therefore, the clinic must compensate to offset all additional expenses that will be created on the parents by the birth of the out-of-spec Child.

    23. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Separated at birth? http://66.media.tumblr.com/6b2...

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    24. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by SvnLyrBrto · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The father "propagating his like" and all that does matter in some cultures though. And it's not just a matter of shame, which can be considerable, for the parents. Bastardy can carry a stigma for the child as well that may even persist into adulthood.

      I'm not endorsing such beliefs, mind you. Nor am I accusing these parents of holding them. Hell, I neither have nor want kids, for that matter. But the cultural attitudes I described do exist in the world. And they can cause significant problems for the child beyond the, not at all insignificant, medical questions that may arise from unknown parentage.

      --
      Imagine all the people...
    25. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by mysidia · · Score: 1

      The clinic is responsible for child support, in the same way a guy would be responsible for child support if he impregnated a woman by accident

      It is an even worse situation, if the kid has neither the man's genes nor the woman's genes.
      If a man accidentally impregnates a woman, the woman will still have to pay a portion of the child support (Unless it were Rape),
      but in this case, NEITHER parent is genetically related to the kid, so the Clinic's level of child support should be 100% of the costs
      of supporting the kid. Or perhaps 100% minus some small percentage if it will be raised by the couple who the clinic failed, since the woman who carried the child through pregnancy will likely feel some bond and responsibility to the child, so the clinic should pay 90% of costs if they keep the kid, or 100% of the kid's support costs, if they will give the kid up for adoption. And the support costs including daycare, safety equipment, diapers, 3 square meals + 2 snacks a day for 21 years, ample clothing, medical and dental including insurance, medicines treatment for conditions, and 2 checkups a year, quality education, books, basic tools such as a calculator, a computer, high-speed internet, and a fair budget for the child's entertainment and other incidentals (at least $250/month), Plus the child's share of rent and use of property for at least 500 square feet..... In other words, the Clinic should pay about $13,000 US per year X 21 years = ~$273,000 US.

    26. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by mysidia · · Score: 2

      I will certainly say that in many ways it should not matter. It is their kid, just not their offspring.

      NO. This is for THEM to decide based on their values. Presumably if the parents would be satisfied with a kid of
      different genes, they COULD have just adopted without going through this procedure. If the parents think it matters, then it matters. And if they believe the child was not theirs then it's not theirs. In going through this procedure they likely had specific goals in mind.
      The choice to sacrifice their original goal (If they want), would be the parent's choice.

      The clinic should still pay the extra cost the parents would incur in the case where they act to completely correct this
      situation and further their original goal to raise a child of the same genes as they have.

    27. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by mysidia · · Score: 2

      They were prepared to be parents and take the financial and emotional responsibility

      Only for the kid being produced as a result of the procedure performed As the procedure was explained to them.
      (Including all the conditions: Such as, the genes of the kid will come from the Mother and Father doing the procedure.)

    28. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by mysidia · · Score: 1

      You are absolutely right, it does fucking matter. It matters that this kid is now going to be raised by people who despise them

      Their action against the clinic does not mean they personally despise the kid.
      After they get their payout, they have the choice, if they want to stick with raising the other person's kid that they got,
      and very much loving their kid as a cashcow.... COUGH. Or they might pursue their dream and go through the process
      again (Probably with a different clinic), and then raise two kids, one theirs, and the other their adopted.

    29. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Do a 23andme test, you'll typically find it's not an even 50/50. If you have a sibling you'll typically find that you only share about 40% of the DNA, despite having the same parents. The only way that makes sense is because the egg and sperm use random halves of each chromosome of the parents DNA pairs. The same goes for grandparents. Your grandparents will share somewhere between 12 and 22% each at most unless one of your grandparents is related to the other (eg a first cousin.)

      So if you do the math. If there was an even split, your parents would be 50/50 and your grandparents would each be 25%, and your great-grandparents would be about 12.5%, but 50% of each person's DNA isn't present in their offspring, so there is a 50% chance that any one gene is passed on to the next offspring.

      If you have little or no 'defects' you owe it to the human race to have at least two kids. If you have a high amount of defects (eg high risk of inheritable genetic diseases) then you should use a sperm donor/egg donor with your partner instead. That is what we should be doing. It looks to much like eugenics to do (see GATTACA)

    30. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by BeanThere · · Score: 2

      The specific primary reason I wanted children was to pass my genes on. This is an extremely deep, natural instinct to most people. I'd never in a million years want to invest a lifetime of resources (financial, time etc.) parenting and supporting some other man's child, to further his genetics - whether the clinic made the mistake or my partner cheated - that is not the deal. The deal is, my genetic offspring in exchange for my parenting resources. If I was this poor German father I would be trying to pay 0% of the parenting costs ... he's been supremely cuckolded by someone's incompetence. Most men don't have the financial resources to raise many children as modern child-rearing is very expensive, you only get one or two or a few chances at best, and he's now lost one of his chances at having kids of his own. This is a travesty.

