From: Brian Phillips (deepbluehalo@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Feb 22 2002 - 15:27:21 MST
Vanessa Novaeris wrote:
I'm all for the prospect of an extended human lifespan.
But it makes me crazy to think about people spending
so much time, energy & money on making their "own"
biological child when there are so many children already
here (for adoption) that need homes & loving families.
To me, this whole compulsion of biological heredity is
irrational. Why are we investing so much energy trying
to make more people - we already have too many! Why
not spend more time improving the quality of life for the
ones who are already here? I realize I might be missing
something here - perhaps its because I'm much too young
& I don't have children, but I just don't understand. I'm
probably way off the mark with this one so I'm already
prepared to get chewed out :P
(end)
Vanessa,
Don't apologize for being young. It means
your chances of being immortal are better (barring
age-related accidents!).
There are many rational reasons to have biological
children rather than adopt.
I question your implicit assumption... all people are
not created equal!
Intelligence and mental characteristics
are substantially heritable. How do you get a prospective
adoptee's pedigree?
Second is that health,intelligence, and emotional temperment
are strongly affected by the prenatal environment and the
environment immediately following birth.
Simply put, adopt and you never know what you got.
This can happen with one's own biological kids yes,
but you can be aware of some things and ameliate some
others through proper health care etc.
This all beyond the simple fact that I wouldn't have any
interest in raising someone else's kids.
I can't imagine the "grandparents" would be especially
thrilled either!
Adoption is good for those who cannot reproduce biologically
but why do it if there is an alternative, for anything like a
bearable expense?
I can imagine many exceptions to this principle, but the basic
principle is still valid.
Adoption is not superior ethically or morally to biological
parenting... and it is <certainly> less efficient in producing
children who are of the highest possible caliber.
Ask folks who adopted Rumanian orphans who were
largely deprived of human contact in infancy.
The psychological ramifications of an adopted child
are potentially staggering, depending on the adoptees
genes and pre-adoptive environment.
I quail at the thought of attempting it. But feel free,
it's your genetic funeral!
regards,
Brian
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