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[apocalypsos]

Conservatives Urge Closer Look at Marriage -- You know, on one hand, I like that the anti-gay-marriage might finally be noticing the high divorce rate that they usually seem to ignore.

On the other hand, if we don't address cohabitation and casual divorce and deliberate childlessness just pisses me right the fuck off. There are six billion people on the planet right now, and if we keep it up, it's not going to take us relatively long to overtake the planet's resources. Some of us could do with a little "deliberate childlessness", damn it. Jesus, has nobody explained overpopulation to these jerks? (And that was a rhetorical question, before anybody points out that they probably have and just chose to ignore it or something.) *growls*

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

notice how the "deliberate childnessness" refers always/only to those parts of society that "they" want to procreate. overpopulation by "undesirables".

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Someone in another journal suggested 'childishness' could refer to 'Britney Sperars Five Minute Marriages'

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

deliberate childlessness

OMFG. Ok, I'm containing the rant because it's your journal and you don't really need my bile here, but can I say one thing?

I am sick to fucking death of people acting like there is something wrong with me and my husband because we have chosen not to have children. Reiterates: overpopulation!

*stepping away from the keyboard now*

[doqz.livejournal.com]

Actually the global birthrate is declining. Earth population is going to peak within 50-100 years and then spiral down in geometric proportion.

[florahart]

Interesting. Got a citation to show who learned that and how? Just curious.

[cyprinella]

I think it depends on where you're talkign about. Europe has had a negative birth rate for the last few decades, but the US has been pretty steady and nations like China and India are exploding. Or so last I heard on the subject. I too would love to see the stats.

[cyprinella]

Ah, ignore my last comment. :)

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

Deliberate Childlessness.

It's a good thing.

Because if people don't want to be parents, then for god's sake, they shouldn't have children.

It doesn't even matter about overpopulation. It's that every single child should be wanted and loved. Not an oops or mandatory obligation.

Yay Nora!

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

Yes. Children should be wanted and loved.

If they are unwanted, and someone makes that choice, then that is good.

There are orphanages and foster homes full of unwanted children and oftne unloved children too.

And the Conservatives never consider that, either.

I'm unchilded [not childfree - that term has a connotation I don't like] by choice... to a degree. I'd love to have a child but I don't have the financial resources for it, nor do I want to raise a child by myself.

[shetiger.livejournal.com]

every single child should be wanted and loved.

Thank you. You are beautiful.

That is all.

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Because if people don't want to be parents, then for god's sake, they shouldn't have children.

Yes, exactly. What exactly are they planning to do -- force people to have kids?




Oh wait! Yes, they are planning that.

[ampersand.livejournal.com]

Yes. Word. Word squared. Thank you.

[elorie.livejournal.com]

ok, having encountered "childfree" movement people originally because they were trolling parenting boards, I don't have a very kind view of many of them...BUT...

I have to say, wtf? Who the hell thinks people having children they don't really want is a good idea? Oh, wait; I was momentarily expecting logic there. My bad.

Anyway, it just goes to prove my contention that the anti-gay-marriage people are really all about **controlling other people's sexuality, period** If you're thinking that because you're straight, it's not your problem, you're wrong.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

I don't like the connotation of 'childfree' either because a lot of people in that movement [not all] are more 'child haters' or 'haters of anyone who chooses to procreate'.

I call myself unchilded.

And I figure we're just preachin' to the choir here.


But that's okay. At least we know we sound good to each other.

[miggy.livejournal.com]

At least my mom has accepted that the only grandkids she'll ever see will be four-legged and furry. Now that she's finally starting to respect what I've been saying for oh, the last ten or so years, she's looking at my interactions with Joe Random Child with new eyes and realizing that yes, I was right when I said I didn't like kids, wasn't comfortable around them, and didn't want one of my own.

Too bad seemingly everyone else won't get it through their thick heads that for plenty of women, looking at the mother part of the cycle earns a wrinkled nose and turned back, and they'd much rather skip merrily from maiden to crone. It's obviously a much better choice to force everyone into the parent role regardless of desire, because it's different when it's your own. That's why there's no child abuse, neglectful parenting, and resentment among any families, ever.

(Yes, I have vented before in childfree, why do you ask?)

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Personally, I'd love to have a child, but part of me would much rather adopt a child first. Not only does it mean I don't have to go through labor, but there are so many kids out there who need good homes because their parents couldn't (or didn't want to) keep them.

[cyprinella]

At least my mom has accepted that the only grandkids she'll ever see will be four-legged and furry.