    31. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by BeanThere · · Score: 2

      The people claiming this is "weird" or "fucked up" are either strange themselves, or they're pretending. Either way, they're pushing a moral or ethical idea that contradicts nature

      Yeah; to the guy's saying it "shouldn't matter" to the father whether the child has his genes, I say, let me have sexual access to your wife and impregnate her and you pay the child-rearing costs, I'm sure they won't mind as it "shouldn't matter".

    32. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Kohath · · Score: 1

      The one saying "it shouldn't matter" is just wishing for something different than reality. Wishing is normal. Why wish for this specifically though? That's the part that's harder to understand.

    33. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It's an even bigger cluster-fuck than that. What about the Indian man's parental access rights? The child is his. I don't know the legal situation in Singapore, but when stuff like this has happened in the UK there had to be an adoption by the husband of the mother, and a legal request to change the father's name on the birth certificate.

      Also, the Indian man's wife/girlfriend has been made a cuckquean. Seems like they would have some standing to sue too.

      30% doesn't seem like enough, really. Say they decide to try again, their costs have now nearly doubled, not to mention the physical strain of another pregnancy. When the child grows up it might have a claim too. It will all require on-going legal fees too...

      I hope that the court requires the clinic to put some system in place to ensure continued payments, even if it goes out of business.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    34. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      If genetics didn't matter to the parents, they would simply adopt a child. If they are paying for IVF they clearly care about having a child that is genetically theirs.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    35. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by tempest69 · · Score: 1

      I was wondering when I'd find someone that considered the Indian donor.. The whole thing is a damn mess.

    36. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by james_gnz · · Score: 1

      Legally it's his kid, whether it's his genes or not

      Is it? Why?

    37. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 1

      It has been a while, but I am pretty sure Singapore citizens cannot have an abortion in their own country, although foreigners can. So, if you are forced to have and raise a child (that will have the social stigma in Singapore of being Indian/Chinese), the impact is longer term than just a percentage of the fees paid for in-vitro fertilization... hence it not being considered malpractice.

    38. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Waccoon · · Score: 1

      The fertility clinics need to band together and regulate themselves...

      Good luck with that.

    39. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by stephanruby · · Score: 2

      Look at sperm/egg donors, adoption, even pet lovers- doesn't even have to be the same species :)

      First off, having a pet vs. having a kid is not the same thing. Not at all.

      Semantics aside, one can provide the exact same love and joy for a child, regardless of genetics. Look at sperm/egg donors, adoption, even pet lovers- doesn't even have to be the same species :)

      Semantics aside, one can have sex with any other human being on the planet. And yet somehow, we still make the distinction between consensual sex and rape.

    40. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Nobody was forcing them to be parents. They were prepared to be parents and take the financial and emotional responsibility... that was the whole point of the procedure.

      Yes, for a child born of their own genes. There are numerous disadvantages to raising a child who is not of your own genes. Such offspring is much less likely to be successful in every way due to a number of factors. Your offspring literally inherits traits you gained during your lifetime. This is important for creating rapport between parent and offspring. Keep in mind that it's a typical instinct for an ape to kill all the offspring of other males when he takes over a female.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    41. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1

      You didn't even read to the end of the summary, it seems. The problem is they are not suing over the mistake made by the clinic, but that the child has the wrong genes. .

      They are suing because the child has the wrong genes because of the mistake.

      I'm thinking of the Old lady who swallowed a fly song here.

      --
      The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
    42. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      It's a good thing your genes are so diluted. They are clearly defective, if this is the level of intelligence they are capable of producing.

    43. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Cinnamon+Beige · · Score: 1

      It's also differences in how cultures consider family ties--a lot of places, including a swath of ones in that part of the world, consider blood ties to be a lot more important than the West does, and would consider what the clinic did as a wrong done not only to the parents but also to the child, who has been partially deprived as a result of the clinic's bad and wrong actions. (I don't know for certain if Singapore is on the list of ones where these are the norms, but given this suit not being laughed out of court? It probably is.)

      I'd expect any academic place with a name like 'Genetic Engineering and Society Center' to actually have a few people who had a decent enough background in anthropology to be aware of this sort of thing, actually.

