In order to control population growth in the US, should the number of children people can have be limited?

I'm more in line with reducing the number of people hopping the fence and comming here. That in itself would make the problem self resolving. In fact, it would make a lot of problems self resolving.

No.

I would rather they have to obtain a license first and provide proof that they have good parenting skills and the financial means to raise children. You could cut the poverty level drastically in just 2 decades.

Science will enable us to pull this off some day. Mandatory birth control.

Make divorces harder/more expensive to get, and make marital counseling free for those in need. ( )

And sterilize extreme right wing republicans!

LOL. The left wing doesn't need sterilization. They are emasculated by their political stance.
Even better after your third year on welfare you get an automatic vasectomy or fallopian ligature.

Aunty

Not sure if you meant this as a joke or were serious but the more I see of peoples parenting skills lately I couldn’t agree more with you. This would mean however that my nephews would have never been born.

I think AuntyM is on the right track and agree that borders need to be fixed...

We need to make adoption much easier and afordable - it is literally a crime how they are doing it now days... 2 kids of your own, and then you should be STRONGLY encouraged to adopt if you want more kids (and can show that your family is stable and can afford them...). I don't think it should be 'forced', but it should be practically free and come with increased tax cuts...

Marriage AND Divorce should be taken more seriously. A marriage license should be required and given after a simple class or counciling session (no more vegas style weddings between to drunks who don't even know eachothers real names ). Then to have a baby, the process should be similar.

Not sure how this could be enforced though. I think the best approach is to offer insentives. In a sense, offer money, tax cutts, etc for 'doing the right thing'. Trying to force this kind of thing on people just won't work - invasion of privacy, religious freedom, etc etc.

Now the idea of mandatory birth control while you are on Welfare sounds good to me. When you go to pick up your monthly check, they give you a birth control shot that lasts a month... Probably not realistic though... (PS, this goes for men too. Guys who live off the gov't wagon shouldn't be making babies all over the state that they can't afford to pay child support for...)

I know 3 people that are going to China in the next two weeks to pick up babies. Much easier than doing it here.

Well, China can be easier, and cheaper - especially for the girls who are litteraly dumped on the street because the value boy babies much more and are limitted to how many they can have (one or 2 I think).

It can get ugly though. I've heard of horror stories about couples finding a baby, then it takes 2 years of back and forth traveling, paper work, gov't beaurocracy (sp?) etc. Then when you are so far into it emotionally and financially and just want to get your now 2-3 yr old child home - you have to fork out even more money on bribes or force more 'delays'....

LT, I am sorry to say, I'm serious.

Before anyone jumps to the conclusion that my idea is rascist or picks on the poor, let me point out that there is no shortage of low income families that do a good job of parenting. I see more middle class young parents who make grave mistakes parenting than I can stomach.

A trend that sociologists need to recognize is the new generation of welfare queen. Instead of living off welfare completely, which has become difficult to accomplish, she now has decided to become impregnated as many times as she can by different fathers, to collect enough child support so that she doesn't have to work. She may not get cash from the governmentt, but she still gets medical for her kids and food stamps and her housing is nearly free! Oh, and she has an apartment with pool, spa, sauna, gym etc...

The cash comes from the daddys (and she choses men who have good income potential, but think with their peckers!)

I just described my ex daughter in law. What is sickening, is that she has a large network of female friends and they actually TEACH each other how to work the system and the men! They also cover several states and will relocate if it's finacially beneficial.

And my experience is they are lousy mothers to boot!

Until men have safe and effective choices in birth control, these disgusting examples of women will get away with adding to the population and continue to burden our society.

(Can you tell I am bitter? )

Aunty

Your not bitter, just wise to the having baby's for the welfare check game.

Yea, Aunty M!

A loving God would never have made viable gonads the sole requirement of parenthood.

If I had my ruthless way, there'd be no simple monthly check for welfare mothers. Pregnant moms who want society to pick up the tab would have to check in to a gov't institution, giving up most of their personal freedom, especially freedom of further reproduction. While there, they get good housing, education, job training, and pre and post natal care. Sort of a boot camp for pregnant idiots.

