I was at Jamba Juice this morning, enjoying a delicious and healthy breakfast with my girlfriend, when I spy a young couple entering the establishment. The man and woman, who were no more than 30-35 years old, had three children scampering about their feet. The variance between the children's ages was no more than 1 or 2 years. In addition to all of this, the woman was very pregnant.
Many people would see this scene and think, "How adorable." I, however, thought to myself, "How selfish."
How is it, in a world where millions of parent-less children are starving to death every year, can we justify reproducing to the levels of this couple? What reason, besides the fulfillment of the desire to reproduce, do we have for creating so many new humans? Overpopulation is one of the most prevalent and dire issues plaguing the global ecosystem, and it is one that we all seem to welcome with open, loving arms.
News flash, everyone: we aren't still recovering from The Flood. Each new person you create adds to one of biggest problems we face today. Creating a new life is one of the most dramatic and influential endeavors a human can undertake, especially in a global society as interconnected as the one we live in.
Please, for the sake of us all, stop making so many babies.
Just for that, I'm gonna go make five.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, It's physically impossible to have five children without a mate (preferably one who consents to having children with you) :) you have a lot of work to do if that's your goal.
ReplyDeleteI think this is where science is a fault. They've come up with options for people who, by nature, have been negated the ability to have children and yet, there are methods that can circumvent these difficulties (artificial insemination, surrogate mothers, in vitro, etc.) I don't think infertility should be taken as a disease to be cured, but a natural process people need to learn how to accept because it's a natural way of controlling population... well that and disease/illnesses. :/ but that's part of life. It's better than being hunted and viciously eaten by a predator, I think.
ReplyDeleteSo is it worse to be a couple that drives a giant, gas guzzling car because they need it to ferry their kids around, or a couple that drives such a car even though they don't have any kids?
ReplyDelete@PCE: I agree that science has increases fertility across the globe, as well as decreased infant mortality rates. This has certainly contributed to an increase in population. Of course, science has also brought advancements in birth prevention, from the simple condom to the "Morning After" pill.
ReplyDeleteJust as with anything, really, it's up to the people to make use of what is at our disposal. I think it is wonderful that we have the technology to quite literally control our birth rates. The tragedy is that we do not make use of them as needed.
@Avo: An amusing comparison! I love it. What I don't understand, is why do many of these breeders opt for an SUV rather than a mini-van. Mini-vans are often more gas efficient and can carry a similar load. I suppose it's because SUVs are 'cooler'? A mini-van just screams "parent", while an SUV can at least feel a bit more decadent.
ReplyDeleteOh, and to answer your question: the one that has the kids is worse :)
yeah, i realize i made it sound like science was bad, but i only meant that it has facilitated conception for people who can't. I don't mean all science is bad, or bad at all. It just has its faults. I think, these alternative methods of fertility should be a last resort, in case the population is dwindling or some desperate situation like that. :D
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