Childfree (and poly)

[clairegoad]

Originally Posted by YGirl

(for those who don't know the difference: a "breeder" is someone who reproduces and does not do a responsible job of parenting; common abbreviations in the CF-rant vocabulary are "BNP" for breeder-not-parent and "PNB" for "parent-not-breeder". "Breeder" is used as a derogatory term with negative connotation and "parent" is used as a complimentary term with positive connotation)

Yikes, thank you for the clarification.. I'd heard breeder used by some gay co-workers, and assumed it was a value neutral word.

So I was child-free until I got pregnant and decided to keep the baby? Then I was a breeder (ummm it took a while to figure out how to do the child rearing thing.) and now I'm a parent. (promoted when she graduated from high school... There's probably a star somewhere for her graduating from college...So I'd be a one star Parent. (Although when she graduates law school, I might be demoted. )

Sadly the parents today are friends to their children, not parents.

Now I have to ask ('cause I'm bad). Is there opinion in this group about companion animal status. It seems a lot of the CF people have lots of pets. The two cats are going to live with my daughter soon. Without pets, am I a better person, a worse person, or ??

[NeonKaos]

Originally Posted by clairegoad

Without pets, am I a better person, a worse person, or ??

It depends how you treat your pets. If you feed them, get them spayed or neutered, get their vaccinations, clean up after them, and give them love and attention, then you are a better person with them. If you can't or don't want to do those things, then you are a better person without them.

[jokutus]

Originally Posted by nymphs

I'm not childfree and it might make ur life easier and more fun but there is something wonderful ur missing out on and won't understand. For example a child laughter u hear it and probly don't think anything of it but when I hear it makes my day I don't think I can do with out ;p ( I'm not talking for everyone so please don't take offense)

See, I agree with Ygirl on this point. Those of us who are CF aren't missing out, but you are implying that we are. It comes down to societal pressures. When my wife turned 30, she started getting the "when are you going to have a baby" questions from people at work, from her family, etc. She did catch a case of the Baby Rabies for a short term, but I was dead set against it. My friends were like, "compromise with her, just have 1 kid" - How is that a compromise?
In the end, she realized that she was just acting out of societal pressure. And we have been better for it ever since.

[jokutus]

Originally Posted by immaterial

Nymphs, it is offensive to hear from people who have children that not having them is "missing out" on something. I really tire of the cultural pressure to have children and the tyranny, really, of people with children.

Amen Brother! We also don't get the tax deductions that those with kids get - (which is totally unfair), yet we are forced to pay school taxes if we own property. I really don't get that - if some of us don't have kids, why on earth should we have to pay into the public school system? I've got a vasectomy, when am I going to ever use the school system?

Yet, those with kids get a federal tax break. And this even better - if they have 3 kids, they still pay the same rate in school taxes. Its crazy!!

[jokutus]

Originally Posted by YGirl

The true, real, CF people that I know all are or want to be surgically sterilized (as I am). They also use birth control religiously, sometimes even two or three methods, and if for some reason they got pregnant anyway, they would have an abortion.

Same here - had my vasectomy and threw a huge "Bag of Peas" party. It was a celebration!!

I'm actually in the process of planning 2 more Sterilization Shindigs for friends who had hysterectomies, and I am so looking forward to them.

Who knew voluntary sterilization could be so much fun!!

[MonoVCPHG]

Originally Posted by jokutus

We also don't get the tax deductions that those with kids get !!

Consider it a tax break for those willing to contribute to the continuation of the human race.

[NeonKaos]

I'm not 100% against the tax deductions, I just would like to see more resources channeled toward the elderly and other demographic groups.

As for the continuation of the species - the human species would not be threatened out of existence if taxes didn't pay for public schools, or if there weren't dependent deductions. People were breeding long before mandatory public education / tax deductions and they will continue to breed regardless of what a vocal minority of childfree citizens have to say.

[nymphs]

Hmm that didn't come out like I wanted to it sounded better in my head.... I'm not trying to pressure anyone. Sorry everyone

[Ceoli]

Originally Posted by MonoVCPHG

Consider it a tax break for those willing to contribute to the continuation of the human race.

Or it could be considered a tax break for those willing to contribute to overpopulation or the over-consumption of the earth's resources.

That line of reasoning is not a terribly valid one for justifying tax breaks considering the variety of ways people contribute to the betterment of the world with or without children.

(not saying there may not be other valid reasons, however, but it's pretty fair to call what seems to be a pretty unfair system into question)

[MonoVCPHG]

Originally Posted by Ceoli

Or it could be considered a tax break for those willing to contribute to overpopulation or the over-consumption of the earth's resources.

That line of reasoning is not a terribly valid one for justifying tax breaks considering the variety of ways people contribute to the betterment of the world with or without children.

(not saying there may not be other valid reasons, however, but it's pretty fair to call what seems to be a pretty unfair system into question)

Or it could be considered a tax to pay for future generations that will be wiping the drool off your chin when you are too old to take care of yourself and don't have children of your own to do it.

Either way..if a healthy portion of the population doesn't procreate the species dies. That's terribly valid and about all I have to say on this topic as the thread is related to something that does not apply to me.