Humans breeding out of control

[tuttle]

Why would anyone deny birth control to a 12 year old? The old fashioned ways have been proven not to work, teaching the "birds and bees" threatening them with a damn good thrashing, sending them to their room etc do not work. Kids are going to go out, form quasi relationships, have sex, fact. Be pro active and work with them, not against them. I would hate a 12 year old daughter to come home pregnant, better that she has protective sex than non protected. If a child feels she can't talk to her parents, and confide in them, then she should be able to talk to her GP and take the necessary precautions. The old days of hiding young mothers away in a mental institution or with the nuns are over, thank god.

 

first class points.

 

it's just poor that pier pressure is the motivator.

[Andy Collins]

I think any approach to discouraging under age pregnancy (and indeed unconsidered pregnancy) needs to have a two pronged approach.

 

Firstly, improve education so that there is no grey area and that by a certain age, everything is understood.

 

Secondly, more or less entirely remove the government funded social support structure for people who are unable to pay for their own children. If people understood that the consequences of pregnancy were that YOU (not the state) have to provide for your child, there would be far fewer people having children unthinkingly. It's infuriating that those of us for whom having a kid is a painstakingly considered decision have to pay for those for whom breeding is a career choice.

 

On your second point, I fear we are going to make a huge mistake implementing this. On paper it's fine, and I agree with it. But things aren't that simple, and people will still breed and breed and breed. It will be the children that Wil suffer, they have no choice who they are born to, wealthy or poor, cruel or kind. But they will be the ones that are most affected. If there is no handouts, how will they be fed? Clothed? Educated? I see a return to the late 19th century, social deprivation, maybe kids being malnourished and mistreated. The parents are not going to change, but the kids may be abandoned. Do we really want a society with an underworld of street kids like some countries, I don't think so.

I think the government and society needs to think long and hard about the right way to do this.

[Big J]

Whilst I do agree that there would be severe implication in implementing such a policy, what choice do we really have? The current human reproduction distribution is unsustainable. We have a society where unskilled jobs are in decline (due to increasing mechanisation and automation) yet an increasing population demographic that requires such jobs.

 

It's sad but true, but children born to such families are more likely to emulate their parents than break free of the self destructive and dependent lifestyle of their peers. There will be unclothed starving children, but something has to be done to reign in this population increase. I'm working like a madmen at the moment so that hopefully when we have children and they are of school age, that we can choose to send them to whichever school we like, so that they are able to get the very best start in life. I remember only too well the destructive effect of having mixed ability comprehensive schools on my education. I wouldn't want to inflict that on my kids.

 

Jonathan

[Billy]

It's a tricky one for sure, without just routing through and cleaning society of the wasters permanently along with their offspring then starting from scratch. If you take the welfare state away undoubtedly genuine people in need will suffer, if it stays lazy scrounges will abuse it. More staff to investigate people claiming more thoroughly would be the only realistic option and bump enough of them off benefits to outweigh the increased wage bill.

[Andy Collins]

Let's not forget, all children are genuine cases, and in need of help and support, whether it's the parents or the State. Society can not and must not penalise the child for it's parents doings. As I said, we need a proper, well thought out and structured plan to deal with this issue, not a knee jerk reaction in a vain attempt to grab headlines and future votes.

[difflock]

Unfortunately no matter how much of our money the state throws at the problem, the children will still suffer as the feckless parents get the cash and spend it on booze carry out food gambling and ciggys.

There is NO control on how the cash is spent.

Even the rent money now gets paid to the claimant and not direct to the landlord ffs.

Their childrens basic needs appear to be quite low down on these parents list of priorities.

Every child should get free school meals for a start

[Big J]

Let's not forget, all children are genuine cases, and in need of help and support, whether it's the parents or the State. Society can not and must not penalise the child for it's parents doings. As I said, we need a proper, well thought out and structured plan to deal with this issue, not a knee jerk reaction in a vain attempt to grab headlines and future votes.

 

I do agree, however the only other option is to sterilise undesirable would-be parents, thus preventing the suffering of children in the first place. You are then into the marvelously controversial topic area of eugenics!

[Rich2484]

I do agree, however the only other option is to sterilise undesirable would-be parents, thus preventing the suffering of children in the first place. You are then into the marvelously controversial topic area of eugenics!

 

Or human rights ?

[Big J]

Or human rights ?

 

Ah, but is it not a basic human right for a child to expect reasonable parenting?

[RobArb]

but its not just this country with a population boom, its everywhere, especially the asian countries, and we have no control over them