Would Unplanned Parenthood be better? |
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While the "new conservatives" try to regress from the gains of the last few decades, NARAL, NOW & Planned Parenthood are still fighting to give women control of their own bodies. It's less than amusing that the loudest noises against these groups come from the fundamentalist wing of the Republican Party which also wants to shut off every form of assistance that might help provide a decent life for an unwanted or unexpected child. Remember -- this generation's unwanted children are candidates to become the next generation's muggers, rapists and murderers -- look at the backgrounds of parental abuse and neglect frequently found in today's most heinous criminals. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell would like us to believe that their narrow hard-line definition of Christianity is everyone's definition. It is encouraging to note the existence of groups such as the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and the The Interfaith Alliance who find room in their religious lives for a more thoughtful and rational approach to the realities of today's world. Any thinking person should be able to see that a finite planet cannot support infinite growth, yet our Federal government maintains higher taxes on singles, childfree and empty-nester couples, to support tax breaks to effectively reward people who have too many children! Why aren't the world's religious leaders promoting stewardship of their god's earth? They should be encouraging parents to be responsible citizens:
Instead they oppose family planning and promote a live-for-today attitude toward the Earth's limited natural resources! Some sources indicate that between forty and fifty percent of live births in the USA are unplanned or unintended. Population Connection calls attention to population issues and attempts to encourage the promotion of sensible policies that will contribute to a better quality of life. D. W. Thomas July 2001 |