Carlos Occidental wrote:
License to reproduce. 

You already need a license to do business or drive a car.  But any asshole can make as many babies as they like, for the rest of us to support over time.  Lovely. 

Intese screenings of psychological and financial well being should be done before the license is issued.

What if they pass the financial screening then get canned after conception? The whole license to reproduce idea is so absurd that it is laughable.

SPRINGHEEL wrote:
Well this should be fun

+1

Sits down...puts popcorn into microwave!

Wildcat

Carlos Occidental wrote:
License to reproduce. 

You already need a license to do business or drive a car.  But any asshole can make as many babies as they like, for the rest of us to support over time.  Lovely. 

Intese screenings of psychological and financial well being should be done before the license is issued.

People may obviously have as much sex as they like.  They should be allowed to reproduce indiscriminately.

What happens to the babies that people without a license choose to have?

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.  Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs.   

Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.  I understand that many told me that how much they love their kid.  The kid changed their love.   Will they still love their kid when they become a teenager and no longer as cute as when they are 2 and 3 yrs old.  Will they have sufficient means to put them thru school and college?  The cycle continues. 

It is troublesome when so many children growing up in a dysfunctional family.  We, as a whole, will pay for it one way or another.  What should we do? 

You really thought long and hard about this one before posting didnt you?


-Im sure they decided they wanted a baby and actively sought to make one just like everyone else. Nobody ever has an accident with their means of birthcontrol, nobody ever went through an "abstinence only" sex ed class and doesnt actually understand the various options for birth control or even the risk of pregnancy, nobody ever gets raped.

-What exactly do razor cuts have anything to do with being a fit parent?

-Birth control is NOT readily available for everyone, especially broke teenagers living at home who cant talk to their parents about the sex theyre having. Birth control also fails, especially when an uneducated teenager is using it.


What should we do? Offer a better more informative sexual education to children, offer a cheaper/free-er birthcontrol method that is easier for kids to access...

JessieLeigh wrote:

What happens to the babies that people without a license choose to have?

Carlos Occidental wrote:
License to reproduce. 

You already need a license to do business or drive a car.  But any asshole can make as many babies as they like, for the rest of us to support over time.  Lovely. 

Intese screenings of psychological and financial well being should be done before the license is issued.

People may obviously have as much sex as they like.  They should be allowed to reproduce indiscriminately.

How about a universal license forbidding folks to fuck until they're over 60? 

That should keep those damn kids off my lawn.

-Nicole- wrote:

OK---you stay and let me know how this goes.....me, I am outta here....

Carlos Occidental wrote:
License to reproduce. 

You already need a license to do business or drive a car.  But any asshole can make as many babies as they like, for the rest of us to support over time.  Lovely. 

Intese screenings of psychological and financial well being should be done before the license is issued.

People may obviously have as much sex as they like.  They should be allowed to reproduce indiscriminately.

Big gubment.

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.  Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs.

Waitwaitwait... THE BABIES HAVE RAZOR CUT SCARS?!? CALL CPS! THESE BABIES IS BEIN' ABUSED! OMG!!!

On a more serous note,
Way to generalize, dude.   

Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.

How do you know they didn't? Most methods of contraception are not perfect. The only one that is, is not having sex.

What should we do? 

Let's all start threads about moralizing and lecturizing and saving the world from single moms and the babies with razor cuts on their little arms and legs.

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.  Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs.   

Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.  I understand that many told me that how much they love their kid.  The kid changed their love.   Will they still love their kid when they become a teenager and no longer as cute as when they are 2 and 3 yrs old.  Will they have sufficient means to put them thru school and college?  The cycle continues. 

It is troublesome when so many children growing up in a dysfunctional family.  We, as a whole, will pay for it one way or another.  What should we do? 

I like to think most mothers will always love their children, even when the kid highly disappoints them. At least that's how I feel.

Good Egg Productions wrote:
I apologize.  It was my fault.

You slut.

Connor Photography wrote:
Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.

No, it isn't.

At this time in our country, many families do not have readily available access to healthcare, and the access they do have is sometimes limited by assorted factors.

Not all healthcare covers birth control. When I was married, and 'covered' under my (now ex-) husband's plan, I still had to pay out of pocket, around $60/month, for contraceptives. The insurance only paid for exams, consultations and disease screenings.

A HUGE number of parents would just ignorantly deny their children access to birth control, because it's not uncommon in this country for people to seriously believe access to contraception encourages sexual activity. I do not understand that line of thinking at all, but it exists, and it's fairly common. I went to high school with a girl whose mother found her birth control pills, and threw them away. Seriously. No joke.

Many teens cannot tell their parents they are sexually active, or ask for basic sexual healthcare. I did not become sexually active until I was an adult, and out of my parents' house, but had I been a sexually active teen, I would have been asked to leave my home if my mom had discovered it. Even after moving out, and becoming (responsibly) sexually active, when my mother found out (through hearsay) I was dating, she did not speak to me -at least not in any peaceable way- for a very long time. I was 20 years old at the time, working and caring for myself. Didn't matter. Had I been a teen and asked for an appointment with Planned Parenthood, it would have destroyed my relationship with my family forever.

