I declare the Right to Reproduction to remain a human right,
whereby offspring is a voluntary choice,
and the choice promotes non-gender bias.
(personal note: can't say enough of this fantastic non-profit)
is raising awareness about the extreme rise in human species growth
which contrasts the extinction of plants and animals species around the Earth.
Human population growth is a root cause of habitat destruction.
(A unique awareness campaign: volunteer to raise awareness,
distribute Center for Biological Diversity condoms,
click here :)
We are to reach 7 billion humans by the end of October 2011 (now).
10 billion by 2100.
Human overpopulation is a threat
to all species, including ourselves.
That said, education and awareness
needs to be coordinated with
the voluntary choice to have fewer children,
but without gender bias.
The result of gender discrimination of offspring in China, India, and other countries
is described thoroughly in the book Unnatural Selection (2011).
This is an important right for the 21st century.
Future debates are probable.
Questions will come.
What education needs to be given to curb growth
and by who, school or parents?
Does a human need preparation, monetary or other,
in order to have children?
Will reproduction control change the population and evolution?
What new laws are needed?
Which new social norms will be promoted?
This right is supported by the Right to Voluntary Choice.
Revision: thanks to commenters Chuck F., RR, AG
62 comments:
I don't know where to begin with this. It is true that reproduction should be a human right but when the production of life is taken place in countries with an extreme poverty level, than we should enforce control. Producing life carelessly is wrong as well. If we are growing and are food supply is decreasing aren't we going to be extinct too? I agree with the Center for Biological Diversity condoms to raise awareness because it will control our growth rate and will prevent careless production of life. I can continue talking about this, but I know if I continue, I will offend someone with my opinion or views.
Chuck F.
Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children. In countries like China this right is ignored. Over population in this particular country obligates the government to enforce a law that prohibits couples from having more than one child. I declare the right to reproduction as equal for all countries, there is enough space on earth.
S.A.
I agree with the comment posted by Chuck F. Althoug, a new life is a blessing, I believe that it comes with great responsibility. Having a child and being able to support him or her with everything from food to an education is a beautiful thing. However, having a child in different situations such as poverty or for the wrong reasons is very sad. Education and prevention is the key to addressing overpopulation in the world. Once a person is educated and truly ready to be able to support a new life then the Right to Reproducation should apply.
~TP~
I agree with this post. I believe that every human being has the right to reproduction, but like Chuck F. said "what happens when human beings give birth to too many kids, and they are not able to support them?"
This post may appear a bit controversial, and of course can offend a lot of readers; that's not my intention, but I believe that everything has to have a limit. For example: How many people in United States live from the Government because of the right of reproduction? And who pays for all of that? Taxpayers.
One good example on preventive measurements to avoid this issue in the future is what the state of Florida did not too long ago; they created a new law stating that only three kids in a family where able to apply for government assistance.
We should all have compassion, and its logic that no kids should be denied assistance, nevertheless what parents are doing is living off the assistance provided by the Government to support their children. I think that if you are aware and understand the expenses children generate and you cannot support it, you should not have more than one kid. Once again my opinion may offend some people, however my intention is to create a different view on the situation.
*NG*
Reproduction is yet another thing that must never be halted or control in the wrong ways. The more we reproduce the more we evolve, one must mix and fuse one’s genes with another to surpass the previous generation, notice how children always tend to grasp knowledge and its surroundings faster than their parents. Children mentally and maybe even psychically surpass their parents, even if it’s a very small difference it is still something that can be noticed.
AG
Reproduction is our right, but many people have a misconception of this right. It then becomes easy to say that it should be controlled to reproduce, and it many cases this is correct. Like for instance the people who don't realize the actual responsiblity involved with having a child. I agree with the right to reproduction, only if the one reproducing is willing to take it seriously. Any to build the child a foundation good enough for it to understand its privilege to society.JE
I am a firm believer on the right to Reproduction. The right to Reproduction should never be taken away from us. We should always be able to choose how many children we would like. If there were ever a law against Reproduction that would be the end of our freedom as we know it.
Robert M. Pino
The Right to Reproduction is one that should be used carefully. If humans are reproducing at such a quick rate, then we should be less careless in order to not reach such overpopulation on the only planet we have. Where will we put 10 billion people?! I agree we are all entitled to this right, but with the right, comes responsibility and the ability to make the right choices.
