Eugenics would help the Human Race to an extent but probably shouldn't be put in place for more than two generations - the loss of variety in the gene pool is then minimal enough to not matter much and the human race loses some of its worse features.
And there's another big question. At what point does it start infringing on Human Rights?
"Founding" a family would include the right to have children, thus possibly making said license a crime against humanity by violating Article 16, part 1. Granted, pleanty of nations ignore this Declaration to
When I think of the definition of eugenics the first thing that comes to mind is "controlled breeding", by breeding out undesirable traits. The second thing is the way royalty controlled their "blood lines", to insure purity. The third is the horrors of the holocaust and the "round up" of all of the undesirables, Hitler is the reason why eugenics is still very controversial even today. The temptation for a corrupt government to breed or weed out the undesirables of society is way too easy for tyranny to once again raise its hideous head
Yes, the law should stand that this is still America and we are free to have as many or adopt as many children as we can afford to raise. And it's the "afford" part of the above sentence that I would like to explore.
* I will make a few[* exceptions] while giving counter points on others comments below.
The main idea for implementing eugenics would be to weed out the traits that make us susceptible to certain diseases and deformities, and those who are likely to create offspring with hindered mental capacity.
Here in lies a couple of hypotheticals I would like to share:
#1 Who determines the "weeding" out and which traits would be included? If patients and their doctors, without the governments involvement then I agree.
#2 Where do we, as a free society, draw the line in the moral sand? Are all 16 year old females to be genetically perfected? To be fair, should every child, regardless of gender to be genetially perfected so reproduction will produce perfect babies? I'm only speaking ethics so please don't "read" anything else into this simple question.
#3 Who will pay for all of this perfection? Personally, I'm taxed to the max already and I own one car, one truck and two boats with my husband with no liens. We're still paying a mortgage and making a car payment,(for the next 2 yrs). Plus, my son will be starting tech school or college, will need his own car, etc.........
#4 Will only the very wealthy be able to afford this perfection or,
#5 Will this become apart of a government controlled and mandated policy where everyone will be herded, like cattle, to government approved physicians and clinics, covered under the government health insurance and monitored by the SS, I mean Social Services. [sarcasm intended]
Everyone should have a chance to be a parent but if they can't be a good parent , Well they can say goodbye to their kids.
This law is mandatory, as I know it and with all of the documentation that has to be proven I think it has saved the futures of many children. Yes, its not a perfect system but these are issues that "we the people" can bring up to our representatives and have policy changed and tweeked.
This is much more moral, humane and representative of a free society than eugenics.
I don't think you can make ppl get a license to be a parent simply due to the fact that a lot of ppl would start having kids and the women wouldn't have them in the hospitals. Cause the hospitals would be required to see the parenting license and then call the authorities if the parents didn't have a license. This creates a very high health risk for those women and their children.
I agree much like illegal abortions where women will go to private "chop shops" or even worse the back ally and the rusty coat hanger and give themselves an abortion.
ER's are already nightmarishly overcrowded. Can you imagine the mass confusioin of having to wait 4-8 more hours just so every pregnant woman could be "
rocessed". I won't even go into the immigration delimma of Mexican women sneaking across the border just so her baby will be born in a safe and clean environment.
If we're already controlling whether or not someone should be allowed to parent, we're effectively also controlling the genetic population that results from it. There is more than just bad genes as far as mental and physical problems, it can potentially remove bad behaviours or negative personality traits if done carefully enough.
Perhaps, but like I've said above the potential for ethnic cleansing is too great if this becomes mandatory and controlled by the government. Personally I think it would be great to know that my future granchild would never have the threat of cancer or MS or Downs Syndrome, etc. Let's just please leave the government out of our bedrooms and examination rooms
I think the Chinese actually have a decent basic concept of limiting family size. Though I think the implementation of only allowing one or two children is poorly worked out. Perhaps instead allow one child of each gender. For instance a couple had three boys, they could continue having children until they had at least one girl. this way you don't run into some of the horror stories of children being disposed of just because they were the wrong gender.
Here again are we allowing the government to dictate how many, and of which gender of children couples are approved for?
Is this the US of the future?Do we, as a free society want to adopt this as our population control policy?
Population Policy
With a population officially just over 1.3 billion and an estimated growth rate of about 0.6%, China is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted with mixed results to implement a strict birth limitation policy. China's 2002 Population and Family Planning Law and policy permit one child per family, with allowance for a second child under certain circumstances, especially in rural areas, and with guidelines looser for ethnic minorities with small populations. Enforcement varies, and relies largely on "social compensation fees" to discourage extra births. Official government policy opposes forced abortion or sterilization, but in some localities there are instances of forced abortion. The government's goal is to stabilize the population in the first half of the 21st century, and current projections are that the population will peak at around 1.6 billion by 2050.
I truly believe we can use our current policies and continue to improve them as science and the American people advance with higher education standards in the public school system. Knowledge is the key to unlocking closed mindedness and eliminating ignorance. I know there have been a few super-intelligent psychopaths but I think the OP was concentrating on the average intelligent couple that take their anger out on their child/children. With the proper education and more community awareness where neighborhoods are holding each other more accountable for the actions of these parents, gangs, drug traffic, etc. I would think there would be less opportunity for these acts of violence to occur.
When we as a society turn blind eyes and deaf ears to what our neighbors are ranting about then we become a part of the problem, not the solution.
Things like social serviced could be sent to closer watch on the families who haven't taken the course, not only to ensure the child is doing okay but also to further motivate people to take the course.
Do you know what I think of when I hear the term social services? Hitler's SS. I think of Waco.
I've been hearing horror stories from some of my own family members and friends who have had to fill out special forms and have been repeatedly interviewed,(interrogated) by Social Services just so they can prove they are fit parents.
On a personal level, I have had to use the program when I was pregnant because I didn't have insurance. The treatment I recieved was subpar at best and many times I was the last person still in the waiting room to be "
rocessed" There is very little compassion to that institute and just one more reason why I don't want the government telling me when to have a child, how many I can have, where they will be educated, etc.
