A Father at 13 years of age

[Wästed The Great]

I hate to say it, but some people already have nothing to live for at 17. Having a child prevents them for becoming fucked up for good, and the care and responsibility for a child can give them a meaning and an opportunity to become a good person after all.

Hm... personally, I have a problem with that.  This goes back to that "love" thread ONhell had going.  I know many people that have had kids to make themselves feel better, and it usually ends up with a fucked up parent and child, rather than two happy people.  I dig that it can happen, that having that 'meaning of life' present can make a difference on someone's responsibility meter-- but, it seems that more often than not, it doesn't work. Of course, that is here in the rural midwest-- moral's are a little skrewy here.

 

[Kopfanatic]

Maybe I'm being cynical, but I think some of you guys are missing the point.Theres no sentiment here, these people know what they're doing.Its a fast track to a house and a lifetime of benefits.They've done it, their parents have done it(if they knew who their father was!) and their kids will eventually do it. There is a sub culture of people dependent on the state, they know exactly what they can claim, and how to get it.

Its a sad fact that a stable family life (ie 1 father & 1 mother) has been systematically eroded by successive Governments in this country, through taxation etc.
There has been uproar recently by the news that the Grandparents of 2 children have been denied access to them because they are fighting the council who want a gay couple to adopt the kids.They have allegedly been told that if they protest, then they will not be allowed to see the children.

Now I'm not homophobic, but this just isn't right.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Kopfanatic has a point. There is a subculture here in the states that know how to work the system. You see now sometimes three generations of families on welfare of one form or another.

 

[Onhell]

Ok, this is to show the dark side of "shame." Nigel said that there is something to be said,

There used to be a thing called shame. If you were a high school age girl and you got pregnant, it was very serious. You embarassed not only your self, but also your entire family. ...

Just this past week a girl at my Alma Mater gave birth in her dorm room shower and proceeded to put her baby in a plastic bag along some of her dirty clothes and left it AT THE FOOT OF HER BED!

Bad person? definitely, but what is shocking is that she was a "good girl." Bible camp counselor, "A" Student, etc. The baby was saved and is suffering from hypoxia (oxygen depravations).

I think her motivation was shame. Was stupid for a couple of minutes and fearing parental and social backlash, hid her pregnancy and tried killing the child... great. More on that here:

http://www.shadowscope.com/archives/2009/02/sarah_tatum_arrested_for_trying_to_kill_the_baby.php