Accidents Waiting to Happen

In Defense of the Deliberately Large Family

Yes, I have six siblings. No, my parents are not socially malformed zealots bent on subjecting women to "The Patriarchy" or engineering a global food crisis.

That should go without saying, shouldn't it? But no—having more than a few kids is weird, if not irresponsible, according to a society that has forgotten what sex is for. Parents of large families are often the objects not only of jokes and superior smiles, but even of outrage and derision. I'm not sure why this happens. Maybe it's a misplaced trust in outdated population research. Maybe it's an irrational fear of the unfamiliar. One thing is sure, though: parents don't deserve to be shamed for their...