    44. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by Cinnamon+Beige · · Score: 1

      This is the same logic which had "But she said yes to the N other guys!" be a usable defense against rape charges against the N+1th guy who just assumed she was consenting and helped himself.

      They wanted to be parents to their own, genetic offspring. They did not agree to anything else. It doesn't precisely help that in some cultures the child would be seen as having a right to a say in all of this--that in their view, the adoptee ought to be a consenting party when you're cutting ties to their blood kin.

    45. Re:Bullshit, Todd. by mrclevesque · · Score: 1

      He said nothing about diluted genes.

      What he did say sounds pretty close to what biology has to say.

      So what do you think is wrong with what he said ?

  3. Corporate personhood by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If corporations are people, then they can pay child support.

  4. Dangerous Precedent by frovingslosh · · Score: 4, Funny

    This sets a dangerous precedent. If this keep up, fertility clinics will have to start being careful.

    --
    I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
    1. Re:Dangerous Precedent by stephanruby · · Score: 1

      In other news, Indian janitor mysteriously stops showing up for work at a Singaporean fertility clinic.

  5. Goes to the heart of capitalism by gurps_npc · · Score: 4, Informative

    Capitalism is based on the idea that both sides agree to exchange what is promised, not merely something someone else thinks is close enough.

    You can't offer to sell "Lamborghini" and deliver a kit car with a Lamborghini shell and a 1985 K car motor under the hood.

    If they do not want to be legally held responsible for what the services they do, then the answer is simple - do it for free, with disclaimers about not promissing anything.

    Because the second they charge money for their services, they become legally responsible to actually fulfilling what they offer, rather than the mistake. And yes, the penalties correspond to the costs and pain incurred, rather than merely being limited to the amount they charged.

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
    1. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "Do it for free" doesn't get you off the hook, legally speaking.

      If a woman wants a baby, and a man offers to "do it for free," that man is still liable for child support payments.

      Same deal here, more or less.

    2. Re: Goes to the heart of capitalism by Entrope · · Score: 1

      You've confused "capitalism" and "free market system", but as the AC pointed out, neither of those is a prerequisite for being responsible for the damages you cause to others. If you drive over a stranger who was walking down the sidewalk, you're liable for his injuries even without any agreement between you and him.

    3. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by default+luser · · Score: 1

      Not if both parties agree and he waives his parental rights to her and she accepts them.

      this is a horrible metaphor

      That doesn't actually happen. The government doesn't like getting stuck paying for your mistake.

      You have to have a step-father officially submit adoption paperwork, so someone else takes the responsibility. Until then, the father is still on the hook until they're emancipated.

      --

      Man is the animal that laughs.
      And occasionally whores for Karma.

    4. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by Kjella · · Score: 1

      If they do not want to be legally held responsible for what the services they do, then the answer is simple - do it for free, with disclaimers about not promissing anything.

      Doesn't work that way. You can be held liable for:

      Malice: Give away "free candy" with rat poison
      Recklessness: Give a free foot rub but confuse the massage oil with caustic soda
      Negligence: Give a free house, it collapses and kills someone because of poor foundation work
      Strict liability: Give a minor a free blowjob, even if he's got a fake ID

      Software mostly gets away with it by saying "these are just blueprints, we're not making any claim they can actually be used for anything". But the moment you start actually doing anything you can't really get away from liability.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    5. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by AK+Marc · · Score: 1

      Nope. In most cases, it's illegal to waive parental rights. Doing so increases the burden on the State, so the State generally prohibits it. After a step-parent adoption a "third wheel" parent can waive parental rights, but in many places, that's the only way it can happen.

    6. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by bsolar · · Score: 1

      In most jurisdictions a request of voluntary termination of parental rights needs to be evaluated and accepted by a court, which often denies such requests unless there is "good cause" (typically to allow adoption). Without good cause the request is denied no matter what the parents want or agree, since it would free one of them of his obligations to support the child, which is not in the child's best interest, which is the absolute priority.

    7. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by houghi · · Score: 1

      The fact that money is exchanged will make things easier as there will be some sort of contract, signed or not.
      If there is nothing signed, it will become harder, but not impossible. Just because it was free does not mean that there should be no reponsability.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    8. Re:Goes to the heart of capitalism by SuiteSisterMary · · Score: 1

      The question in America would be, is this covered by perfect tender, or substantial performance?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      --
      Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.
  6. My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

    One of the great mysteries in my family is how I was born (second child) as a ten-pound bowling ball (doctor told my moms she had twins) to two very skinny people. Of course, I had to look like the poster child mongolism and promptly got diagnosed as mentally retarded by the school system. My father stopped drinking, my mother started drinking.

