Actually, a "license to reproduce" is the right solution.


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D_Lion is offline D_Lion Post #1  November 1,2009, 9:36am
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Here is an idea with an implication. Yet the idea is common, while the implication is not:


brneyedangel wrote :
You have to have a license to fish, drive, get married, teach, practice medicine, keep pets, and many other things, yet anyone can reproduce and "raise" kids who won't think twice about [committing crime].

I'm not seriously implying a license to reproduce, mind you, but parenting is not as easy as having sex, popping the kid out, and putting it in front of the TV/computer/gaming console until said child rebels/moves out.

If the requirement for competent parenting is higher, and less intuitive, than driving, et.al., then licensing is advised.

What should the "reproducing license" entail?
 
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Can_I_just_be_Jo is offline Can_I_just_be_Jo Post #2  November 1,2009, 11:20am

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D_Lion wrote :
Here is an idea with an implication. Yet the idea is common, while the implication is not:





If the requirement for competent parenting is higher, and less intuitive, than driving, et.al., then licensing is advised.

What should the "reproducing license" entail?
Under my standards no one would be able to reproduce, maybe not even myself. Nah I am perfect.
 
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Jacquesne is offline Jacquesne Post #3  November 1,2009, 4:21pm
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Good luck enforcing this. China can barely enforce it's "one child" policy.

I'm not a parent but personally I'd counter-argue that granting "licenses" for parenting would be even less useful than driver's licenses...after all, the driver's test really doesn't demonstrate if someone truly knows how to drive. I don't know if some state standard could possibly prove someone is fit to be a parent or not.

Heck I would argue that no one knows how to be a parent until they've done it and even then it's not something you can learn from a test or book. While it certainly sounds good to say "let's make it so we have less stupid parents!" it simply doesn't make sense.

Otherwise all drivers should be good drivers, right? You can laugh now! =)

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D_Lion is offline D_Lion Post #4  November 1,2009, 6:26pm
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Some obvious elements:

Proof of adequate financial means to support the child (and adults) without burdening the taxpayers. If proof of financial responsibility is mandated to drive (a necessary activity to obtain employment for very many people), then it is even more justified for having a child.

Two involved adults (or, at minimum - since some very few persons may have the father pass away prior to having the child - one or more secondary adults, such as extended family.) This would help involve fathers, who are not for large portions of children, and reconnect women to mate-as-income, and not state-as-income.

A skills test. A mental-fitment test would be good too, but that is harder to objectively score.

I agree it is tough (well, morally tough) to enforce.
 
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justme27 is offline justme27 Post #5  November 1,2009, 9:22pm
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These kind of ideas, regulating human behavior by limiting human behavior, are not new but are a reflection of a current trend in the states, especially by individuals who feel they are being burdened by the actions of others. Intuitively, I know the solution and the cause of the solution are unrealistic, self-serving, and at times delusional.

A driver's license exists not to prevent people from driving but to ensure that adequate driving exists on the roadways. Also, a driver's license exists because it is enforceable. Also, a driver's license is equitable meaning that regardless of social class, ethnicity or religion someone can attain it. A marriage license exists not to prevent marriage but to ensure that both parties are aware that their commitment is a legally enforceable contract. Also, a marriage contract is enforceable. Also a marriage license is becoming equitable more and more people are being included in the process. Any good license at it's chore is not preventative, rather it serves the purpose of ensuring some sort of societal conduct will be upheld as well as being enforceable as well as being equitable.

A parent license would by its very definition be preventative--that would be it's sole purpose. Adequate financial means, two-parent home, or some sort of competency test will not and has not been proven scientifically to guarantee children will be raised properly--if being a law-abiding productive citizen is considered proper. The purpose would be to exclude people from the process based again on measures that serve one segment of the community but not all segments of the community.

A parent license is not enforceable morally or legally. Without forced sterilization, forced abortion or forced adoption there is no way to ensure that people will be able to abide by the law.

Finally, a parenting license is not equitable as it will exclude by social class and maybe other factors.
 
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ThePriestess is offline ThePriestess Post #6  November 1,2009, 9:51pm
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Wouldn't the people most in favor of this sort of action claim they are most in favor of less government intrusion in the lives of private citizens?
 
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lil_lamb is offline lil_lamb Post #7  November 1,2009, 10:38pm
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eh, i think what humanity was originally hoping for with marriage is more akin to 'mandatory insurance.'
 
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notyet is offline notyet Post #8  November 1,2009, 11:32pm
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ThePriestess wrote :
Wouldn't the people most in favor of this sort of action claim they are most in favor of less government intrusion in the lives of private citizens?
speaking as someone who wants less government intrusion in the lives of private citizens- i think it is a horrific idea.
 
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meri75 is offline meri75 Post #9  November 2,2009, 12:17am
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Perhaps rather than a blanket approach, it could be used in situations where the child is clearly at risk due to the neglect or abuse of the parent(s).

I don't like the idea of any government controlling whether or not I can have children, that said - I do believe government intervention is sometimes necessary.

Having a small child (fostered by some friends) crawl into my lap and ask not to be sent home because 'Mummy will hurt me' is extremely distressing. What to say? I don't have the authority to re-assure that will not happen and this is not the first time in care for this child.

It is experiences such as this which make me look with rather more interest on this concept - though I think it is a completely emotional, rather than rational, response on my part.
 
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graceventually is offline graceventually Post #10  November 2,2009, 6:26am
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Dear Lord, meri; that's just heartbreaking.

I'm a mandatory reporter, under the laws of this state; so if that happened to me (if a little kid at church did that, etc.) I'd have to call social services.

While there are certainly people that shouldn't have children; I reluctantly have to agree with justme, above.

.....aaand, speaking of marriage licenses, the fiance and I are getting ours within the week
 
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