Even people who use birth control have accidents. It happens. It just does.

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.

this is not going to end well.

IBTL

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.  Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs.   

Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.  I understand that many told me that how much they love their kid.  The kid changed their love.   Will they still love their kid when they become a teenager and no longer as cute as when they are 2 and 3 yrs old.  Will they have sufficient means to put them thru school and college?  The cycle continues. 

It is troublesome when so many children growing up in a dysfunctional family.  We, as a whole, will pay for it one way or another.  What should we do? 

Do you cop this attitude when you're shooting with young single-mom models?

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.  Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs.   

Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.  I understand that many told me that how much they love their kid.  The kid changed their love.   Will they still love their kid when they become a teenager and no longer as cute as when they are 2 and 3 yrs old.  Will they have sufficient means to put them thru school and college?  The cycle continues. 

It is troublesome when so many children growing up in a dysfunctional family.  We, as a whole, will pay for it one way or another.  What should we do? 

I doubt that most single, teenage mothers put any advance thought or planning into their pregnancies.  I don't think the issue is that they mistakenly believed they had the finances, responsibility, maturity, etc. to raise a child . . . . I think those things were never on the table.  If they were, we would be talking about planned pregnancies, not unplanned. 

Yes, birth control is available, but is it easily accessible for teenagers and high school students?  I'm not sure.  I wasn't sexually active while I was in high school, but if I had been, I don't think I could have gotten my hands on any without my parents finding out - and for a lot of people, there is still a stigma attached to sex being "dirty" or "wrong," or girls are worried that if their friends/family find out, they'll be called a "slut" or "whore" . . . . meaning that nobody wants anyone else to find out that they're having sex. Maybe some people aren't looking for the help/contraception they need because they're worrying about being judged.

Planned Parenthood gives out free condoms but I didn't have a car in high school and the hell if I was going to ask my parents/friends to take me there.  When I was in college, they put condoms free for the taking in all the restrooms.  People don't want to do that in high school, because they're worried it "sends the wrong message" and condones kids having sex.  I see this argument, but as a kid who wasn't having sex in high school, being given a free condom would not have motivated me to go get laid. For those that were already having sex, at least it would be safer.

It's a complicated issue.  I think parents have an important responsibility to be actively involved in their kids' lives and educations . . . and I mean not just education as school is concerned, but teaching their kids how to be responsible, make good decisions, look out for their own health and well-being, etc . . . . when that doesn't happen, we see kids who honestly don't know how tragically they're messing up their lives.  I know many very intelligent adults around my age (25) who have nothing to show for themselves at this point in their lives because their parents never helped them plan for their futures when they were young.  They don't know how to budget, save money, spend responsibly, have a good work ethic, communicate effectively, etc.  If you grow up in a family that thinks school is a joke, you're not going to take it seriously, or get good grades, or have a chance to go to college and earn more to support yourself . . .. it goes on and on. 

Also, you mentioned in the original post that it's a vicious cycle.  Let's say a kid was raised in a single parent home where her mother gave birth to her at 16, dropped out of high school, was not actively involved in helping her child get ahead in school, or teaching priorities, values, etc.  When this kid grows up, how much blame can be put on the child if she doesn't do well in school, ends up pregnant herself, etc?  Sure, she has to take some responsibility, but doesn't a lot go to the parent who never prepared her child to succeed in life?  Can we expect a child to intrinsically see the value of getting a great education and waiting until they're financially prepared to have their own family? Of course not.  That needs to be taught, and it falls on the parents.  So why do we blame teenagers, who are still only teenagers, and don't blame the adults who let them get to that age without instilling important life lessons? 

So, what do we do? Kids need to have positive examples and role models if they're going to achieve positive things themselves.  They need to see the right way to do something or else they'll never strive to do it.  Instead of judging them and their mistakes, we need to attempt to see life from their perspective and guide them so they can make better lives for themselves.  I'm not trying to downplay the issue here, it's obviously a serious issue, but I think there's more to it than meets the eye. 

I'd be interested to find out how many teenage, single moms were born to teenage moms themselves.

Anne_C wrote:
Um...  Wow.  I'm not even sure where to start on this one.  I don't consider myself a person who is easily offended, but...  I'm kinda offended.

I was a young mother (I am now 28), unwed, with razor scars all over my arms -- troubled childhood, what can I say.  I quit the habit many years ago, before my kids were born.  Yes, my first child was an "accident" (missed taking a birth control pill).  Best accident ever to happen to me.

I am an awesome mom.  I now have two beautiful, perfect, polite, kind, incredibly smart and well-adjusted little boys who tell me every day that I am the "best mama in the whole world."  I love them more than anything.

Yes, as a young unwed mother it was sometimes a struggle, both emotionally and financially - but since when is parenthood ever NOT a struggle?

Your stereotypes suck.

Awwww, I know they're adorable.

SPRINGHEEL wrote:

I prefer soup.

Connor Photography wrote:
Recently I have encountered lot of teen single mother, why did they bring the child into this world while they are not capable of raising them.  Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs.   

