New Times / Letter To The Editor

No more scare tactics

Barbara Murphy

The news that the 7 billionth baby in the world was born sounded pretty grim to those who fear population explosion. Of course, Bill Denneen, the local guru for Planned Parenthood, expounded on his “condoms supplied in every high school, etc.” mantra.

The developed world has long caught on to reducing child bearing. The “shining” example is China, with its long history of coercion, punishment, and fines for having a second child. It has worked to the extent that now they are looking at the “Little Emperor Syndrome” as a reality. The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference suggested the government scrap its one-child policy, citing “social problems and personality disorders” in young people.

The 7th billion person does indeed sound scary. But good science requires a deeper look. There are many groups studying world population. Statistics have begun to warn that our world population is slowing. This 7th billion took longer than the 6th billion mark, and the rate of not replacing the population will be faster.

The tide has turned, but it did not make the headlines. Ramifications are serious. Even short term, keeping up with more retirees without more workers is an economic struggle. Here in the United States, the press has ignored the decline, mostly as we have a large supply of immigrants.

We have matured as a country, realizing that all people of all races have equal rights. However, fears of too much welfare expenditure, an exploding population, and a bogus Supreme Court case brought a new round of untold violence to our most innocent—the unborn. Yet hundreds of couples wait for an infant to adopt.

We must challenge these scare tactics by those wanting more abortions available. Our foundational principles hang on the first solid freedom—the right to life. If we are disturbed by violence in classrooms and by terrorists all over the world, we need to remember that non-violence begins in the womb. Adoption help is available: Call Lifetime Adoption Center at 1-800-923-6784 or find lifetimeadoptions.com.