I have some pretty tough questions for our resident KYMers today.
Parenting. Something that many of us aspire to be involved with some day (and something some of us would love to avoid). It's something we all have to deal with at least at some point in our lives, if not just how our own parents embrace parenting. Pretty much every parent has screwed up at some point or another – but we're not here to talk about the minor fuck ups – sometimes some parents really, really screw up.
It's no doubt that we all agree that some people should NOT be allowed to take care of their children. But in some cases, it's just too late. For example, a Detroit mother killed two of her children and stuffed them in a freezer for years. Most people would agree that it is practically mandatory to take those children away, however, without those children being discovered, the two survivors would have risked continual abuse from their mother.
But is there a point where someone, truly, should not be allowed to have children? Is it ethical for someone who simply is mentally or physically unable to take care of their own children to be denied the right to have children?
There's also the question of genetics. Many people have genetic conditions that they fear may be passed down onto their children. Many people with congenital glaucoma for example, end up having grandchildren who inherit their disorder.
Personally, I don't agree with forced sterilization, but I see the comment "She shouldn't be allowed to have kids!" pop up a lot on child abuse cases like this, and it had me wondering about where we draw the line on these sorts of things.
But as an alternative, is genetic modification or forcing a child into adoption through an authority really "ethical" either? What do you think is the best solution to the problem of the severely mentally ill having children that they abuse?