    1. Re:My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2

      It's not everyday you get genius-level commentary. ;)

    2. Re: My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      My mother didn't start having affairs with other men until after I was born. Mongolism was the proper term back in the 1970's. Which I didn't have but I did have an undiagnosed hearing loss in one that would account for speech impediment. My father was my biological father.

    3. Re:My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Batman Voice: "My parents are dead!"

    4. Re: My parents would... by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      My mother didn't start having affairs with other men until after I was born.

      Not to put too fine a point on it, but how would you know? Shit, my father-in-law is in his early sixties and just found out that his "dad" wasn't his genetic father. Even if they agreed upon an open relationship at some point after your birth, that doesn't mean she wasn't doing it before that. People who cheat tend not to make a point of telling their SO/spouse when they do so.

    5. Re: My parents would... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      You might not know without a test (and even they're not always black & white), but a very strong resemblance would make it pretty unlikely that you're the milkman's.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    6. Re: My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Not to put too fine a point on it, but how would you know?

      When my late father passed away, I sat down at his desk to sort through his paperwork and discovered that it was organized the same way as I organized my desk. We have never discussed how to organize our desks.That made settling his estate quite easy. The older I get the more I become my father.

    7. Re: My parents would... by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      Well, yes, but that just says she never got pregnant from the affairs. Not that she didn't have them.

    8. Re: My parents would... by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

      Context, dude. Creimer said: "My father was my biological father."

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
    9. Re: My parents would... by demonlapin · · Score: 1

      No argument there, just saying that isn't enough to say his mom only had affairs after he was born. She might just have been a bit more discreet or lucky (not to get caught/pregnant).

    10. Re:My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      That explains your autism.

      I was never diagnosed with autism. Everyone just assumed I had autism by my appearance. Never mind that I routinely scored the annual evaluations on the genius side ("statistical flukes"), had a college-level reading comprehension after eight years in Special Ed classes (school officials couldn't call that a "statistical fluke"), and skipped high school to go to community college.

      Did you write the hosts file software before or after you were diagnosed as a retard?

      You're confusing me with Linus Torvalds. I didn't touch Linux until 1997.

    11. Re: My parents would... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Did you eat them, in addition to your 1500 calorie a day diet? Is that why you weigh 350 pounds? A loser like that probably thinks he gets fired because everyone is jealous. Maybe calls it a lay off while trolling slashdot, remembering when he could get a job in government IT. Maybe self publishes a vanity novel online and thinks anyone cares.

      Look in the mirror, asshat, and find the real loser.

    12. Re:My parents would... by laie_techie · · Score: 1

      I was never diagnosed with autism. Everyone just assumed I had autism by my appearance. Never mind that I routinely scored the annual evaluations on the genius side ("statistical flukes"), had a college-level reading comprehension after eight years in Special Ed classes (school officials couldn't call that a "statistical fluke"), and skipped high school to go to community college.

      Um, autism is not the same thing as Mongolism (having Down's Syndrome). My uncle had Down's Syndrome; such individuals have physical attributes associated with the syndrome (such as almond-shaped eyes and large tongues). Autism is a mental condition where there is (usually) nothing wrong physically, but their brain is wired differently. I have an autistic nephew.

    13. Re: My parents would... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      My son is sufficiently like me in so many ways that, if I got a lab report saying he wasn't mine, I'd figure they screwed up the test.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  7. Re:Yes, absolutely by Luckyo · · Score: 2

    I'm genuinely surprised it's not 100% plus criminal responsibility. They literally made the woman gave birth to someone else's child than her husband against her will.

    Frankly, that's closer to rape than cuckoldery.

  8. Due diligence by ExecutorElassus · · Score: 1

    Wait, why didn't they do any genetic testing of the zygote *before* implanting? In vitro means the egg was fertilized outside of the womb. They didn't doe the due diligence to check that they'd gotten it right?

    This is, of course, a completely different question than the ethics of suing the clinic for the child having the "wrong genes," which sounds like some bullshit.

    1. Re:Due diligence by wisnoskij · · Score: 1

      Can you take a genetic sample of a microscopic egg without kill it?

      --
      Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    2. Re: Due diligence by PPH · · Score: 1

      if you keep the sperm organized

      We went to the lunch room refrigerator by mistake. Turns out your kid is the offspring of mayonnaise.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    3. Re:Due diligence by Goldsmith · · Score: 1

      IVF clinics generally extract a few cells from an embryo for testing and sequencing prior to implantation. It's actually easier to do genetic testing in IVF than a normal pregnancy, but genetic testing at an early stage is now standard in the US for pregnancies in women over 35.

