Daily Three

(Link at left)

More and more married couples are choosing not to start a family, and instead pursue a career, travel, volunteer or engage in hobbies. Some argue that our society favors families with children, and that our tax code benefits people who choose to reproduce, and that it's unfair for the childless to have to 'pay' for someone else's choice.

1. Do you believe too many or too little benefits are given to families with children? Why or why not?

I don't expect benefits just because I have children. I'm not even sure what benefits we're talking about here, since I actually think we are socially and culturally penalized in many ways for having children, but I suppose I'd feel differently if I had none. The grass is always greener, eh?

2. How would you feel about singles or couples without children receiving tax breaks because they are not using the compulsory education system? How do you respond to the argument that 'children are the future' and so everyone must pay into that system?

I think that's hogwash: they ARE using compulsory education! Without it, imagine where those little rugrats and ankle-biters would be: in YOUR FACE, in your yard, in your street, in your jails... Also, don't forget that lots of childless people paid for YOUR education, people who I'm sure (and you'll have to trust me, I am sure*) would have preferred to spend that money elsewhere. The whole concept is sort of Pay It Forward, or similar to that State Farm commercial. It's part of community, part of being a society, not a crowd of independent individuals. Here, I have an idea: how about I don't pay for your (or your parents') Social Security, or for your gambling treatment, or for your bankruptcy defaults, or for your use of the fire department!? Yeah, I didn't think so.

3. How do you perceive the lifestyles and personalities of people who choose not to have children?

I think it's their business. I also think we should never assume that because a couple doesn't have children they are selfish, or they secretly want children, or they haven't had multiple miscarriages, or....

Having said that, however, I do think people who want to NEVER see children because they don't like them (and therefore don't want to be shouldered, even from a distance, with any sense of responsibility) should be Gullivered: pinned to the ground in a playground for a week. People who bitch about children's existence PISS ME OFF! In case that wasn't clear....

* When I was in college, I found out from one of my siblings that our next-door neighbors didn't really like kids. Oops, they liked girls, but not boys. That's why they never had kids: they might have a son. And they apparently griped about having to pay taxes for the school system, at least they did at some point. However, what I did know is that they absolutely HATED anyone on their grass, especially us kids, because it would get 'torn up' if people walked, ran, played, or breathed on it. In any case, it was a bit of a shock to find out about their dislike of children, since they were always wonderful neighbors to us for over 40 years, and in fact, I still exchange Christmas cards with them! So, I stand virulently opposed to what they believed, but I like them a lot.