Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uunet!ora!ora!dameon
From: ccrwest!desj@ucsd.edu (David desJardins)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Child making and rearing ( Mild Soapbox )
Message-ID: <352@ccrwest.UUCP>
Date: 9 Aug 90 01:15:30 GMT
References: <KFLETCHE.90Aug1204607@sun222.nas.nasa.gov> <10848@cs.utexas.edu> <9584@goofy.Apple.COM>
Sender: ambar@ora.com (Jean Marie Diaz)
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In article <9584@goofy.Apple.COM> bdelan@apple.com (Brian Delaney) writes:
>This is a very important point.  I've heard the complaint that without 
>parental leave et al, that many couples could not afford to have children.

>Well, so what?  [...]

>What is really being said here is that having children is some sort
>of "right".  [...]  People have a "right" to affordable health care.
>They do not have a "right" to bring still more individuals into the
>world to enjoy that health care unless they can demonstrate the
>ability to provide for those persons on their own.

   I basically agree with you.  I think that people who cannot afford
the time, effort, or money to do a good job of raising children should
not have children.
   *However*, the fact of the matter is that people do have children,
regardless of whether I think that they should or not.  And they care
for those children as well or as poorly as they choose.  Obstacles
placed in the way of good practices in child-rearing lead inescapably
to children who are raised to be (in my view) less desirable citizens
of our society.
   Thus, it is in society's *interest* to promote practices which lead
to future good citizens (I hope I'm not sounding too preachy here).
That is why we have public schools instead of providing education only
to those whose parents can afford it and choose to pay for it.  And
similarly that is why we should be promoting opportunities for parents
to spend a reasonable amount of time with their children.

   -- David desJardins