  9. bad precedent - it will go both ways by kiviQr · · Score: 1

    this time clinic pays customer ... next time parents with a "better" (replace with desired trait) kid will pay clinic for greater than average genes.

    1. Re:bad precedent - it will go both ways by fibonacci8 · · Score: 1

      In the same way that suing a bank for giving someone the wrong safety deposit box means that next time customers can pay for better safety deposit boxes. The logic you suggest doesn't follow from the evidence.

      --
      Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
    2. Re:bad precedent - it will go both ways by Oligonicella · · Score: 1

      Non sequitur. In both of your cases, the clinic makes the mistake. The moment a clinic attempts to sue parents who get a "better" kid (your words), the parents would sue the living shit out of them for their mistake and win in court.

  10. Mod Parent Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Parasitic women lol

  11. The only Reasonable Solution. by wisnoskij · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This Todd Kuiken is an idiot. What it implies is that this kid is like any other, the responsibility of his parents. And the unique nature of this screwup meant that he was not strictly the responsibility of the couple, at the same time the original donor should not be held responsible for what was done with his sperm without his consent. So the one responsible was ordered to share part of the responsibility for this child, they are just lucky that the court ordered the responsibility be split three ways, and not half for using the wrong sperm, or if they got really vindictive, it would not have been completely unreasonable to have ordered them to pay all of the expenses for this unwanted child.

    --
    Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.
    1. Re:The only Reasonable Solution. by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"they are just lucky that the court ordered the responsibility be split three ways, and not half for using the wrong sperm,"

      Imagine if they got the wrong sperm AND egg; which is entirely possible since it was in-vitro. Using this theory, the clinic could be held 100% financially responsible for the child until age 18!

    2. Re:The only Reasonable Solution. by gnasher719 · · Score: 1

      Imagine if they got the wrong sperm AND egg; which is entirely possible since it was in-vitro. Using this theory, the clinic could be held 100% financially responsible for the child until age 18!

      I won't discuss whether this is right or wrong. But let's assume the clinic is a business. When you run a business, you want to get paid for your cost, plus some profit, and if there is a risk that you make mistakes, you add the probability of a mistake times the cost of a mistake. if there's a one in thousand chance of a million dollar mistake, then the cost goes up by $1,000. If people don't want to pay the $1,000, then they can't get the goods.

  12. Cecil Jacobson by rfengr · · Score: 2

    Anybody remember Cecil Jacobson, using his own sperm at the fertility clinic https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...

  13. "Wrong" is the wrong word by Solandri · · Score: 1

    One of the definitions of "wrong" implies a moral standard is at play, which some comments are keying off of it (including Kuiken in the summary).

    The better word in this case is that the incorrect sperm was used.

  14. Took a lot of balls to do that! by Hognoxious · · Score: 1
    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  15. Re:no way by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    Are those the only two options? And you accuse others of not thinking things through.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  16. Re:Yes - Wrong Genes means Wrong Health Issues by mars-nl · · Score: 1

    The man and woman in the story might have potential unknown health issues as well. Maybe the kid will now grow up to be healthier than if the man's sperm was used. You don't know it.

  17. Read the title wrong by tylersoze · · Score: 1

    LOL I first read it as "Can Parents Sue Their Kid If Born With the 'Wrong' DNA?"

  18. That's the ideal...the reality is different by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 1

    Capitalism is based on the idea that both sides agree to exchange what is promised, not merely something someone else thinks is close enough.

    In reality though capitalism is based on the exchange of something which one side can persuade a court is good enough...which is one of the big problems with capitalism because typically one side can afford far more lawyers than the other. In this case what they provided was so far from what they promised that even an army of lawyers could not win the argument that it was good enough but note that they only got 30%, not 50%, of child care and there was zero compensation for the emotional damage to the family.

  19. Re:no way by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1

    I am not either of the Anonymous Cowards in this thread, but, yeah, I am pretty sure those are the only two options to pay "not a single penny" to raise a child of your wife's.

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
  20. Re:no way by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    I did some research and you're right. If you combine the 1st law of thermodynamics, Newton's 2nd law of motion and the unique factorization theorem it works out that it's physically impossible to make either the actual father or the incompetent doctor pay.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  21. Re:no way by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 1

    Well, considering that in this case the courts ruled that the medical facility is only liable for 30% of the cost of "upkeep" there is something to that.

    However, you are overlooking the context of the original post. The original post clearly implies that the poster would not pay anything even if the courts failed to order the support you are suggesting. In such a case, these two option ARE the only options.

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison