I am really of two minds about the birth control thing. On the one hand, I think abstinence only education is a GOOD thing. Frankly, if more people kept their zippers zipped and their legs closed, we wouldn't have nearly the problem with poverty we have today. Since it has become acceptable to have babies hither and yon out of wedlock, with as many baby-daddies as you please, we now have huge problems of exactly the example you described. A huge factor of poverty would be eliminated if people would stop having babies out of wedlock. There were good reasons for Christianity to have so many strictures against pre-marital sex and affairs - it destroys the family unit. But, on the other hand, abstinence only ed doesn't work, because every other message they receive is sex is wonderful, go for it, it is your right, etc etc etc. So yes, birth control should be taught about and provided.
The social programs you describe are great, but they only help those who WANT to help themselves, and end the cycle. Too many people don't have the basic intelligence, or are addicted, or have some other outside factor going on. I think eliminating addiction, and eliminating out-of-wedlock babies would be two HUGE steps in breaking the cycle of poverty. Unfortunately, those two things can only be influenced by society at large, not by the government.
I don't believe in making anyone suffer for past choices either. But if you absolve everyone of all responsibility for their situation, all you do is create a class of victims who feel entitled, which is where we are right now.
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Date: 2006-11-02 05:59 pm (UTC)The social programs you describe are great, but they only help those who WANT to help themselves, and end the cycle. Too many people don't have the basic intelligence, or are addicted, or have some other outside factor going on. I think eliminating addiction, and eliminating out-of-wedlock babies would be two HUGE steps in breaking the cycle of poverty. Unfortunately, those two things can only be influenced by society at large, not by the government.
I don't believe in making anyone suffer for past choices either. But if you absolve everyone of all responsibility for their situation, all you do is create a class of victims who feel entitled, which is where we are right now.