Film Reflection: Our Father

EDITS IN PROCESS

There is a moment in first meetings, chance encounters, and job interviews where we are asked to define ourselves. We list our jobs as if we embody them and define those roles by our participation in them. We state our hobbies along with the active role we take to cultivate them. And while all of these things create the individuals we present to the world, we also provide descriptions to pinpoint what we mean in this world.  There is a common paradigm where we begin to think of ourselves as the place we occupy within a family. When we are asked the pivotal question, “who are you” we begin to state relations such as mother, brother, friend, husband, etc. We shift our thinking of self to include those around us. Suddenly, we begin to think of ourselves as this dense intersection of relationships. We hold thousands of interactions ranging from seemingly meaningless encounters to decades of concentrated love. We are an abstract painting of people and their subsequent meaning. And through all of this examination, we can't avoid harkening back to our blood and those who have made us. 

I experienced a lot of anger and frustration when I began to write this piece. Watching Our Father is no easy experience. It racked my body on a visceral level that made me want to crawl inward and leave my sexuality and health there. Inside me, emerged this desire to disappear from the medical industry in hopes of living. We are taught, so early and with such force, that there are people to help us. Out of a world of cruelness and violence, there is a population of people who have devoted themselves entirely to the well-being of others.I believe this to be true. It is crucial that we believe there are caring and kind individuals at all levels of our community. But what do we do when we are forced to stare at those who perpetuate harm to members of their community? 

Our society asks that we trust medical practitioners with our most vulnerable and sensitive selves with the promise of safety and care. Being a doctor is no easy task and this is certainly understood. But when mistakes are made and harm is actively being committed, it is necessary that the perpetrator of this violence is sought. The significance of Donald Cline involves his lack of prosecution. Many of his children who feel that they and their mothers have been violated, believe this man to be worthy of criminal prosecution. But the punishment they believe him to deserve has not been administered. He has faced no charges of either medical misconduct or sexual assault. Despite the fear of being too frank, I do not believe he will ever experience any sort of punishment. The criminal system we live in favors men like him; the men who are pillars in their religious and medical communities. The prioritization of this privilege is veiled beneath the question, “what did he do wrong?”. The way this question is answered is crucial to victims as well as Dr. Cline himself.. What did this man do wrong and why do his children despise him? 

We are raised in a familiar model that values the father. We are taught to respect the eldest man in the household under the assumption that he has our best interest at heart. There are many fathers in this world that do indeed have deep love for their families. But parents are not something any individual has chosen. It is often the case that parents/ caregivers choose to bring children into this world and raise them. And all of the women that visited Dr. Cline went to the clinic with every intention to conceive a child. It was their dream to become parents and see new life blossom before their eyes. They consented to receive anonymous sperm donations from young medical residents. However, Dr. Cline instead used his own semen in the procedures of hundreds of women while informing no one.

But Dr. Cline’s actions are not just blatant medical malpractice, he also outrightly committed sexual assault. It is easy to argue that he is guilty of neglecting his ethical duties as a doctor by violating the trust his patients had in him. These blatant lies are what make this man guilty of medical malpractice. Going against the consent of your patients and providing them with unknown treatments violates the basic principle of medicine. But didn’t these women receive the outcome they wanted, a child? Yes, it is true that the result of these procedures resulted in 94 different children, each with unique personalities living relatively normal lives. But the reveal of this doctor's actions wrecked many all of them and the relationships they had both with themselves, their families, and the medical industry. 

No one chooses when and why they are conceived. It is entirely out of our control and this is a terrifying idea to most of us. However, these 94 individuals are the product of Dr. Cline’s violent actions. It is a massive weight to live with the knowledge that your own blood violated your mother and countless others. In some way, Dr. Cline’s children feel they are responsible for the sexual violation that resulted in their livelihood. Dr. Cline was only able to get away with his many crimes because the desired result, a child, was achieved. But as it has been said many times before, the ends do not justify the means. Beautiful and amazing individuals were born due to these procedures. Their value, individuality, and personal identity does not change. The actions of Dr. Cline can be classified as offensive and crude despite the successful conception of numerous children.