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Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile
What exactly did you find "inane"? The fact that I'd prefer to see BOTH parties to a child held financially accountable for his or her upbringing (not just one)? For one I see right through your postings here - you want to use this issue to make a case for free* birth control for women and of course the ability to take a swipe at males and paint them as irresponsible is an added bonus, right?
There's a very simple rule that would work - inexpensively - for reducing unplanned pregnancies. Educate your daughters to say "no way we're having sex unless you wear a condom every single time". How effing hard is that? Condoms are cheap -far cheaper than IUDs or birth control pills. We're not talking about the <1% of the time they don't work here either. Between just saying "no" and saying "not without a rubber" it's pretty damn unlikely a woman will find herself pregnant. If you're not convinced and want to provide "free"* birth control to women so they won't have to be burdened with having a backbone then go right ahead - feel free to make a donation to the doctors office of your choice. As for me, I ain't paying for someone else to go sleep around. If someone does and gets pregnant, it isn't my problem. I pay for my own kids - they can pay for theirs. If those kids end up in a less advantaged situation that's also not my problem.
* "free" to them - as in, "people like me are expected to pay for it so they can get it for free and be as irresponsible and promiscuous as they want without consequence"
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So, most teenaged moms grow up to be not-so-great parents, often absent, sometimes drug users or alcoholics, they have a variety of issues. Who do you think is going to tell those teenaged daughters of those moms not to have kids - those 'not so great moms'? Most of these 'families' don't even come close to representing any sort of 'family life'. They don't sit down to family dinners and talk about their day, the kids grab a frozen pizza, toss it in the microwave while mom is at the bar. That mom isn't around to impart such wisdom as 'make sure he wears a condom'. What fantasy world are you living in POP?
And actually all birth control works really well - it doesn't have to be the pill. In fact, if you look at the study I linked it referenced the baskets of free condoms at neighborhood health clinics as having a huge impact on the teen pregnancy rate in those neighborhoods. I think you are thinking that Baz's statement regarding the pill was mine. I believe I have only referenced birth control, and condoms are birth control, and are the easiest for teens to get - often they can just walk into the local clinic and just grab a bunch, no real questions asked.
oh, believe me, I give plenty (both in time and money) with regards to this problem. We have discussed this before. I worked very hard on a
program in Colorado where birth control (IUDs in this case) were provided to girls in areas with high teen pregnancies rates. Education as well as birth control was provided at no charge, and the rates plummeted. Far cheaper than the extreme high cost of these girls going on medicaid while they are pregnant - having the child on medicaid, and then getting government assistance for them and the child. And, it looks like these girls are completing high school at a much higher rate, and going on to school after high school. They will be 'makers' not 'takers' as time goes on. And hopefully with the required education that went along with the supplied IUD, they will be waiting to have families until they are settled, and can afford to have children. Of course, the
GOP in Colorado isn't going to continue funding a great program because they have their heads up their butts....
I realize you would like to see starving, neglected children in America, your entire 'it isn't my problem' rant certainly indicates your proclivity there, but I think we can do better than that. And you will pay for them, society isn't going to accept starving children... so how about working at preventing those pregnancies, at a pretty darn cheap rate, than providing for those children, which adds up to 10s of thousands. Again, your tax dollars will go to providing for those children, whether you like it or not.