BS
I believe that every human being has the right to reproduction. Some religion also states that abortion is a sin. We must educate the population on this right. Not because we have this right it means that we will go around having babies without caring for them, so there must be rules with this right, like being able to care for the offspring in order for this right to work. In my opinion now I am seeing babies making babies. Yes, the population is getting younger. If we educate the population about the care and responsibilities of the offspring there may a reason to abstain or use other means of natural ways until you are ready to have that baby. Honestly I think education should start at home, however most parents find it uncomfortable to talk to their children about this topic. RR
We have already destroyed our world. We as a human race were put here to reproduce and we did an excellent job. These “voluntary choices” are damage control at this point and can only buy us time. We need to take our purpose elsewhere. Our new horizon lies in the blackness of space.
This is sad but so true! People are definitely becoming over populated on earth but it's hard to say that it would be right to stop reproduction because that right there is a human right that should not be taken away. But now how many children is too much? Should there be a limit to the amount of children an individual should have ? Although that might be a good way to limit population that is also another right being taken away from someone because it's someones choice how many children they want in life. I am indecisive with this post but I do have to say i swing more to the Declaration of the right to reproduction. VA
Having a child is the most precious thing on Earth. To be able to know that you create a human being and she/he will be yours forever there is no word to describe such a feeling, but I completely agree with Chuck F-“Producing life carelessly is wrong as well”. I am stronger believer that we should have babies when we are mature enough to take care of that baby educated him, give him love, and be able to support him without having to kill yourself working two jobs and not being able to spend with him the first years of his life that are so important. For example like they mention before now days we see “babies creating babies” young girls that are not even finish with high school are having babies that is insane, they do not have the responsibility or financial resource to give that baby what they really need. We also need to take in consideration if population keeps increasingly so drastically with time human are going to extinct because we are going to start having scarceness of resources such as food, water, ects. I believe we should have the right to Reproduction but with regulations not so extreme as China, but for government to enforce a law that prohibits couples from having more than two child I think two child is enough.
YA
This is a right that should never be taken away or controlled. I believe that humans should absolutely be able to decide how many children they want. There are some who do not take responsibility for their choices and those people should be punished in some way. JENS
I support the right to reproduction. Chuck F and others pretty much address what we all wrestle with, and I don’t believe any responsible adults should be offended. However, we can’t play God and dictate how many kids people have. It’s about choices. In some countries (the USA included) there are not as many options (choices) for young people to stay occupied, so the result is kids having kids. Education regarding birth control works, but some religious beliefs or traditions limit the use. What about unnatural practices for having/ not having children, or controlling gender (fertility treatments, in-vitro, artificial insemination, eventually cloning, abortion, birth control ) how does this affect OUR biodiversity and humanity? Our ability to live longer figures into the equation of more people. Do we stop people from being able to live longer? How we educate the next generation is critical. It can’t be wink-wink, hush- hush. It has to be blunt and truthful. We have to take advantage of this age of technology that is shrinking our national boundaries and cultural barriers. As we head toward 10 Billion what choices will we make now to maintain the wonderful balance of life on this planet for all species to enjoy for a long time? I don’t know.
I have one child, that was plenty. Every time I think I want another child, I babysit for my sister. CTK
We have already destroyed our world. We as a human race were put here to reproduce and we did an excellent job. These “voluntary choices” are damage control at this point and can only buy us time. We need to take our purpose elsewhere. Our new horizon lies in the blackness of space.
