Writer's Block: Kids or child-free?
Mar. 10th, 2010 04:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyre[Error: unknown template qotd]
I seem to have found myself telling this story a lot lately.
I've been a member of![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
childfree for about 6 years (holy crap!) now. Having kids was always something that was "Maybe in 10 years time." 10 years passed and nothing changed. Or "When I'm ready." and I doubted I'd ever be ready. Both my brother and sister have kids and I've always been the environmentally conscious, student, poor, kinda childish, misanthropic type. My family doesn't really WANT me to have kids, so unlike many, I have never been under the pressure to spawn.
A bit over a year ago now I read "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. Fascinating, depressing and hopeful read all at the same time. The book mentioned VHEMT (the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement) which I'd heard of but not really looked at. This time I went to the site and found myself agreeing with everything on it.
I couldn't, with a clear conscience, bring a new child into this heavily overpopulated planet. Like we're encouraged to adopt dumped pets and sterilise them so there are no more unwanted puppies and kittens (or other pet of choice), why is it okay for humans to breed and breed out of carrying capacity and be left with millions of children without proper care? If I ever DO feel the need, and feel I have the ability, to raise a child it will be adopted.
I seem to have found myself telling this story a lot lately.
I've been a member of
childfree for about 6 years (holy crap!) now. Having kids was always something that was "Maybe in 10 years time." 10 years passed and nothing changed. Or "When I'm ready." and I doubted I'd ever be ready. Both my brother and sister have kids and I've always been the environmentally conscious, student, poor, kinda childish, misanthropic type. My family doesn't really WANT me to have kids, so unlike many, I have never been under the pressure to spawn.A bit over a year ago now I read "The World Without Us" by Alan Weisman. Fascinating, depressing and hopeful read all at the same time. The book mentioned VHEMT (the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement) which I'd heard of but not really looked at. This time I went to the site and found myself agreeing with everything on it.
I couldn't, with a clear conscience, bring a new child into this heavily overpopulated planet. Like we're encouraged to adopt dumped pets and sterilise them so there are no more unwanted puppies and kittens (or other pet of choice), why is it okay for humans to breed and breed out of carrying capacity and be left with millions of children without proper care? If I ever DO feel the need, and feel I have the ability, to raise a child it will be adopted.
