*subhead*Chicken nuggets*subhead*
Jennifer Cramblett  (Mark Duncan/AP)

There has been much commentary on the story of the lesbian couple that went to sperm bank, asked for sperm from a Caucasian, and ended up with a mixed race child. The women are now suing the sperm bank because they accidentally gave the couple the wrong sperm.

So far the debate has been whether or not the lesbian couple is racist. I will not address that issue because I believe there is something much larger at stake here. I want to instead highlight the legacy that decades of artificial reproductive technologies has left us: a society that sees children as products, no different then cars and fast food.

Here is a small sampling of actual comments I have read on this case. There are hundreds of others. Read them and tell me that many people in our society do not now see children as objects that can be bought and paid for:

You should get what you paid for. It’s not racist, pay for white baby, get white baby.

she asked and paid for a specific “product” and got something completely different. It’s simple breach of contract….no racism.

She didn’t get what she paid for; I don’t think she’s racist.

Bottom line is they purchased a service and it wasn’t what they paid for period.

She’s right..she didn’t get what she paid for. I’d be upset too.

It’s like getting a color TV delivered open the box and it’s black and white. Ha ha. I guess u would be pissed.

she didnt get her order filled correctly

If I ordered a blue car and got a red one I would think you would want them to fix the problem

I say she should win the case she paid for a certain product and got something that wasn’t what she paid for she’s not racist at all if I pay for a Dr pepper I don’t want a mountain dew

If people can go to fast food restaurant and get a burger however they choose, they should be able to decide if the baby they plan on having is black, white, etc.

Yes, she paid for a Caucasian baby!

And my personal favorite:

If you order a cheese burger at the drive thru and you end up getting McNuggets,. That doesn’t mean that you hate chicken,it means you ordered a freaking cheese burger!

This is the real story. It isn’t about race. This is about a multi-million dollar industry that has tricked us into believing human beings can be ordered, paid for, and evaluated like any other purchase.

We have made the most precious gifts this world has to offer into something that can be seriously compared with a fast food order. That is the real tragedy. We should be ashamed. Unfortunately, it is the children that will pay the price.

Rebecca Taylor blogs at Mary Meets Dolly