Sterilize everyone at birth?

[Freedom123]

Originally Posted by NorthStarDelight

Interesting thread, as I'm very fond of "what if?" games myself.

While the idea of forced sterilizations sounds awfully Big Brotherish, I do think we need to find ways to prevent the "welfare mom" syndrome that's the cause of so many of our problems. What I would do is offer a series of choice-based programs that people could *elect* to do if desired, but make it tempting enough to ensure widespread voluntary participation.

For example, offering teens a chuck of money that would be released at the age of 18 to do whatever he or she wants to do with it, and the earlier a child accepts, the larger the sum would be at age 18. To win back the right to have a child, they would have to pay back the money that they got, or at least a majority of it. Also, I would do things like mandating anyone that's receiving welfare to be given birth-control shots, as to make it impossible for them to have any additional children while on benefits. Only fair, if you ask me.

As for those teens taking the "cash option" so to speak, I can imagine a lot of poorer kids would jump on that, and I would offer even more money in the form of scholarships to colleges and vocational centers - so a poor, but ambitious kid could take the scholarship money, go to school for free without worrying about getting anyone pregnent (everyone knows how it is in the heat of the moment...LOL), and then when they get a good job and made a decent income, they could pay back the money that they got for making sure they didn't have a child before they were ready. In the case of scholarships, I would make the payback rate the same as if they took the cash option, to encourage kids to go the scholarship route. Of course, anyone that takes the money and runs, they can just not have kids and never have to worry about paying it back - but they'd have the option of changing their mind if and when they were ready to settle down and have a family.

I think a program such as this would help end the long-term cycle of poverty in this country by dramatically reducing childbirth among the poorer segments of the population. Over time, this should greatly reduce the poverty rate, not to mention crime, child abuse, etc.

Just an idea anyways, dunno if it could actually ever be implemented...lol.

Good afternoon,

I applaud your ideas, especially educationally. Most people just complain without solutions. However, by continuing cash welfare for able-bodied people, we are treating the symptoms instead of the illness. Offering jobs for anyone who wants them for the same monthly check (or more) than what they would have received in a welfare check is a better solution than requiring them to take birth control and paying people cash to make the right decisions everyone else makes without the cash incentive.

Educationally, we already giving financial incentives for poor people through Pell Grants. I am very familiar with technical colleges, and poor students typically have enough money to cover their tuition, books, plus a cash refund, so we're already implementing your idea.

People who have jobs (and goals) are less likely to keep making babies since they are busy, and are also less likely if they are required to work in exchange for receiving the funds.

[GloryB]

I can't imagine putting the government in charge of anything slightly resembling reproductive organs.

[Optional Angel]

This is a bit too personal for me. I would very much rather just have the government more actively promoting birth control and making it more readily available.