Paper on Population Control

In early years human population and population growth has not been an issue. This is because of the variety of different environmental factors. Sickness and disease has played a large role in keeping human population under control since the beginning of time. It seemed that when a population would get over crowded an epidemic such as, the influenza or small pox would break out. This would drastically decrease the population enough that it would be under control again. Famine is another great controller of population. When a famine strikes an area only the few with enough food will be able to reproduce or even survive. An examination of world population control would not be complete with out including war. War also performs wonders at controlling population by murdering most men of child rearing age. In today†s day and age, with our current technology increases disease outbreak and famine (except in some 3rd world countries) is not much of a factor any more. War is not considered a valid population control method due to today†s â€Å"new† wars. Without the three largest population controllers much of a factor anymore population is free to run out of control. This provides us with an ever-increasing controversy; this is whether government or society should dictate family size. I believe that society can infringe indirect controls over family size, but these are considered more community norms as opposed to hard fast rules such as governments can set. Two examples will follow. First, we will look at our society. Yes, the USA†s turn to no child and one child families. This was caused by society. Society pushes Americans to have successful careers both male and female. There has been a switch from families to careers. This not providing Americans with the time or means for multiple children, but cutting the number down to one or none. Another example of society's control, is the push in some Asian/Middle Eastern countries for a family†s first child to be male. Even when there is no government regulation many cultures push for your first child to be male. This forces families to abort females and even murder them once they have been born. Once again this is a society/cultural push not a mandated rule. These instances are what different societies have created for themselves, when included in one of these societies it is hard to say whether it is right or wrong. I will first address the aspect that government should not control family size. First of all, it is a natural and religious right to produce offspring. Breed, multiply and populate has been the belief since the beginning of time. The idea is to grow population so that our beliefs and way of life may be spread and passed on. Who is government to take these right away? Governmental control over family size goes against everything that the USA stands for. This would be an age-old idea called freedom. When a government starts dictating the kind and size of family a person can have. Almost all freedom is lost. Another topic briefly addressed above is the aborting and murdering of babies that aren†t male. A first hand example of this is China. China regulates or gives incentives to families that only produce one child. This is where the problem begins because most families want this child to be male. Male children are providers and will go out and join the working world. They will be â€Å"successful†. Many female babies are aborted once sex is determined. If sex is not determined before birth, once born many female babies are abandoned or destroyed. This showing the cruelty that government controlled family size will push people to. Government should control family size because in most instances the general population can not handle this for themselves. A prime example of this is our already over crowded inner cities. People with chemical addictions and no financial means are cranking out babies right and left. They have no means of providing for all of these children. Government currently provides for these under privileged children, that as cruel as it sounds, should not have been born. I have had a first hand example of this problem. A family friend in another state has adopted three crack babies from the same mother; this mother is also on welfare. This certain mother is by no means an exception. China is another example of why government needs to control population. Look at the current problems that they are faced with because in previous years they have done nothing. Left uncontrolled, population will snowball out of control. Government needs to be aware of the ever -increasing population growth problem. I believe that rather that mandating how many children a family can have. They should educate its population on different means of birth control and possibly start providing for free. Especially in this country a harsher penalties needs to be imposed for chemical dependent mothers that become baby factories. An education/management plan can be imposed allowing individuals the freedom to determine the number of children they desire to have.