Qualifications

[slimfandango]

If I want to be a doctor I have to sit exams and show I know what I'm doing, if I want to be a psychologist the same, if I want to be a nuclear scientist the same, if I want to be a London cabbie I need to show I can drive and I know the exact route around London.

If I want to do the most difficult and important job, creating a human being and bringing them up, I don't need any qualifications at all. Shouldn't there at least be some basic test?

[Hamish]

Sure, just find ten experts on this and then sit the test, should take about 60yrs.

[Hammer]

I agree that some people just should not be allowed to have kids, but who's to say who can and who can't. I agree in a funny sort of way, but this is entering very dangerous grounds....

[nrmatth]

maybe they should just start with the people who abuse kids and keep getting pregnant and giving them for adoption or abortion and doing drugs when pregnant or around their infants. The five or ten year implant for birth control should be able to be court ordered and the same goes for grossly deadbeat dads. But like what was already said, this is dangerous ground. Some people are willing to sacrifice children for the sake of free will. Even if it's at the expense of a child who has none. Court ordered birth control is a long way off. Sounds bad but this is a sour subject for me.

[purplefish]

you can't really stop people having children, you could try court ordered birth control as nrmatth says, but people would protest and say it was against their human rights. it would also be rather hard to keep control of all the people capable of reproducing, and you'd always get the ones who took no notice and have about 10 kids anyway. personally i think people shouldn't be allowed children unless they're married to the person they're planning on having children with.