I agree that our nation’s disrespect for childhood is best demonstrated in government policy and law. But instead of looking at the laws that govern the education system, I would like to rewind even further into development to the creation of the life itself. America’s views on and current laws regarding the practice of abortion are a transparent illustration of our regard for the significance of childhood and young life in general.
If America truly viewed children as having worth and their contribution to society as legitimate rather than a burden that will simply cost time, energy, and resources most likely returning nothing, why would it be legal to end such a life before it began? We are not allowed to murder jobless, uneducated, maimed, or diseased adults if they consume too many assets or fail to impact society positively. Why then, is it appropriate to make a different assumption about our unborn children?
If America honestly held childhood in the utmost of positive regard, we should fight fervently and relentlessly to give each child an equal chance to experience childhood as we ALL did, and experience a better version of it. My argument is not one of whether the practice of abortion is right or wrong, moral or immoral, allowable or dis-allowable but simply an assessment of the implications of this decision and the insight it provides on America’s views towards children.
I think the choice for an abortion is a difficult choice for a woman to make, and I think your opinion on abortion fails to recognize the difficulty in a decision to terminate a life.
ReplyDeleteThe Guttmacher Institute conducted a survey which shows that the reasons for abortions vary from not wanting another child, not being ready for a child, to relationship instability.
Statistics show that children in dysfunctional relationships are more like to develop issues detrimental to themselves and society, do we still want to raise children when we know the outcome is more likely to be negative to the child's development?
Study-http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3711005.pdf
Thank you for the addition to my argument. These reasons precisely illustrate the selfish concern of adult Americans that contribute to the disrespect of children. Concern about the inconvenience of morning sickness or interference with education have to be among the most self-seeking reasons to abort a pregnancy. Also, there is always the option of adoption. There are plenty of infertile families hoping to adopt.
ReplyDeleteAs for your final argument, are you arguing that no life at all is better than a life of some challenges? We all have difficulties, but is it ethical to judge the worth of a life of another and decide it is not worth living?
Ms. Carlson,
ReplyDeleteRecent statistics show that there are 400,540 children living in our foster care system with 115,000 eligible for adoption, with the majority of these children being black or Hispanic. Families in the United States adopt 200,000 children from outside the United States in the past 15 years. With American families choosing to adopt from outside the United States, wanting a white baby, shows that families are reluctant to adopt minority children, or they're bigots. Ms. Carlson if you want to adopt a child, I will go in for half with you, however my condition is that it has to be a black or Hispanic child. While you are probably amicable to this offer, many families are not. As stated in the NY Times article below, there then is a social stigma that accompanies the adoption of a minority child.
Life is hard, raising a child is extremely difficult emotionally, physically, and monetarily. The cost of raising a child over 18 years is approximately $241,080. I don't have 200,000 over 18 years to raise a child, I barely have $100 for food next week. For example children are dying worldwide because of lack of healthcare, food, or are forced to work in horrific conditions in order to support the family because their income is too low. Life is precious, if we want to not be seen as hypocrites as Americans, then we need to take care of the 400,540 children in our foster system and place them in homes.
I think you're taking my response and breaking down the smallest reasons. For example only 12% of the women who were surveyed believed that they were concerned about their health. Some of those issues included the health of the fetus, cancer, gastrointestinal diabetes,cystic fibrosis along with the morning sickness. Many people have difficult lives to lead, and if I question their judgement, then I no longer have trust in their judgement and I therefore believe I can make better choices than they do. Yes you're right, people are selfish, but they're independent, and the minute we start taking away decisions from them, we become an Orwellian society to which we all become automatons.
Ms. Carlson, I appreciate and admire your passion for saving lives both adopted and for the fetuses that are unborn. However to slap generalizations isn't fair for the person who has to make an impossible choice, a choice that they have to live with for the rest of their lives. If you want to solve the abortion problem, start with our nation's poverty issue, start with relationship counseling (beyond abstinence only education), creating an organization that will encourage families to adopt children from the United States, and continue believing and working towards a better future.
NY Times on Racial Barriers and Adoption-http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/17/us/17adopt.html
Adoption rates- http://www.childrensrights.org/issues-resources/adoption/facts-about-adoption/
More rates- http://www.ccainstitute.org/why-we-do-it-/facts-and-statistics.html