The counsel of fools

This sort of story irks me so.

While she [Britney Spears] still has her share of loyal fans, readers were overwhelmingly skeptical about her decision to have another child. Nor did you see much cause for hope that the musical duo could salvage their marriage.

Sounds like your typical celebrity gossip fodder; however, I'd argue that it is not typical and is subtly more egregious. Consider these "reader" comments:

I love Britney Spears and I think she's a great mother, but Kevin needs to go! I think she'd be better off without him raising Sean and the new baby.

The above "reader", who does not know Spears or Federline, is counseling them to divorce.

You can take the girl out of the trailer park, but you can't take the trailer park out of the girl. Spears is white-trash and her true colors are beginning to show — at last !!

Could you write a nastier comment about a person?

Somebody should sterilize these two idiots before more babies are dropped on their heads.

It would appear that you can write a nastier comment.

Hopefully, she will make the right decision and follow her heart. She will have two children to think about now, and the relationship she has with her husband doesn't seem to be working. Britney needs to make Britney happy again. Too much time is being wasted on her husband. Have kid #2, be a great mom, and be the great entertainer you are!

Hard to follow the logic of the counsel here, because of the invocation of that old red herring, equating "the right decision" with the suggestion she "follow her heart". And if I could clone popular culture's cure for anything and repackage it for this circumstance, then I too would say "Britney needs to make Britney happy again." It's a travesty that many (most?) people would find this person's advice reasonable.

Britney Spears should be the poster child for Planned Parenthood. We have birth control products available for a reason.

Another wonderful comment from someone who clearly has always dealt with circumstances in a smart, morally upstanding fashion, seeking the welfare of her common man, uplifting all in her munificent words and actions. All hail this great sage of wisdom and graceful counsel.

She should have known better. To bring another unwanted child into this world is a crime. What a worthless person Kevin is. If she doesn't get rid of him now, she deserves all she gets.

So many terrible assertions here. An "unwanted" child? Spears' flaws aside, she would appear to want her child. And if she did not, millions would. And even if they did not, I would. And failing that, God would. A "crime"? Your logic is a crime. Kevin (Federline), a "worthless person"? All people have worth, even if their beliefs, decisions and actions do not square with yours. You in fact have worth, even though I can tell through your words that your beliefs and actions do not square with mine. And this notion of Spears deserving "all she gets" if she fails to rescind her wedding vows - your twisted logic is primarily the reason we have the rule not of ignoramuses but of laws.