Ethical Issues Essay #4

Fertility Regulations

Every individual has their right to do as they see fit. However, this freedom may be taken away if that individual is abusing their rights and is posing a threat to others. Should the individual be given the freedom to reproduce as many times as they choose or should everyone be placed on birth control and given strict opportunities, if any, to reproduce? Do high fertility rates pose a threat to the world's resources or will they just be a means of a new way of life? That is the question, now let me give you my say on the matter.

The problem is, we cannot see into the future. If we could, then maybe this wouldn't be a problem any more and we would already have our set solution. Now, since we live in an imperfect world, we can only study history and check statistics and guess as to what we think will be the best for our society and the world. Back 100's of years ago, there were theories that the population size would soon reach it's peak and human life will cease to exist because the food on this planet would run out. People also suspect that the world's oil will too run out. Is this true? How much fossil fuel and food could we possible expect is on this planet?

Well, it is the year 2007 and we are still here. The human race is anything but extinct and is thriving more than ever before. I believe that with more life, we will have more power to change the ways of this world. If there are more people, we will find new ways to make room for them all. It is the content people in this world that do nothing and the people that aren't satisfied that make all the difference. When people want change bad enough, they make it so for themselves. I believe that there will be a way to change this world to produce more resources than we can imagine today.

Now, I do not recommend that we go haywire and give birth to 20 children per couple but I do believe that with a slight regulation of fertility rates, some information on HIV/AIDS, other STD's, birth control, condoms, etc., the world will be much better off and ready to make a difference in this world. People shouldn't need to be worrying how they are going to put food on the table for their kids and how they will even survive and keep a family together. There needs to be information available to people to let them hopefully make the right choice for themselves.

Should there be strict watch on fertility rates? No, I don't believe that would be necessary. If people want it bad enough, they will make things work. I believe it is our job to understand this trend and realize that there are just too many of us on this planet too worry about. We need to understand what is happening and start making plans as to new inventions and resources that will be useful in our future world.