Do you think Birth Mothers is an insensitive comment?

[donnashuggy]

Apparently Tony Abbott has withdrawn the comment and apologised.

[lakeland27]

my personal view is that i dont have one (not having been affected)

[azureline**]

I think it is pitiful that it is ok for a woman who gives up her child (willingly/voluntarily) to be called a birth mother but if one is forced to, it is an offensive term. Take offence at the circumstances of the time, that allowed it to happen.

I have a friend who was the victim of a rape at age 12, who is the birth mother of a child forcibly taken from her and adopted out. She has no problem being the child's birth mother......

[the_great_she_elephant]

The wheels fall off your argument when you consider some who read these boards are offended by emoticon.

Which rather implies that you believe those who were offended by Mr Abbott's choice of words were being precious and oversensitive.

Unless you gave birth to a child which you were subsequently cheated, forced or coerced into relinquishing, I don't think you are in a position to make that assumption.

[katydidthat]

My thoughts are that the term "birth mother" is often used to describe the importance of the adoptive parents ... that they were the "important" people in a child's life, where "all" the "birth mother" did was give birth.

So, I think it depends on the context ... 

I can't think of much worse than being forced to "give up" a baby unwillingly ... I was listening to the coverage of the apology earlier with tears streaming down my cheeks.  

[izabsmiling]

I think it is pitiful that it is ok for a woman who gives up her child (willingly/voluntarily) to be called a birth mother but if one is forced to, it is an offensive term

have you read what went on ?

you think any of the people personally affected are pitiful for finding the use of the word 'birth' parent upsetting in an apology to them ,which recognises that their child was forcibly and sometimes illegal taken from them (forged signatures etc) ?

[nevynreally]

I think it is pitiful that it is ok for a woman who gives up her child (willingly/voluntarily) to be called a birth mother but if one is forced to, it is an offensive term. Take offence at the circumstances of the time, that allowed it to happen.

I have a friend who was the victim of a rape at age 12, who is the birth mother of a child forcibly taken from her and adopted out. She has no problem being the child's birth mother......

Yes.

[izabsmiling]

I can't think of much worse than being forced to "give up" a baby unwillingly ... I was listening to the coverage of the apology earlier with tears streaming down my cheeks.  

I am the same katy.

I can't comprehend that today some people are calling their emotional reactions pitiful and/or too sensitive .

[the_great_she_elephant]

And lets remember the words were not being addressed to those who gave up their children voluntarily  (though almost certainly with painful regret) but specifically to those whose children were taken without their consent, with no regard for their maternal feelings and and in contempt of their worth as parents.  It's not hard to understand why these people might find the term birth mother disparaging.

[azureline**]

I think it is media driven.

BTW, my friend is one of the 800......

[the_great_she_elephant]

I think it is media driven.

BTW, my friend is one of the 800......

Do you mean the heckling was simply a stunt encouraged by the media or that it was genuine and has since been hyped up by the media?