Hamburger With a Side of Human Rights Please.

May 28, 2008 - What is more American than hamburgers and fertility drugs? Hamburgers are a dime a dozen - well, actually anywhere from $1.00 - $300.00 each depending on from where you order. Kids on the other hand, can cost anywhere from $10.00 - $100,000. There are those who after two drinks find themselves 'with child', and those who have to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars to conceive. What isn't fair is the many people who would make fabulous parents are those to which having children does not come easy.

With the accessibility of fertility options, having children is a touch easier, but a little more expensive than a couple of shots of tequila. But, with the increased use of fertility treatments comes the increase in twins, triplets, and worse. Today is National Multiple Births Awareness Day. It could be a day to promote expensive fertility treatments. It could be a day for twins, triplets and worse to celebrate their unique sameness. It could be a day to promote Wrigley's Doublemint Gum. According to Multiple Births Canada^1., the day is intended to draw attention to the special needs of families with litters. The date was chosen because it is the birthday of the naturally conceived Dion Quintuplets - of which their survival was at that time pretty incredible. I can imagine there are a lot of challenges facing these families, not the least of which is the urge to run away and change your name. Imagine the family trips on National Hamburger Day to the local fast food burger joint? Run.

Today is also the Anniversary of Amnesty International. I bet when the organization was founded in 1961 that they could never have imagined that almost 50 years later, in 2008 we would still be desperately in need of a Human Rights guardian. We have communications options that keep us connected to the world around the clock, and we have access to information and knowledge that is unlike any other time... and still we repeat history. Over. And over. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result? Perhaps if we could serve up Human Rights with every hamburger.... Billions and billions served a sense of humanity. Now that is a happy meal.


1. Multiple Births Canada website