R.A.T. Jr
I believe in the Right to Reproduction but it has to be carried out with responsibility of the individuals. I do not think the government in this country should be able to dictate how many children a person or a couple can have. Some countries, for instance, China are extremely overpopulated. China or any other country should not have the right to dictate which gender can live and which should be put to death. In my opinion, that is inhumane and insane. There is a website for teens and college students to remind them, by text message, to take birth control, etc. To check out this website log on to Bedsider.org. DH63
The right to reproduction is a very important right. There are many women that are forced to have children or are tricked into getting pregnant. How the world is being overpopulated, there has to be some kind of control to the amount of children. I believe that not many people realize how overpopulated the world is. There has to be awareness of some kind. I also believe that when the amount of children per family is being controlled by an external force, there will always be gender bias since there is always a preconceived notion to the gender of the child. GIM
Wow, I’m pretty sure everyone can go on for days with this topic, I think when it comes to humans its sure choice to have as many children as they please, but if you know you can’t afford to have several kids then don’t. When it comes to countries like china, Haiti and other poverty countries there should be a limit although its not right but there isn’t as many supplies and needs and necessities there like we have here. Eventually if we in the United States don’t also control the limit to reproduction I think we will soon run out of things. It’s very unfair to others around the world and also heart broken. AFF
I agree with the right to reproduction as long as it is somewhat controlled, in the sense that a country doesn't overpopulate to the point where resources become scarce. Also, if reproduction is going to take place I think it is immoral for a government to choose whether a baby should live or die depending on its gender.
-A.Q-
No one has a right to control an individual’s right to choice and government intervention is oppression at its lowest form. Having expressed that sentiment, in my opinion, no law or religious and moral upbringing has been successful where this issue is concerned. I believe that early education in how a human embryo develops in the womb combined with prevention methods would be more effective. We need a reality check. Children are discussing this subject amongst themselves in elementary school. Let’s promote a healthy atmosphere for this topic. VMR
I support this right completely. I think that the human growth on planet Earth is definitely becoming a problem. As humans, our demands for food, water, and space grow everyday. We all should have the right to have our own kids, but only if we are prepared for it. I personally think it takes responsibility and awareness when it comes to having children. I believe in some cases there should be some rules, but not the complete restriction of not having children. ME
Overpopulation of the planet is a real problem. Between climate change and the ongoing destruction of the world, we face starvation and dehydration on a grand scale. To compound this problem, we here in the "civilized" world have cultures setup in the US and abroad to encourage certain socioeconomic classes to breed to receive more state welfare checks. JS
Reproduction should never by controlled by an outside authority. Even the poorest of people can manage to feed a child (or else there would be no population in that area) and it's too easy to fudge the rules to harm those who have the least change of defending themselves.
It should also be noted that our food supply is NOT decreasing. Plenty of fertile land lays fallow, in America, because there's no profit in planting and selling food there. Not to mention that as science progresses food output per acre goes up as well.
Another point is that even if we somehow get enough people to hit the maximum resource limit within the next year, we won't suddenly go exctinct. The population will just stabilize at that limit. Stabilization, in this case, means people will starve, but as bad as that is it's not a "Humanity is in peril" sort of problem. Humanity is doing far worse things to the world besides just having more people.
--DenisA
Everyday there’s at least one baby that’s born. When reading by 2100 we will be at 2100 people. I thought to myself that’s outrageous. I believe in the right to reproduction. This subject is a bit hard for me. For I am pregnant so the subject is a bit touching. In my opinion they should reduce the amount of kids per household. Honestly we should still be able to reproduce and find other means of sources. For example, turning seawater into drinking water. I think its special to leave a child behind when you die. Everyone should be able to get the opportunity to enjoy a child and raise a child but when there ready.
Signed-SB
I support the right to reproduction. In my opinion, I do not think that any government should be allowed to tell anyone how many children they can have and or what gender they have to be. I think that the if the government did want to put a cap on how many children we were allowed to have then they should have to make it a case by cases bases because there are some people who are actually capable of having more kids than others are. Although educating the world on the issue of over population may help, most people aren’t “big picture” thinkers and they do not think that a choice they make to have multiple children could affect “the world”.-KKP
Reproduction is Part of the life of humans, animals, plants and all other living things alike. To not have the right to reproduce is to put a stop or end date to our existence on this earth. We must all share and mix our genetic make up in order to continue to survive time. Survival of the fittest will keep us moving forward as long as we continue to have the right to reproduce or as I would say, our natural ability to reproduce.
Lz-
The right to reproduction is a human right. A new life is a blessing! But, you must be responsible with the life you are bringing to this world. You must be able to provide everything he/she needs to survive in earth, besides that you must be prepared to give him/her love, attention, care, and dedication. Forget about yourself and think only on that special creature you have in your hands. You will be the motor to allow him/her reach goals every day in life. I agree with the right to reproduction… GLT
I agree with the right of reproduction. People should be able to have as many kids as they want but be mature enough to take on the responsibility. The human species is over populating and will continue to over populate. Personally, when I start my family I want to have a least one child of my own and adopt two or three more. There are plenty of children out there that need a family so instead of reproducing so much just adopt.
