Hmmmmm.......very interesting. Actually to a certain extent bad parenting is a crime. Child abuse is a crime and punishable by law. All this talk about parents suffering the consequences for their childrens behavior is a good start but........the government is interfereing on a level in which it makes a parents job almost near impossible. It is illegal to abuse a child, I get that part, but now it's gone as far as you can no longer spank your child. With no severe consequences children are growing up without fear or reprecussions. So now you have children commiting crimes and parents being held liable. The same parents who's ability to discipline their child has been taken away. At what point does government need to be held responsible? Take away a parents ability to parent and then punish the parent when the child runs wild. the generations coming up now have a definate lack of respect for authority and no understanding of consequences for behaviors. What kind of parents will these children become I wonder.
Perhaps the answer is not to judge the means in which a child is raised, but only the outcome. Hit your child? Fine, as long as he doesn't grow up to hit other people (except for his own children I suppose). That's pretty tough though, there are so many other influences and potential mental defects that can cause bad behaviours in children.
And Wib... just to be clear, I actually don't disagree with you. Sterilization is not practical at all, and is probably a worse offense to a greater number of people than than the original problem we are trying to address. But the ability to discuss ideas at any extreme is essential to a free society. More so than the right to reproduce in my opinion.
Originally posted by sasquatch672I am not my childs friend. I am their parent. This is a huge mistake parents make. When they are all grown up and I've done my job right they will be people I will be proud to call friends. Until then I am a parent. The whole issue of spanking when done correctly is effective and necissary. You cannot spank a child every day for every little offense, this lessons the effectiveness of the punishment. I have had to use spankings very little in raising my children and as a result no longer even need to do so. It has served it's purpose. Any lipping off or disrespect towards my authority warrents a spanking (with and only with my bare hand and on the backside) This sets the limits and instills the sense of consqeuences for their actions. Kids want disipline. They want to know the limits and they want to have boundaries. This is what makes them feel loved and cared for. Being a parent should never be easy, it's the most difficult job anyone will ever undertake and you simply will not always be able to be the good guy or the hero. I may be far from an expert on the subject but the fact that I have very polite and respectfull children with good moral values (as of yet fingers crossed) should be some sort of indication that the proper balance of tough love, unconditional love and undying commitment plays some role in succesfull parenting. Check back in 10 years for a full and proper update.
Well, in America there's this whole school of thought that people are supposed to "be a friend to their kids" and that people are supposed to protect their kids. You can be a friend to your kids but you've got to be a parent first. It's a simple concept. And mostly, what you've got to protect kids from is themselves. People want their kids to ...[text shortened]... dy for when my kid threatens to call DYFS. I'm going to pick up the phone and dial the number.
Let's address the original question: I want to pose a view, support it and see what it generates.
I believe it is currently irresponsible to have a child. If we look at population growth we are going to consume most of our natural resources within 100 years. A first world citizen consumes 32 the resources of a third world citizen. This translates into every first world child having the impact of a third world child. And we complain that they're having too many babies? Well, actually they are. If the third world aspires and attains a first world lifestyle this also means first world impact. So if overnight every third world citizen suddenly lived in a country like ours, the impact on the planet would equal 72 billion people. Ouch. So not only should we be limiting our growth but we should be helping others to do so as well. Othewise our growth will eventually limit itself: war, famine and disease. enjoy
Originally posted by wibWib:
I simply cannot take away a person's right to reproduce. It's an easy solution to a difficult problem that violates the most basic of human rights.
Did you post somewhere why you believe that humans have a right to
reproduce? Or are you just asserting it as your opinion?
If you posted it, I've I missed it.
Nemesio