Current Events > Should couples have to earn a parenting license before having offspring?

(+) Yeah! (+)

If being able to drive or a gun is considered a big responsibility that requires background checks, shouldn't there be requirements for the biggest responsibility of all: having kids?

Absolutely
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I would 100% support this so long as it was something that was not biased on race or same sex couples. Could lead to a lot less broken homes.

How would you test them?

Would they have to take care of a tester baby for a few months and then a tester toddler for a few months?

Where would you get the children from and how would you make the process legal?

NYmasajista posted...

How would you test them?

Would they have to take care of a tester baby for a few months and then a tester toddler for a few months?

Where would you get the children from and how would you make the process legal?

I think a tester child, as well as a few parental knowledge tests would be good. Maybe if they fail on either aspect have them take a course before trying again. Nothing to fully blacklist people, just to make sure that people know what they are getting into.

And what happens with the unplanned children?
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A test is needed with how many stupid and bad parents there are out there now.
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REMercsChamp posted...

And what happens with the unplanned children?

It's possible foster care could be utilized in situations like this and upon passing the test the parents can claim their child. If such testing actually reduced abusive situations the actual foster care system wouldn't be as stressed as it is now.

Would just take a rework of the system to be more preventive than reactive.

Absofuckinglutely.
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Sure, as long as licenses cannot be bought or lobbied for...
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If any politician proposed it the immediate reaction would be "That's racist!"
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REMercsChamp posted...

And what happens with the unplanned children?

Babies are easy to rehome. Tons of parents out there who can't have children and looking for one.

The reason our current foster care system sucks is because it is filled with teenagers and no one wants to adopt teenagers.

In theory if you take the unplanned children as babies you get them adopted much easier and you wouldn't have any teenagers in the system.

Regarding the topic, it's not that some people should not be allowed to have kids. Have a training course that you have to complete before you get the parenting license.

Before I could adopt, I had to get a series of background checks, an extensive home study, and a 27 hour childcare course. Why couldn't we do the same with birth parents?
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No
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The problem with licensing in this case (having children) is that proper enforcement of it is simply impractical.

"Whoopsie" (illegal, in this case) babies would still need to be cared for, unless the plan is to destroy them (unethical).

Offenders could be legal minors. How do you handle that situation?

How do you enforce a suspension or revocation of the license?

I assume at some point the only recourse is to "fix" the offender, or somehow prevent them from engaging in reproductive behavior. Is this really a hill worth fighting for, much less dying on?

It's just 1984 bullshit.
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Alkaloid posted...

The problem with licensing in this case (having children) is that proper enforcement of it is simply impractical.

"Whoopsie" (illegal, in this case) babies would still need to be cared for, unless the plan is to destroy them (unethical).

Offenders could be legal minors. How do you handle that situation?

How do you enforce a suspension or revocation of the license?

I assume at some point the only recourse is to "fix" the offender, or somehow prevent them from engaging in reproductive behavior. Is this really a hill worth fighting for, much less dying on?

It's just 1984 bullshit.

Ideally, they have a way of making everyone sterile by default and reverse it in those who pass the tests, enabling them to procreate
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What kind of idiot seriously thinks this is a good idea?
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Other questions for TC:

Who gets to set and enforce these rules?

What about people who would be good parents but have a high likelihood for genetic defects in their offspring?

This stuff isn't new as eugenics was very popular in this country a century ago. It went out of style after WW2 because the Nazis had put it into effect on a large scale and people that were into it saw that their ideas did ultimately lead to genocide.

fucking weirdo fascists itt
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FigureOfSpeech posted...

Alkaloid posted...

The problem with licensing in this case (having children) is that proper enforcement of it is simply impractical.

"Whoopsie" (illegal, in this case) babies would still need to be cared for, unless the plan is to destroy them (unethical).

Offenders could be legal minors. How do you handle that situation?

How do you enforce a suspension or revocation of the license?

I assume at some point the only recourse is to "fix" the offender, or somehow prevent them from engaging in reproductive behavior. Is this really a hill worth fighting for, much less dying on?

It's just 1984 bullshit.

Ideally, they have a way of making everyone sterile by default and reverse it in those who pass the tests, enabling them to procreate

Well that's just Brave New World bullshit.