M.D.L.
I do believe that everyone has the right to reproduction. But it is true that our population is growing at a rate that we can’t control and that our planet cannot sustain. It is wrong to tell someone how many children they are allowed to have like they do in China and India, but we must inform the public on the danger that our over population is causing to the planet and more importantly us. I do think we should regulate how many children a person can have but we must try to persuade them to have less.
C.Munoz
I agree with this right 100 percent! We do have the right to reproduce and be able to have children without being gender bias. Unfortunately the only problem is that we cannot reproduce just because we need a limit because of over population and its already reaching us. China's rule of killing or only being allowed to have certain amount of kids and if you have extra they have to be taken away and killed. This is unfair this is unfair because they prefer men and now they don’t have enough women so now how are they going to fix that? It’s a hard thing to do but I believe in reproducing but with limits. Cd884
Reproduction is our right. But, like any other right we have, it has to be used wisely. We are all aware that human overpopulation is a serious problem. If we continue to reproduce at the rate we are now, we are going to deplete the earth’s food supply. Therefore, we have to do the right thing. We need to have fewer children, have them at a mature age, and we need to educate these children so that when their time comes they will also make responsible choices.
Torpedo179
Reproduction is our own right, however sometimes it may seem that rules should be placed to control population growth. For instance in some countries that experienced poverty and had overpopulation problems, laws were made to limit child birth. The result of these laws were mass murder of female newborns and a ratio of male to females that was very much out of proportion. Sometimes letting things be is the best solution, I believe that with every new mouth that come to exist god will provide for it.
I believe in the Right to Reproduction. Thanks to that right, all of us are here today. Every day people die and every day new babies are born as well. I support the right but at the same time I think people should be more responsible and have children according to their economical status. The key to avoid overpopulation is preventing and teaching our kids sexual education and abstinence.
Cyn.U
Reproduction is needed for our survival; however, our earth is becoming overpopulated. Overpopulation can contribute to more problems such as extreme poverty and hunger. I do believe in the right to reproduction, however being prepared and educated is nonnegotiable. We must educate ourselves about the consequences and risks involved in overpopulation and over-reproducing. Reproduction should be controlled in a way that does not hinder our right to reproduction. In many lesser-developed countries, many people have children without the means to take care of them. This issue needs to be controlled because it only leads to the suffering of an additional innocent being. With that being said, if you are ready to have children and have the means to support them, no one should stop you from it.
I agree with the Right to Reproduction. Everyone should have the right to decide how many children they want and be responsible to care for the child. It is careless for the parent to have children and not find a means to nurture and provide for them. This world is not perfect and people do make mistakes but; I do not think that limiting children would be the answer. Taking better care of our resources and finding new ways to provide for the population might be a better solution. DS
The right to reproduction it's a great gift from God ,if it is well understood .If not,it can cause a lot of problems like overpopulation that affects every aspect of our society. Reproduction ,especially in third world countries, can be a disaster if not controlled without gender bias thru education and awareness. As a father to two beautiful kids , i believe in the right to reproduction by choice. They are the greatest achievement of my life. Something I will cherish for ever,they are my pride and joy. cjj
I believe every human being has the right to reproduce. It is obvious that we should not abuse of this right because of our problem with overpopulation. Every person should be aware of their economical situation and choose whether they can care properly for their offspring or not. When times are difficult, we should be able to take wiser decisions and think of our future and how to progress. Whatever blessing we receive, whether it be a boy or girl should be equal in our eyes. AO
I believe in the right to reporoduction, with responsibility. I do not agree with the government controlling how many kids you can have or their gender. Having a child takes responsibility and its not just "I hope the government helps me." I think this right is more towards an individual and their values for life.
