Should people be sterilized against their will?

People should have to prove to society that they are worthy of the privilege to be a parent.

And who or what would make the determination that a person was indeed worthy?

 

As I said, I believe that convicted murderers should not be allowed to produce children. You say that people always keep their basic civil rights. Well, when a person kills someone, they are taking away that person's basic civil rights. I think in cases like that, sterilization is justifiable.

 

I don't believe in an eye for an eye, which that concept basically sounds like.

I don't see how anyone could have the authority to decide such a thing.

 

The truly stupid will remove themselves from the genepool usually. See the Darwin Awards.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Unfortunatally, I agree with both of you. People should somehow prove that they are stable enough to bear children, but then how do you determin if you can or not? By who's standards must you go by? What possible standards would be fair? Who has the right to make such standards?

Maybe instead of saying "you must earn the right to have kids," it should be "you can lose the right if you mess up baddly." However, that would just lessens the problem a little bit, it would not get rid of it.

I feel sorry for the kids who have abbusive parrents, who are hurt or who are in any way screwed over of a good life because of bum parrents, and something like this is one of the few ways that that pain and suffering can be lessened.

 

The truly stupid will remove themselves from the genepool usually.

In theory, yes. But I think our society does everything it can to protect the stupid at the expense of the intelligent. Case and point: the woman who spilled hot coffee and sued McDonald's.

 

In my opinion, procreation should not just be a right that everyone has. Have you seen the requirements for adopting a child? They're insane. I don't understand why the requirements for having children naturally are so miniscule (good aim and a willing partner) and the requirements for adopting a child are so vast (several tours of the home to make sure it's fit for children, no criminal record, approval by the state, preliminary court hearings).

Wow, I never looked at it that way. Interesting contrast.

 

Ok, this is just my opinion, but it seems to me like the stupid, undereducated people are the ones having all the kids, and this can't be good. Think about it, these are the people who dropped out of high school and didn't go to college, and had kids right away. The more intelligent members of society are busy with college. I don't intend to sound mean or anything, but it just seems that's the way it is.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

In my opinion, procreation should not just be a right that everyone has. Have you seen the requirements for adopting a child? They're insane. I don't understand why the requirements for having children naturally are so miniscule (good aim and a willing partner) and the requirements for adopting a child are so vast (several tours of the home to make sure it's fit for children, no criminal record, approval by the state, preliminary court hearings).

Sounds good in theory, but there are many issues that could never be resolved.

1) What are the criteria for parenting besides a fit home and non-criminal record? Who decides this? Why can't criminals be good parents?

2)Is it permanent sterilization? I mean people's situations do change.

3) Wouldn't it be easier and far more productive to promote abortion for unwanted children instead, rather than go around sterilizing people.

I don't know. I guess the whole thing reaks of fascim to me. Once we start sterilizing undesirables (which isn't absolute, but simply the standards of those in power) how do we as a society differ from the Nazis. They too were trying to achieve the same goal. The means may be different, but it's the ideology that's the real issue. In fact the last Nazi doctors before liberation were working on sterilization methods for Jews.

Wanna know why?

Because they discovered sterilization of those they felt were unfit to raise children would be far more efficient than Gas Chambers and concentration camps.

 

I don't see how sterilizing criminals will help society in the long run. Although it can be learned by example, criminal behavior is not inherited in one's genes.

And when it comes to sex offenders, particularly rapists, they don't need those tubes hooked together in order to continue to abuse. Even castration wouldn't necessarily stop them, since the crime is not about sex, it's about dominating and abusing someone by violating them in an intimate manner. And, sorry to be so graphic, that can still be done with other parts of the body or an inanimate object.

 

And who or what would make the determination that a person was indeed worthy?

KnightWriter , To address the very good question you asked.... As I have stated earlier, I work in the Child Protective Services, we see on a daily basis as to what circumstances exist to rule out whether or not a parent should have their children. It would logically follow that social workers, with the legislative support of our lawmakers, would be the best equipped to issue the authorization.

The truly sad part of this whole topic, is that if steps are not taken to remedy the flood of abused children, the whole society could fail due to the fact that it is unwilling/unable to handle the pure economic weight of people unable to socialize properly. If we as a society do not wake up,and see what my co-workers and I deal with on a daily basis, we shall all be doomed!.... Sterilizing people is more about saving lives and society and less about civil rights. After all sterilizations are highly reversable. This fact seems to be overlooked by those who oppose it. If we work together, we can make our world greater than we have ever imagined!!

 

I guess I fail to see sterilization as a practical way to deal with abuse problems, let alone bring in the moral implications of it.

I do appreciate the answer, to be sure, and the perspective you have on it. It all just seems a bit too subjective (the idea) for me.

 

What we are talking about is developing a culture that supports that individuals should prove to the society that they are fit parents at the same time as sterilizing those who repetedly abuse children and tax dollars!!