UNIT 4: ETHICAL ESSAY

Who is in Control- Unit 4 Ethical Essay

Would you ever consider stopping at 2 children, just so you don't over populate the world? I know that China has a restriction on the births they are allowed, but is it necessary to monitor fertility rates? If you look at the graph to the right, you will notice that the fertility rates have decreased since 1950s, but in reality our population is continuing to increase(shown in the graph below). Of course resources may be a problem in the near future and by reading the articles I have written information regarding the big question, is population the problem?

While reading the articles I became a little annoyed by the fact the article repeatedly stated, a couple should consider having one child. "Consider having none or one, and be sure to stop after two" (vhmet article). This is something I disagree with totally. I come from a family of 8 and I don't not see any harm of us being here. For my own personal belief, I don't feel we should try and avoid having children. But for those that only want a couple children, that is fine. I don't think any different of them, it is their choice. And I hope that it will always be our choice. I'm not trying to start a debate, but God will continue to allow as many individuals on this Earth as He sees fit. Therefore the answer to the question; is population the problem, probably not. As mentioned above, even though there has been a decrease in fertility rates since the 50s, the population continues to grow. This could be due to the fact there is a lot of new technology and medications that are keeping individuals alive longer. We may be sustaining the lives of many individuals, but that is not in our hands. For those that believe it is important to have one child or as the same article mentions," some see parents as enemies of the planet," all I can say is I'm sorry they feel that way (vhemt article). By looking into the future always brings a million unknown questions.

The article also talks about the resources that are limited with the growing population. With overpopulated areas, such as Africa, this is a problem and as far as I know it has been for quite some time. Unfortunately in this area, may individuals are dying due to malnutrition and diseases. Is there a way to help prevent this from happening? I'm not sure. Hopefully these individuals will learn to protect and care for themselves, if they were given the information they need. The resources we have available to us now, hopefully, will continue to grow in the years to come. Who is to know what will happen. Obviously scientists have already concluded as the years go by our resources will be in high demand. I'm not sure this is completely related to the increase in population or is it not meant to last forever? After reading some of these articles I do realize that the overpopulation in the future will cause problems with how to supply and support everyone, but what could possibly be done?

In conclusion I would have to again note that I feel each of us should always have the choice of how many children we want. I hope it never comes down to the awful statement I read, "Consider having none or one, and be sure to stop after two." I know there a lot of unanswered questions, but to me it is hard to pinpoint what action should be taken. With the technology and research in today's society, I don't feel that our economy will ever slow down. Maybe this could be part of the problem when we become low on our everyday resources we count on?. There are many poor and starving countries that continue supplying us with resources we need to survive. Hopefully in the future we will continue to have the same resources available to keep us strong. Regardless of the change in fertility rates, I see our population rising due to the increase in technology available.

works cited
http://www.vhemt.org