Adoptable Throngs

If you know me at all then you know I'm not a child-free baby hater (tm Rob R-H, I think). However, I am on the ragged edge of becoming a zero population growth nazi.

Years ago MamaKizz gritted, "It's not fair that J has 4 votes and we have none!" She's talking about a girl I grew up with who isn't terribly...enlightened...or kind or any of the attributes I'm looking for in the coming generations. J has, well by now I guess she has 5 kids from 2 different husbands. And, you know, I've got none. At the time I told Mom to calm down because, well, because that's what I do when she goes off like that.

I'm afraid that at this point I'm starting to swing around to her point of view. Maybe it's all the infertility blogs. Or maybe it's just all the parenting blogs. You know those days when something horrific happens in the world and you think to yourself, "Oh god, how could I ever bring a child into a world like this!" Exactly what is it that changes that? What benefit are we all getting from having more people on the planet? We have too many people here already, in case no one has noticed. Is it really better that you add more people for the next generation? Is that going to help your kids and the world in which you're leaving them? And no, you can't have my slot, I'm leaving it blank on purpose.

OK, I know what I'm saying isn't terribly popular or PC or ladylike or any number of other virtues. And I know that if my readership were larger I'd for certain get a comment to the effect of, "You just don't understand since you don't have kids of your own." (I still might!) And, really, I'm not as all black and white about the issue as I may sound. Some of my favorite friends wouldn't be here if we stuck to the zero population growth rules. Hell, some of my favorite relatives wouldn't be here if we stuck to those rules. But that's my parents' generation and aren't we supposed to be expanding on their successes?

In the interest of that sort of expansion I give my opinion: Adoption. See all the kids on the earth already? Feed, clothe, educate, love and discipline them. I'll be over here ruminating on how I can do the same.