Forced Population Control
This country is one that has always prided itself on its freedoms. If the government mandates forced population control, it would go against everything this country stands for. The United States of America is the land of the free. We have freedom of choice that many countries do not. America has never been a place where the government invoked rules that invade our personal lives. I agree that we are using all of our resources quickly. However, I believe that the key to increasing the quality of life for all Americans in future generations does not lie in mandated population control, but in Education.
In the past, many adults had children because it was culturally expected, a need to carry on “The Family Name”. Our ancestral relatives pressured by society reproduced to ensure the survival of the bloodline. A man was considered a “bona fide man” if he fathered many children, the woman considered a “superior wife” if she bore these children to her husband. Another valid reason was the lack of modern birth control. Birth control techniques were not as advanced as they are today therefore there were larger families before 1900. The current trend of smaller families is rising on its own and many partners today are having just one-child by choice. The National Average of children per family has declined drastically over the past thirty-five years. “The preference for smaller families is evident. In 1972, 56 percent of those asked in a large national opinion study thought that three or more children were ideal; in a similar study done in 1998 that percentage had dropped to 39.1” (Newman, Ph.D., 2001)
Economics plays role in a couple’s choice of having fewer children. Prices are sky rocketing for everything, housing, food, transportation cost and not to mention medical care. Two paychecks are better than one when it comes to cover expenses and live a comfortable life. It is widely believed that having only one child somewhat assures this secure life so sought after will be a reality. “However, it is not based on scientific principles, but on vague beliefs that developmental arguments against only-children have been disproven, and that one-child families are better ecologically.” (Talbot, 1998).
Many women today are choosing to have just a single child because they do not wish to take the time out from their careers to have and raise more than one...