-LizR
Seeing how the population is going to be increasing immensely as the years pass, people MUST be aware about the changes that will be going on. Human overpopulation is a threat to ALL species. Laws controlling reproduction should be put into effect in order to maintain a steady growing/constant population. This of course will bring a lot of controversy. The Right to Reproduction should also include the right to reproduce as many times wanted. Seeing as this topic can also fall under the Right to Respect the Physical Body. Although everyone has a choice, people still need to be educated in the effects this overpopulation can have on the world.
-PCR.
Personally i think people are having to many kids now a days, and one day the Earth will be overpopulated and by being over populated this means sacrificing animal species that we are trying so hard to save. Right to reproduction yeah, but with limitations.-RBM
I believe in the right to reproduction. Once a mother a mother till death. To become a responsible parent it is a lot of work and it takes a lot sacrifices. I believe that one should be able to parent a child when you can provide, care, bring the child to a healthy environment, dedicate proper time and attention, and also provide good nutrition. A child is not easy to take care of and it is very expensive. I feel that people that cannot provide these criteria’s should not have a child, because it is not fair to the innocent child that he picked the wrong parents.
KP
The Right to Reproduction is a very sensitive discussion. I believe in awareness and education. As far as controlling people in order to not reproduce so that the world or certain countries do not become over populated, I'm not sure about this being a safe and morally correct decision. NOBRA
Reproduction is a right that can't be taken away from any living species (humans, animals, plants etc) although it needs to have some sort of limits. Some of us humans are very well aware that having a baby it means adding an enormous bill to the ones we already have (not in a bad way) and that this baby needs love, affection, attention and above all a place to live and food. When you are ready to have a baby is because you have talked about it and you know that you are ready to take on a challenge of a life time and be responsible for another living person that depends solely on you, this doesn't mean that you can have 20 kids. we do need to keep in mind that we are not the only living specie in this world and the more we reproduce the more earth we take away from the other species that do need to reproduce as well. Remember that before us there were the Dinosaurs and they are gone now, why who knows but if we over reproduce and over populate and keep taking other lives in our way, we might become extinct too. CMP
While the idea of reproduction control seems like a good solution to the human overpopulation threat, I think the focus should be on the education and the awareness teachers, parents, etc, need to implement unto their children. I greatly believe a child that is raised and nurtured with the right foundations and education will grow up to crave for success and self-improvement not only at a career level but as a human and citizen of this world. A person who knows the reality before his/her eyes, that knows the amount of effort and time that takes to give oneself a decent (or more than) life knows that having children too young or under an environment filled with different deprivations is not the most ideal of routes. I believe people who are better prepared and know the kind of life they want to lead have a better perception of what the reality is. My intend is not to offend anyone but simply giving my take and thought on this right.
I believe in the right to reproduction. It is a individuals' choice. However, if an individual feel they do not want to reproduce, I believe they should take the necessary precautions to prohibit reproduction. RhW
The Right to Reproduction is almost "God-given" if you will. We're animals and reproducing is part of our existence, our survival as a species. We're free to do as we please with ourselves. However, I do think there are issues that can arise from this, such as:
-Human population expanding too fast
-Giving birth to more children than one can support creates a burden on others
-Lastly, some people just aren't cut out to raise a child properly
Although it is our right, I wish some people would take into consideration what they're doing when it comes to having their 8th child or one more baby that they won't be able to care for. Cbereng
Everyone should be entitled to have as many children as they want. The Lord said "be fruitful and multiply", he wouldn’t say that if he did not think he could provide for us all. Besides, I don’t think that laws need to be passed I think that most people do not want more than two kids (at least in the US). I can see the center for biological diversities concern though. Maybe we should invest more time in finding another planet to migrate to. This worries me because I feel that the government doesn’t find cures for diseases in hope that people die to make space for others.
I believe reproduction is something each person can chose whether or not to act upon. It is a decision that should be properly considered and planned. Over population can be a danger to earth but so can many things things that are out of our control. I believe the world it self takes care of this problem, how can a society create laws to limit or stop reproduction? I believe each individual carries the right to reproduction as they please, and I believe there is enough space in the earth to allow for human reproduction.
-DBM
Reproduction is intrinsic part of the human cycle of life as specie, like as in plants,animals,etc.
