Highereducation Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I haven't been following the whole Jon & Kate Gosselin mess the way I once was (yay!).....but someone brought the following to my attention, and I found it - well, let's see what you all think. There's a woman in Texas who is currently pregnant with sextuplets. I believe that she and her husband are Mormons, and when the docs suggested that they reduce the number of embryos, they declined because of their beliefs. They have started a website that tells their story (she had fertility problems and lost twins previous to this pregnancy); now they are journaling their lives up until the babies are born. They have a wish list - for the normal things that any expectant couple might want. I don't believe there are any plans for a TV show in the works, but I could be wrong. From what I saw of the website, they are just a couple who desperately wants a family. Some of the posters from one of the anti-Gosselin websites got ahold of their story, and they have been sending hateful emails to the couple regarding their wishlist and other things. Someone finally tipped the wife off to what was going on. She had no idea why she was getting hate mail from strangers, and I can't imagine how she must have felt when she was reading it. Does anyone think that's a form of harassment, or is everything one puts on the Internet fair game for both well-wishers and haters alike? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Well, I think everything on the Internet is fair game, but I also think that some people need to get a life. It makes me sad that people even have time to treat other people that way, or even CARE what others do to that extent. Ugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Well, I think everything on the Internet is fair game, but I also think that some people need to get a life. It makes me sad that people even have time to treat other people that way, or even CARE what others do to that extent. Ugh. :iagree: Was the website that tells their story something for family/friends to see? Like a blog? So that people who knew and loved this family could keep up with what was going on? That's very different from "Hi! We're pregnant! Send us stuff!" Either way, of course the hate mail is over the line. Absolutely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highereducation Posted July 1, 2009 Author Share Posted July 1, 2009 :iagree: Was the website that tells their story something for family/friends to see? Like a blog? So that people who knew and loved this family could keep up with what was going on? That's very different from "Hi! We're pregnant! Send us stuff!" Either way, of course the hate mail is over the line. Absolutely. Well, I guess the site is partly to help loved ones/friends keep up with what's going on, but I think it's also because they realize they're going to be up against it financially with six kids all at once, so they wanted to spread the word. I could be wrong. But it's not presented in a way that most people would find offensive, like asking outright for cash and things. The kind of mail they're getting is along the line of "You'd better pray those kids are healthy before you plan to cash in on them," and "I pay taxes and I don't want my money going to support your kids," "women weren't meant to have a litter," etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 The website seems pretty normal, from what you've posted. I don't know that it would bother me if I came across it. Even though the mail they're getting isn't along the same lines as "Die!", it's still hateful and IMO crosses the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Does anyone think that's a form of harassment, or is everything one puts on the Internet fair game for both well-wishers and haters alike? I would not say it was harassment, unless people starting sending things to their home, calling them, or otherwise interfering in their day-to-day lives. If you post something online and do not set up some sort of privacy features, then you may get some nasty input. The internet is like a vast stage and once you put yourself into a spot light, any spot light, you risk a face full of rotten veggies. It would not surprise me if the majority of the hate mail is being sent by kids, they are responsible for a lot of the really negative comments on most other sites I use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmosis Mom Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I just think it is so presumptuous to be asking for things for your family. If people feel led to give privately, fine. But to ASK for it -on the internet!!- is way overboard. Not trying to start a debate about how to justify getting impregnated with 3+ embryos....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Some states are beginning to enact laws and to prosecute those who harrass over the internet. She should contact her state's DA if she continues to have problems with such a person.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 What I don't understand is why people feel the need to send hate mail. Just ignore the site. It's not like they're knocking on your door or sending something through the mail. Obviously it's the hate mail that's drawn attention to the situation, playing right into the couple's hands. Blessings! Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Being nasty and hateful to others always crosses the line. Ick. The context doesn't really matter. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 On the one hand, I definitely call "hate mail" harrassment. Would this fall under FCC regulation since it is on the Internet ? On the other hand, I definitely don't care for "Internet begging." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I just think it is so presumptuous to be asking for things for your family. If people feel led to give privately, fine. But to ASK for it -on the internet!!- is way overboard. Not trying to start a debate about how to justify getting impregnated with 3+ embryos....... I think that the time to make a list is when someone asks you for a list, however I just don't see why people have to be mean about it even if someone is presumptuous. Blogs for family and friends can be made private. My db has a family website that you can't access without the password and it does not come up in a google search. So if family and friends had asked for a blog to keep them innformed, then a private one would have been better IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 I think that the time to make a list is when someone asks you for a list, however I just don't see why people have to be mean about it even if someone is presumptuous. Blogs for family and friends can be made private. My db has a family website that you can't access without the password and it does not come up in a google search. So if family and friends had asked for a blog to keep them innformed, then a private one would have been better IMO. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osmosis Mom Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Just to clarify, I am totally not supportive of the hate-mail. I was just replying to putting their needs out there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissel Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 (edited) I think that the time to make a list is when someone asks you for a list, however I just don't see why people have to be mean about it even if someone is presumptuous. Maybe someone did ask them to make a list? Maybe people at their church were asking how they could help, what they needed? In my family, list making is huge. If I don't make a holiday/birthday list for the kids, they might not get anything because people are actually miffed. When I was pregnant, my mom was hounding me for a list by the third month because family members were hounding her. In some families, it's just that way. I think we're presuming they're being presumptuous. (Wow, say that 10 times fast.) Blogs for family and friends can be made private. My db has a family website that you can't access without the password and it does not come up in a google search. So if family and friends had asked for a blog to keep them innformed, then a private one would have been better IMO. True, but the shame of it is that is even a necessity. Most of us here have public blogs. We know strangers read them. Some of us even like that. Most bloggers thrive on some public attention. Why do any of us do Wordless Wednesdays or Week in Review posts, or join blog rings? Why people feel compelled to direct such negativity toward people they don't even know will always be beyond me--not that we should be directing negativity toward people we DO know, of course. But at strangers on the Internet? It's just weird. Don't people have more productive ways to spend their time than spewing hate at people they don't even know? Edited July 1, 2009 by melissel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 If they have broadened their hate to include families like this, that just shows what kind of people they really are. Maybe they'll start a campaign so that these people will lose their kids, too. Good grief. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Heavens... that is terrible for someone to harass them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 Just to clarify, I am totally not supportive of the hate-mail. I was just replying to putting their needs out there.... That's what I thought you probably thought :). So I added it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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