Having just spent 5 hours in the mall with my mother and watching her stop at every baby store and cooing, I envy you. My mother just recently joined the "When am I getting grandchildrenOMGWTF!?!" bandwagon and I am not looking forward to the next umpteen million years of explaining to her that look, my gerbils are children too!

[glitterdemon.livejournal.com]

Actually, being close to several Christian conservatives, I've heard some of them refer to overpopulation as a myth. Much in the same way anything else they don't like and therefore choose to ignore is a myth, such as evolution and global warming.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yes, because there's an infinite amount of room on the planet. *eye roll* Stupid people piss me off.

norabombay is right, though. No one who doesn't want to have a baby should be forced to have one because all children should be wanted and loved.

[dawning-star.livejournal.com]

Because people who choose not to have children are obviously evil and ignoring God's Almighty Plan For Them(tm). Every person must reproduce regardless of whether or not that person could be a good parent, finances, and other resources.

Gah. It is precisely people like that who make me advocate birth control.

[tinylegacies.livejournal.com]

On the other hand, if we don't address cohabitation and casual divorce and deliberate childlessness

Sweet Jesus - Am I the only person who reads that and feels as if I've fallen smack into the middle of The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood?

You know - the book where the Christian Conservatives take over and pass laws that forbid women to work and force women of childbearing age to have ritualistic intercourse with "commanders" to increase the population?

Moving to Canada or Europe is sounding more and more like a good idea every day.

[rowanberries.livejournal.com]

*Shudders* Oh dear god, that book made me cower under the bedclothes! ('Cause I would have read it just during the American election.)

The scariest bit was where the Japanese tourists (who didn't have this fascist existance) were gawping and asking if the handmaidens were happy...

Ohgodohgoditcouldhappoennowomgwtfbbq *hides*

[ex-dovil323.livejournal.com]

Yes, lets have more children because so many people on the planet already have such a high standard of living, what with the dying of preventable diseases, unclean water and insufficient food. Let's face it the first world isn't going to lower its standards of living willingly just so people on the other side of the world can have a decent life with dignity. We want our cheap dvd's, sports shoes and coffee, damn it!

I never get the whole 'we're not overpopulated' brigade - I know the Vatican did a study about 10 years ago but gee, I think they may have had an agenda. Yes, we can fill the entire world with people but that kind of means no ecosystem which means erm, no people.

And of course governments want populations up, the type of capitalism we have is one giant pyramid scheme which isn't sustainable in the long run because there's only a finite amount of 'stuff' in the world and we're all busy muching through it all like it's one big party that will never end.

Opps, I may have ranted all over your journal. I'll grab a mop later and clean that up.

Deliberate WHAT?! Son of a BITCH.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_redpanda_/]

Feel free to tell this self-righteous jerk (who's only a assistant English professor, I just love the way the article doesn't make that clear to give him more credibility!) exactly what you think of him, folks: http://www.suu.edu/faculty/christensenb

Re: Deliberate WHAT?! Son of a BITCH.

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

You are amazing. :)

[muffytaj.livejournal.com]

My mother told my elder brother that the only way she was agreeing to my brother's marriage to my sister-in-law was if he promised not to make her a grandmother for at least ten years.

Ten months later I had a niece. >.< Mum was furious at being called 'nana'.

The exact opposite of everyone elses' mothers. Le sigh.

I wonder if they would term what I plan on being as deliberate childlessness. Because the last time someone practically threw a drooling baby at me, I pushed it (and the man holding it) away hard enough to make them stagger back a few steps. No thought - just an instinctive reaction.

With that, and my tendancy to strangle anyone who comes into my bed before I even wake up, I think any kid I had would be dead pretty damn soon.

I still say that richer countries with declining populations should import children from overpopulated countries, but no one ever listens *sigh*

[lots42.livejournal.com]

Not only do I not like babies, I'm a spaz. Unless there's two feet of padded airmattress under me, I don't want to hold a kid. Hell, I don't want to hold it period

[chorus-of-chaos.livejournal.com]

ah but don't you understand, if people have less children then there are less people to get money from (either in taxes or tithes to the church or both) and fewer people to send off to war.

One of the first principles of facism, keep 'em ignorant and breeding.

[midnightbex.livejournal.com]

Oh that pisses me off as well. I don't want children and I'm not particularly keen on getting married either. I just don't see the point for either. There are too many people on the planet, I don't particularly like children, and hello pain. So not happening. As for marriage, if it happens it happens. I'd be perfectly content to just live with the person I fall in love with and never marry. Why do they feel both are necessities?