Posted on 06/03/2004 3:57:30 PM PDT by AngieGal
"It seems that since feminists couldn’t convince mothers to value their careers over their children, they’d convince them not to become mothers at all."
Being married and deliberately avoiding having children is like chewing your food and spitting it out without digesting it. An empty exercise that completely misses the point.
Probably two of the most interesting and counter cultureal books on the subject of motherhood are called THE WAY HOME and her second ALL THE WAY HOME by MARY PRIDE. First time I was introduced to children as a blessing rather than a curse or as an sociatial expectation.
Compare and contrast to this article about Japanese Men and Women
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20040603/6255200s.htm
So there is a dark side to the "zero population growth" movement. When succesful it actually has a very large and negative societal impact.
I remember reading a similar article several weeks ago about the same kind of problems in Greece. Basically, the Greek Women have had it with the Macho Greek men who won't help at all with the kids or house work. So as a result Greece now has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe these days.
I recently spoke with a distant aunt who had no children. Husband gone and all the friends they spent their lives with are now dead. She never paid much attention to the upcoming generations, seemed to consider them a bother. Now she is looking back on her life and realizing that friends are not the be all end all.
I dunno. If someone is so self-centered that they put their own needs ahead of everyone else's, then perhaps it's best that they don't have children. Just imagine the hell of growing up knowing you're the least important thing in your parents' lives.
When I hear about the glorification of a "no children" life-style I can't help but wonder who will love these childless people enough to take care of them when they are very old. Will they become one of so many nameless elderly warehoused and abandoned? Perhaps these people will usher in wholesale euthenasia.
When you grow old with no children maybe your nephew or niece will be kind enough to commit you to the Nursing Home,
When I hear about the glorification of a "no children" life-style I can't help but wonder who will love these childless people enough to take care of them when they are very old.
Puts a lot of meaning into the expression, "I have nothing to live for". Sad, oh so sad. They really don't know what they are missing out on.
Oh you have GOT to see this!
Interesting article about Japanese self-extinction. Reminds me of the line from Jerry Pournelle's novel "Oath of Fealty" - "Think of it as evolution in action."
There's an FR thread on that article here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1146931/posts
I think I have more respect for women who know they don't want to become mothers and who choose to remain childless than I do for a woman who has a baby because it seems "the thing to do"... then parks it in daycare 12 hours per day, spends all energy on her career, sees the child as a hindrance, etc., etc. Reminds me of these Hollywood "moms" who have or adopt children then seem to regard them as a fashion accessory to be handed off to the nanny when inconvenient. I don't think every woman should necessarily be a mother.... I think this article demonstrates some women are better off without children. As I said, I think some credit is due women who view it realistically and then don't have a child for some selfish reason only to neglect it in favor of career, money, fame, whatever...
Very well said.
This is one of the things that frustrates me about some conservatives. I like my job. Being a mom does not have to mean that I can't still gain enjoyment from my career. Enjoyment aside, it's very challenging for a young couple to buy a reasonably priced home in a safe area, and to do so on one income is nearly impossible.
I've had conservatives tell me that if I plan to do anything besides be a stay-at-home-mom, my children will be irrevocably screwed up. As a person who was in daycare, I can state that if mom and dad do a good job, a daycare situation does not have to be a negative experience. I still consider my old caregiver to be a member of my family and she is a woman whose presence has blessed my life.
I don't understand married couples choosing not to have kids - we can't wait to start our family, and waiting the next few years until we're more financially stable will be hard. Yeah, they're a lot of work, but I'm told the blessings of a family are immeasurable.
"When I hear about the glorification of a "no children" life-style I can't help but wonder who will love these childless people enough to take care of them when they are very old....Perhaps these people will usher in wholesale euthenasia."
I was thinking the other day that just such a scenario would make a good plot for a futuristic, dystopian novel. I hope the next generation will learn from my generation's mistakes, in this and many other ways.
I'm childless and am honestly not sure if I even want children. However, I do not think my life will have been a waste if I don't have them.
I don't think that euthanasia will be ever legal in this country (religious sensibilities are too strong) but I think that discreet euthanasia will probably be widely practiced. No family, no visitors -- who would miss them or care?
In the present political climate, the government can't cut back on the programs, so it may cut back on the people.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.