What are you thinking RIGHT NOW?

[FireAndSun]

^ Maybe. But everyone is at least a bit selfish. I personally think I may want kids at some point. Does that make me selfish? Perhaps. But it can't be helped. People are going to keep having kids regardless.

[Simbaholikov]

I love it when parents call those that don't want kids "selfish", but ask a parent why they had kids and their response would likely always begin with "I want(ed)".

[Arbystrider]

^ Well, I mean the human species would die without having kids. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on your point view, but at least a good chunk of humanity feels a desire to reproduce.

Cancer cells also would die out if they didn't reproduce. Something to think about.

[FireAndSun]

^ I'm just stating a biological fact. Like I said whether it's a good or bad thing depends on your point of view. I don't quite equate humans with cancer personally. Do we have many many many problems? For sure. But I see good things about us too. It depends on your perspective.

[KopsTheTerminator]

I don't mind people having kids. I mind idiots having kids. If I had a penny for every idiot who refused to vaccinate their kid because they think they cause autism or it "goes against their beliefs" I'd be rich. It's sad that it's usually the people who are most capable of raising children don't usually have them.

[FireAndSun]

^ I definitely agree. Sometimes I think those who can have kids should honestly be restricted. The issue is how it would be done, since that's definitely starting to tread into potentially unethical territory. But some people should just not have kids, either because they are abusive, or at incapable of caring for them. And in that sense, having kids because you can't care for them, is definitely one of the most selfish things one can do.

[KopsTheTerminator]

Honestly I've always supported parental licenses. We need licenses to drive cars safely, why don't we need licenses to raise the next generation when the consequences of raising children wrong range from low-self-confidence to full blown traumas and abuse? It's nonsensical. You even get checks before adopting pets. Why is a child any different? If you're a good parent you have nothing to fear. If you can't raise a child you shouldn't be having it in the first place.

[FireAndSun]

^ I'm honestly not sure. We don't do enough for children from my perspective. Even if one doesn't like children, they don't deserve to be mistreated. Children are our future. They need to be raised properly.

[Simbaholikov]

I think more people should honestly adopt a child before bringing their own into the world, why bring more lives into the world when there are already so many here waiting for a home and a family? Ridiculous. Hell there's even checks before you can adopt a child but not for having your own? Something needs to change.

[Arbystrider]

Honestly I've always supported parental licenses. We need licenses to drive cars safely, why don't we need licenses to raise the next generation when the consequences of raising children wrong range from low-self-confidence to full blown traumas and abuse? It's nonsensical.

People need training and liscensing to drive cars because land transport infrastructure is built to exacting standards. Drive on one side of the road. U-turns are only legal in certain circumstances. Traffic signals are standardised. Et cetera.

Raising a child is something completely subject to the parent. There are thousands of cultures on this planet, each with different philosophies on life - Child-rearing being an aspect of such. To implement a parenting-liscensing scheme is to enforce one particular philosophy on child-rearing, and completely stripping away culture.

Whether you claim someone's child-rearing philosophy is retarded or not is your own belief. I too believe that there are many dumb parents out there who do stupid crap, but ultimately it's their fault if their child turns out to be stupid crap as well. Nobody has any right to enforce any culture onto another person.

If you can't raise a child you shouldn't be having it in the first place.

By whose authority? You want to pick and choose who gets to raise a child and who doesn't? This is some 1984-level totalitarian regime stuff right here.