licensing parents
"Licensing" parents
A legislator in the Netherlands has boldly offered up a partial solution for those of us who have been asking how society can prevent, say, bad cosmetologists from doing further damage, but not the worst-of-the-worst parents. The law would kick in only when a parent screwed up on one or more urchins, but if the gov't then decided a parent was awful, and if they refused contraception, then any future little bundle of their DNA would be confiscated at birth. The list of downsides is lengthy, though, which no doubt means that baseball card collectors are likelier to be rigorously tested than are parents. The Guardian (London)
A legislator in the Netherlands has boldly offered up a partial solution for those of us who have been asking how society can prevent, say, bad cosmetologists from doing further damage, but not the worst-of-the-worst parents. The law would kick in only when a parent screwed up on one or more urchins, but if the gov't then decided a parent was awful, and if they refused contraception, then any future little bundle of their DNA would be confiscated at birth. The list of downsides is lengthy, though, which no doubt means that baseball card collectors are likelier to be rigorously tested than are parents. The Guardian (London)
Comments
Many places require a license to own a dog, but no one needs a test to have kids. There's irony for you.
Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 11/07/08 at 10:55 AM
I've said it before and I'll say it again... not everyone is meant to have kids.
Posted by KW in Dallas, TX on 11/07/08 at 11:12 AM
Personally I think you should have to apply for a license to have a kid. You need a license for damn near everything else.
Of course it would be hard to enforce, I know, and it is an infringment on one's pursuit of happiness but screw it. My pursuit of happiness is infringed on by the amount of tax money that goes to supporting unwanted kids or welfare children.
Of course it would be hard to enforce, I know, and it is an infringment on one's pursuit of happiness but screw it. My pursuit of happiness is infringed on by the amount of tax money that goes to supporting unwanted kids or welfare children.
Posted by Madd Maxx on 11/07/08 at 11:42 AM
How about adding birth control to the water supply. If you want kids, you have to apply for something to counteract the BC.
Posted by Caffeinated Katie in Atlanta, GA on 11/07/08 at 03:41 PM
"The law would kick in only when a parent screwed up on one or more urchins" As opposed to less than one?!?!?
Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 11/07/08 at 03:49 PM
I can see how this would be helpful. It's ONLY two years. Unless you're very very close to menopause you will have the chance to take those two years and maybe pick up some parenting skills...and when you're finished, prove that you won't do the same crappy stuff you did before.
But to try and do this as a preventative measure for ALL?? Eesh, both my kids were surprises. I would give my last breath for either one of them...but I didn't plan the first one AT ALL, and the second one I was saying, "Ehh, maybe ONE more year..." and it was just a short time later I was feeling "blessed" as it were.
But to try and do this as a preventative measure for ALL?? Eesh, both my kids were surprises. I would give my last breath for either one of them...but I didn't plan the first one AT ALL, and the second one I was saying, "Ehh, maybe ONE more year..." and it was just a short time later I was feeling "blessed" as it were.
Posted by Maegan on 11/07/08 at 05:05 PM
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