| MORAL ARMOR'S Irrational Parenting, Part I | | | | productive years stagnating at the level of |
| | | | baby talk when they should be building a |
| Copyright 2005 Ronald E Springer | | | | solid future, and through productive action, |
| | | | learning the true nature of consciousness |
| "If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think | | | | before they commit to another, or try to |
| a cute thingto tell him is "God is crying." | | | | raise another. |
| And if he asks why God is crying, another | | | | |
| cute thing to tell him is, "Probably because | | | | The most laughable life-cowards are the moral |
| of something you did.""-Jack Handey | | | | missionaries. Everything in their lives, as |
| | | | if a flower blooms with their words, is "for |
| My view on parenting holds one key premise in | | | | the children." In youth I recall overhearing, |
| mind: thatevery decent parent should assure | | | | "If I didn't have kids, there would be a void |
| that upon leaving thenest, their kids can | | | | of time I wouldn't know how to fill." |
| fly! So herein lies a critique againstthe | | | | Exactly. Children, when not a planned |
| attributes which make this crucial moral | | | | occurrence along a romantic sketch of living |
| obligation impossible. | | | | desire, are a substitute for the frustrated |
| | | | need of achievement. Kids are just other |
| The Wrong Decision. | | | | people. Thought and spirit are the exclusive |
| | | | domain of the individual. There is no social |
| Stupid men and stupid women are dysfunctional | | | | endeavor that trumps the moral value of |
| on their own. They are dysfunctional | | | | individual action. That action must generate |
| together. Their answer to fix everything? | | | | more than enough to feed ourselves, whose |
| More people. Babies are the one gigantic | | | | surplus feeds them as well, not by social |
| liability people can assume in America | | | | concern, but by purposeful productive |
| without credit or common sense. At upwards of | | | | ability. One's purpose in life must be |
| four-hundred thousand dollars to raise a | | | | self-defined, whose core is to be pursued and |
| child responsibly these days, if you didn't | | | | accomplished without assistance. Any living |
| take specific actions to earn and plan for | | | | purpose requiring people is by its nature, |
| that expense, you cannot afford it | | | | neurotic. It is the confession that one does |
| independently. Affording a kid is like | | | | not know what to do with oneself alone; that |
| affording a Ferrari. The stature for | | | | one cannot live independently and be happy by |
| extravagance takes time to earn, and requires | | | | the functioning of one's own brain, meaning |
| a tenacious discipline to reach that economic | | | | that for this person, life is not an end in |
| class. Being a responsible parent is no | | | | itself. Worse yet, if a central purpose is |
| different. | | | | not defined, one cannot convey its importance |
| | | | to another. They can't teach happiness and |
| If you can't afford to buy a median priced | | | | can only pass along their own status-slave, |
| home with allthe trimmings, you can't afford | | | | master, predator, host or parasite. Their |
| a baby, and probablyhaven't accumulated the | | | | blissful concern for the children doesn't |
| knowledge necessary to raise one. | | | | earn them jack for respect in anyone past the |
| | | | age of five. |
| This however, is a luxury the Fear-driven | | | | |
| indulge in. Mosthave kids because they don't | | | | Through children, some people generate |
| know what else to do with themselves. They | | | | liabilities for thefree ride our legislators |
| don't know what's next, where to take their | | | | permit, using a combination ofthe above |
| lives, or where to take their relationship. | | | | excuses. "We can't afford it" becomes "We |
| There is no order to their lives, only what | | | | neednot consider the expense. The government |
| they saw their parents do. Life for them | | | | will give us $Xfor the production of each |
| amounts to adolescence, dating-uh ho!-a baby, | | | | baby. The government wants babies-babies can |
| marriage and game shows. Unable to stop their | | | | be our enterprise. If we control costs and |
| own biological maturation, they develop an | | | | push the remaining burden onto the shoulders |
| adult mind with adult needs within a being | | | | of others, we won't have to work." There is |
| already trapped by prior errors-so discontent | | | | nothing as heart-wrenching as a hungry child? |
| follows, then fighting, divorce and poverty. | | | | Well, it's nothing compared to the collapse |
| Then they do it again. | | | | of a nation by internal corruption. En masse, |
| | | | they and their sympathizers including those |
| To some, having children is a form of | | | | responsible for such laws, are responsible |
| involuntary companionship, an unthreatening | | | | for all segments of overpopulation, of |
| presence that demands little cognitive | | | | rent-control slums, inner-city crime and |
| action. They claim this route because kids | | | | societal breakdown. The shortest-term |
| "keep life simple." Isn't it simple enough? | | | | thinkers and those willing to submit to them, |
| They extol the simple joy of children and | | | | always have the longest-term disasters. |
| spend their lives looking at the floor. | | | | |
| What's so interesting about it? Someone has | | | | Next time, we'll explore what bad parents |
| to grow up, take adult action and advance the | | | | hand down andwhat it does to their children's |
| world. Instead they waste their early | | | | lives. |