29-Year-Old Has 20 Kids With 11 Mothers: Should Desmond Hatchett be forced to have a vasectomy?

Who exactly would be punished by denying public assistance to these women? Since you claim to work for Child Support enforcement, I assume you are aware that, when single mothers seek out TANF benefits to help cover the costs of child rearing, in the absence of adequate child support payments, that money is not given to them as a reward for being model citizens; it's (theoretically) given in the interest of providing the children with food, clothing, shelter and other minimal basics. Basics that a country such as ours - supposedly interested in equal opportunity and access to the American Dream - should want every child to have. We are very far from that ideal, but letting kids go hungry to "teach their mothers [and fathers] a lesson" would not bring us any closer.

As for the cost to you personally...oh please. You'd never know it from all the controversy accorded TANF and its predecessor AFDC, but public benefits for needy famililes constitutes a minute portion of your taxes and an almost negligible portion of the overall federal and state budgets when compared to the amount spent on national defense and imprisonment. Federal TANF spending is going up, under Obama, but it's still a small piece of the pie, and largely making up for drops in state spending.

Personally, I'd rather pay to feed, clothe and educate children now so as not to be paying to imprison them later. Maybe if we devoted a little more of our paychecks - and time, a much more precious resource - to those goals, the state of our nation would reflect those better priorities.

This is ridiculous. Conception rarely "just happens". Some people are simply irresponsible and have unprotected sex because they do not care or think about the possible consequences. How many forms of birth control are out there? For both men and women? And he never "intended" to have this many children? How about using a condom after the FIRST "unexpected" child. How about that? Going to jail is too easy for him: three meals a day, daily exercise, free education, etc. How about the authorities make him work three jobs until the last child is 18 so he can pay child support and the taxpayers don't have to via the welfare system. This nightmare is why I advocate safe (protected) sex, monogamous relationships and marriage. And the problem today is that people don't believe in these three things (seemingly). When my father was growing up, there was a family in his town that had 22 children; yes, 22. HOWEVER, the father worked day and night, the mother took care of the children and the household (it was said she was clean, organized and a strict disciplinarian) AND they received NO STATE ASSISTANCE....AND....THEY WERE YES, MARRIED! I had the pleasure of meeting this woman when she was well into her 80's enjoying her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her husband had passed on. This is how this scenario should have played out. Of course, to have 22 children today would most likely NOT happen. But my point is, there is a way to do things right. And it can work. Mr. Hatchett needs to submit to a vasectomy and get to his first job on time. His life as he knew it (including wanton sex with multiple partners) is officially over.