It is unquestionable the right to reproduction since this is the only biological way to evolve as specie, even when all the "human ecological mess" is due to the unnatural and anti- evolutionary way the human has handle his ecological niche. I think, the individual, not the state, has the right to decide freely and responsibly the number,spacing,timing and, if the technology allow, the gender of their offspring.
absolutely.
Although I believe every woman has the right to reproduction, certain things need to be considered before bringing a life into this world, like can you provide shelter? Will they be able to receive an education? Will they always have food? All of those things need to be considered and if the answer is yes to all of them than I support your right reproduction.
the last one was CP sorry :)
I agree with this right 100%. I have actually had this conversation with my friends and my response was that we only live life once and we should be able to reproduce to our satisfaction. Whether we are financially stable or not that is the person's decision. Yes some people are irresponsible and may not even deserve to have children, but in the end if they don't abuse the child then I say let the people do what they want. Who is someone else to tell you how to live your life?!-NR
The right to reproduction is something to really think about. If we limit the offspring we can promote extinction for every living thing in the earth. If we continue to exercise reproduction in the manner we do, we will be forced to overpopulation. Neither is a good thing. Which way do we go? What route do we take? Even though I believe reproduction is a personal choice, sometimes it ought to be curtailed. Why subject offspring to poverty, hunger, and early death? Why bring them onto this earth to suffer, be abused, or enslaved? We ought to think wisely on the choices we make. Although many women can reproduce, it does not make us the only route to the conservation of human kind. YYD
LET'S MAKE SOME BABIES!
Most people want to have kids, nobody can tell us to "Slow Down". I say we keep going till we run out of space, Which will be a VERY long time, and by that time we should have the technology to go to the place where there is plenty of space, outer space.
-AJG
I agree with The Right of Reproduction.We should be able to reproduce as many children we want no one should take that right away from us.My opinion to this as long as everyone reproduces wisely they shouldnt have any issues it is our right to reproduction.JP
Reproduction should be left alone, it is a human right and no one should be told whether they can have kids or not. What we should be focusing on to reduce the over population is to come to terms that people are going to die. Millions of people everyday are kept on life support and have resucitation efforts forced upon them, even when they dont want them. We need to get over ourselves in thinking that its so hard for us to see people go, and start thinking about what the person would have wanted. All these resources and funding to keep people alive could be used in more efficient ways and making the person who is dying have QUALITY of life not QUANTITY.
---D.O.---
I absolutely disagree with any sort of laws regarding reproduction. While I agree that more education and resources to teach about responsible reproduction and parenting would be wonderful and I would fully support programs that helped with that, I would never support laws on reproduction in this country or any other.
In the beginning of the article, the author described how the earth’s population would hit 10 billion by October, 2011. There is a new wave of construction that has been brought to light. Building into the ground as opposed to what is considered typical housing and construction in today’s society. It seemed as though there was a concern with over population. Societies are being built underground, where sustainability already exists. There have even been documentaries about this. Reproduction is a right and is should never be controlled or manipulated to benefit someone else’s interests. The creation of another life is one of our greatest gifts, society should embrace it instead of trying to control it. Humans were also given the ability to think critically. Look at all the problems we have solved in the past 150 years. Housing shouldn’t be any different.
AAA
I support “The Right to Reproduction”. God said be fruitful and multiply. In China the
way, their citizens kill or give their daughters up for adoption because, of the
stipulations made by the government and overpopulation, are so demeaning in a way.
Children are our future of tomorrow. As long as you are able to provide for your
children, reproduce as many as possible. Humans make the world go round.
I support “The Right to Reproduction”. God said be fruitful and multiply. In China the
way, their citizens kill or give their daughters up for adoption because, of the
stipulations made by the government and overpopulation, are so demeaning in a way.
Children are our future of tomorrow. As long as you are able to provide for your
children, reproduce as many as possible. Humans make the world go round.
JD
The right to reproduction is a difficult topic to agree or disagree on but ultimately it ties into the right of choice. We all have a choice to reproduce. From the begining of time we were blessed with the gift of life. Thus controlling it would be breaking a human right...mlv...
I don't think it is a right because having children is a big responsibility and requires some financial commitment and patines. The person who wants to make it as a right has to have the ability to provide for his children food, medication, and education. That person has to have a high level of maturity.
M.A. ( Muaath Alheji )
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