Humanity's Lyceum

            Did you know that most of America's fertility rates are lower than the replacement rates? Some of you might ask...what the heck are those? Well, a fertility rate is the average amount of kids women are having, and the replacement rate is the amount of kids women need to have in order to maintain the current population. The reason I bring this up is because it seems that the current world view on having kids is changing, but changing to what? If we, humanity as a whole, decide to stick with this trend then would we not be driving ourselves to extinction? Which makes me ask: is humanity capable of something so horrible?

        Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, recently said "today...we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child. Sometimes they have one. and that's it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh, but it's a reality." He referred to pet-keeping as a "denial of fatherhood and motherhood" that "diminishes us" and "takes away our humanity". When is comes to humanity, I believe there is a bystander effect- the effect that happens when you think someone else will help- so you decide to do nothing about the issue. Ask yourself: are you planning on having kids? What is stopping you?

            

            To be honest, there are many things stopping me from having a kid. The biggest issue is finding a willing woman to start a family with. Aside from that, there are things to think about, such as: can I afford a kid? Will I be a good dad? Am I ready for that kind of responsibility? Should I bring kids into this crazy world full of controversial politics, global shortages, and neverending pandemics? Can I protect them? Will they make me proud? Those are just my problems and questions with having a kid. Who am I you might ask? Hi, I'm Jeremy, a 22-year-old college student. I'm just here because two people fell in love. Even though they faced similar, if not most, of the challenges humanity faces today, they decided to take a chance and bring me into the world.

         In 2015 and 2016 the replacement rate was 2.1. Now, there are many things that could be stopping you from having 2 to 3 kids. The Deseret News article that I read recently, written by Lois M. Collins, quoted Pamela Perlich, director of demographic research at the University of Utah. Perlich said that "part of the reason [this] has taken place is the effect of the recession." The article also explained that the women of Utah are getting married later and later as time goes on, affecting both their ability to have children and often the number of children they are willing and able to have.

        The choice to have children is obviously a personal choice that should not be taken lightly. But if you have the means and the ability to provide for a family, then is it not a inherent responsibility to do so?  Would you be the bystander? 

         As the world changes, as we get better at preventing pregnancy, as abortion becomes more popular, when having kids is impossible in same-sex relationships- What will you do? Will you change with them? Or will you find solutions? 

        In conclusion, I'm hoping that this post will bring questions to your mind and help shed some light on these kinds of matters. For me at least I know that one day I will be a father but that is my choice.

What will yours be?