Birth control is readily available for everyone, why didn't they seek this option.  I understand that many told me that how much they love their kid.  The kid changed their love.   Will they still love their kid when they become a teenager and no longer as cute as when they are 2 and 3 yrs old.  Will they have sufficient means to put them thru school and college?  The cycle continues. 

It is troublesome when so many children growing up in a dysfunctional family.  We, as a whole, will pay for it one way or another.  What should we do? 

A part of the answer (which by the way, I deduce from your post is not what you're really looking for here) is contained in your observation that "Many of them have razor cut scars all over their arms and legs. '  Many, but by no means all, of them were unwanted themselves and that fact was brought to their attention over and over and over.  Cutting may be a punishment of themselves because they've come to believe that they actually are "bad" and "worthless".  Or it may be a plea for help (I know, lots of right-wingers will scornfully sniff, "Yeah, sure!" ) Usually it's both.

Sometimes it's just a couple of kids playing Catholic Roulette.

Another part is inadequate sex education.  And while I hate to keep hitting the right-wingers, I have to say that the same people who refuse to deal realistically with sex in raising their own youngsters are the first to go ballistic if the school board tries to introduce a sex ed class in junior high and form social and political lynch mobs if the local druggist sells a teenager a pack of condoms.

And yet another part is the unhappiness in many homes that goes far beyond the normal teenage angst, to the point where having someone, anyone, love me is worth all the unhappiness and uncertainty that comes with the pregnancy compared to all the unhappiness in the teenager's home.  Have you ever noticed how often the unmarried mom is the child of an unmarried (or at best urgently married) mom?

And don't get me started on the goody-goody two-shoes who rant on and on about unwed mothers while ranting out of the other sides of their mouths about the sanctity of life and the evils of abortion.

And never forget that sometimes, often in fact, these are just two kids who are desperately, totally, utterly in love.  A member of my extended family, herself the product of an "urgent" marriage, told her parents that sixteen or not, she and her boyfriend loved each other and wanted to get married.  The anticipated battle with her parents ensued, the fires fanned in large part by the fact that the boy was from very far on the wrong side of the tracks.  "No matter," she said, "we're getting married and if you don't sign the papers, I'll just get pregnant."  The parents caved and that rebellious teen is now a grandmother, still very happily married to her "boy from the other side of the tracks" who recently retired after a successful career.  Sometimes, the kids know themselves better than the old folks.

So, to answer your question "What should we do?"
1-  Demand that our school systems provide adequate sex education from the grade school level on.  Children are entering puberty at an earlier and earlier age.  Pre-teen pregnancies are not unheard of.

2-  Insist that schools and other social service agencies have adequate staff, funding and training to provide education and counseling to at-risk teens.  This is something that must be done at the local level and if you are not fighting for these services in your community, you are contributing to the problem.

2-  Support Planned Parenthood and other such organizations in our communities.  The purpose of these organizations is not to prevent conception, it is to prevent [u][b]unwanted[u][b] conception.

3-  Talk, really talk, to our children and grandchildren, and, yes, dammit! to our friends and neighbors.  Probably the biggest contributor to this very real problem is the tendency to treat this as something dirty to be swept under the rug.

Like any other problem that affects our communities, people who put their hands  to work finding solutions don't have time to throw them up in despair.

All IMHO, as always.

Anne_C wrote:
Um...  Wow.  I'm not even sure where to start on this one.  I don't consider myself a person who is easily offended, but...  I'm kinda offended.

I was a young mother (I am now 28), unwed, with razor scars all over my arms -- troubled childhood, what can I say.  I quit the habit many years ago, before my kids were born.  Yes, my first child was an "accident" (missed taking a birth control pill).  Best accident ever to happen to me.

I am an awesome mom.  I now have two beautiful, perfect, polite, kind, incredibly smart and well-adjusted little boys who tell me every day that I am the "best mama in the whole world."  I love them more than anything.

Yes, as a young unwed mother it was sometimes a struggle, both emotionally and financially - but since when is parenthood ever NOT a struggle?

Your stereotypes suck.

Were you ever on government assistance?

JessieLeigh wrote:
What happens to the babies that people without a license choose to have?

They will be sent to the military for a proper upbringing as a soldier.

JessieLeigh wrote:
I blame MTV. Glamorizing teenage pregnancy and paying teenage moms to make tv shows so MTV casn make more money.

(Only partially joking)

Right--there were no teen moms until MTV...

Carlos Occidental wrote:

They will be sent to the military for a proper upbringing as a soldier.

more gubment

Gianantonio wrote:

Right--there were no teen moms until MTV...

what about those with no cable?

Carlos Occidental wrote:

They will be sent to the military for a proper upbringing as a soldier.

Worked in Ender's game.

Gianantonio wrote:

Right--there were no teen moms until MTV...

Yup, that is EXACTLY what I said, glad you got it.

What Fun Productions wrote:
Were you ever on government assistance?

No.  Not that I wouldn't have qualified for it.  Why do you ask?