Then a gov't goon squad would make sure the dads contribute $ support for the system. Those who don't volunteer are hunt down as dead beat dads as get their nads whacked to prevent repeat offenses.

We can't make people make good decisions, but we can create disincentives for bad ones and incentives for making good ones.

Children should not be born into poverty and condemed to be "raised" by parent(s) not up to the task.

Gee, did ya' think I had a strong opinion on a matter like that?

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

How do these dad's get away with out paying child support?

I know they do but where does the system fall short of them having to actually pay?

AM,

I agree with what you say but the men are not victims but willing participants. I feel no sorrow for men in this situation. I only feel for the kids.

LT,

I think the cost of hunting down dead beat dads is pretty high. Many move out of state and make it hard for the originating state to find them and then shake them for the support they owe. There was federal legislation I believe that facilitates inter-state cooperation on that. I know of a Nevada dad getting his check garnisheed by WA, but it took so long that he only ended up paying like 3 out of 18 years of child support.

That's why I propose a goon squad. Some of these dimbulbs can't read letters on state agency letterhead, but they get a clear understanding of broken bones and how to prevent repeat breakage.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

SG

I'm all for the goon squad, my tax $$ could be put to better use then paying for someone else's children because they are too irresponsible.

Funny how the government (IRS) has no problem tracking people down to get the money owed to them but will do little to help the average citizen. Heck even the local gov has a good system for collecting money. Many people are arrested for not paying parking tickets but the wellfare of a child means nothing.

It would seem that tracking down the non paying dad’s would be cheaper then forking out well fair for years.

Can not emphasize just how correct that is. They DESERVE to have a good home life and loving parents.

TK, victims are still victims even if they are willing. In my son's case, he was 17 and still in high school and she was in her second year of college. We regret not having her arrested for statutory rape.

She got pregnant (not by my son) while she was still in high school. After she graduated, the state paid for 2 years of JR college and one year at University. She decided it was too hard. She got pregnant again, this time by my son, so she could drop out.

A few years go by, she has 1 MORE baby, (his) she breaks up with my son, because he isn't making enough money to buy her a new house and new car.

She had to go back on welfare, since she had 3 kids, one under a year old. The state then paid for technical school training (plus food stamps, housing and child care over and above what she received for child support) for a medical insurance billing course that took over a year to complete.

I am not done!

After she finished the technical course, working and being a single mom was too hard and she wanted to stay home so she got pregnant AGAIN by some other guy before she was even divorced from my son.

My son made his bed (tic) and he has to lie in it. It got so bad during the 2 year divorce process he had to endure, he finally gave up all visitation so he wouldn't ever have to set eyes on her again. It was the right thing to do, since she was attempting to get him to be violent every chance she got.

So TK, you can make most any claims about how viscious and terrible women are and I won't argue.

Sorry to hear about that AM. At 17 the big brain does not listen to the little brain. But number child nuber two what was he thinking?
Is it hard as a GP not to want to go after the kids?

Even though I don't get to see my grandaughters now, there is some consolation. The oldest takes after me BIG TIME (even to the extent that she liked fishing!) and will be giving her mother grief for many years. They already don't get along very well. It will only get worse when she becomes a teenager.

It's been harder on my hubby. He thinks being away from home all those years and not "being there" was the cause. I don't happen to agree.

#2 came along due to trickery and lies. My son was raised in a trusting and honest environment. Stupid me! He had no idea that any human could be that cruel and devious. Neither did we.

Anyway, I lacked drama in my own marriage and have been spoiled rotten, so I expect I deserved this in some wierd way.

I will admit, the daughter in law had enough baggage from her own childhood to cause her to do much of what she did. Her mother set her up for failure by raising her to think men should be used and abused.

I could imagine it is hard for parents not to blame themselves. I am not in that position with just young kids. I have always manintained that at about the age of 16 one is responsible for ones own life as by then you really know right from wrong. You can only take them so far.