Pregnant with Impossibilities

This week it was reported that the US population is experiencing a "baby boomlet." More than 4.2 million births were reported for 2006, the highest number since 1961. Reports broke the numbers down by race, pointing the finger at Hispanics, who reportedly account for one-quarter of that total. The issue is not the race, but the religion -- Catholicism. Followers are simply adhering to their archaic, illogical church doctrine.

Throughout the 'eighties and 'nineties as AIDS infected millions, it was scientifically proven that condom use could save lives. Pope John Paul II sat on his papal throne never supporting empirical evidence with a life-saving change in church doctrine. And now Pope Benedict is following that dogmatic path steadfastly. That heinous genocidal legacy leaves little chance that the Church will ever change its stance simply to curb global out-of-control numbers.

The questions of healthcare, better education, and a stronger national infrastructure have gone unanswered as American census exponentially soars -- numbers that further tax our stressed system. A healthier planet doesn't stand a chance against the burgeoning world population.

Choice doesn't just mean abortion; it means total reproductive rights. As shameless as the Church's stance has been, sexual health under Bush's "abstinence only" policy has reduced sex education to a Sunday school class.

The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the industrialized world. Abortions in the U.S. have reached their lowest level since 1974. Forced to provide for their child, fifty percent of pregnant teens drop out of out high school, facing life on necessity's terms, rather than from freedom of choice. It's not the happy experience that FOX is giving teen pregnancy in its widely praised child-mommy fairy tale Juno.

Juno stars Ellen Page as the 16-year-old title character who gets pregnant by her best friend. From the moment she gives herself a pregnancy test, there is never a sense of sexual responsibility, just non-stop quick-witted quips. Maybe she just doesn't understand how screwed up her life might be because of her misstep, and judging from their reaction, neither do her parents.

Juno tells her parents of her unwanted baby; she has decided not to get an abortion. Instead, she's planning to search for a suitable couple advertising to adopt. In one the film's most frustrating scenes, her parents never question Juno's lack of sexual responsibility. After Juno tells her dad the name of the boy who has fathered the child, he responds, "I didn't know he had it in him." That singular line reeks of the core problem in teenage pregnancy -- men of every age who think it adds to their machismo to father a child.

The story goes on to make pregnancy look easy, if not fun. The writer, director, and actors make it seem Juno is doing a good thing because she is giving a parentless couple a baby. Repercussions are nil. She attends school throughout, getting weird looks, with her pregnancy never compromising her carefree youth; the non-stop funny quips keep coming rapid-fire, making Juno sound like all the Marx brothers rolled into one. I can't imagine a 16 year-old-girl handling an unplanned pregnancy with so little angst.

Certainly, over the course of generations, family dynamics have changed. However, the one truth that remains in our modern society is that children having children is a bad idea. This film is an inexcusable Disneyfication playing down Hollywood's intrinsic social responsibility. Ellen Page's portrayal is off the social responsibility mark. Awards and accolades for this irresponsible portrayal should be snubbed.

Director Jason Reitman has said, "It is not really about pregnancy. Pregnancy is kind of a location. This is a movie about the moment you decide to grow up and the moment you decide to become an adult." Mr. Reitman is wrong. For the handful of young men and women who will be influenced by his film, their teen pregnancy will be real. In the real world, the location will be an abortion clinic or a maternity ward, which is precisely where pregnant teens will find themselves. And when they do, they will be part of this film's irresponsible legacy.

Comments

[Galadriel]

Humans must learn to control their population,
Or they will all perish from their own procreation.

Mr.Gregory has chosen a subject that is so important, yet never talked about in this day and age and is the biggest threat to the planet today. Humans, with their ferocious consumer appetites, and the fact that there are too many of us, are sucking all the life force out of our planet and in the end all human life will cease to exist. Didn't Easter Island teach us anything?

It amazes me that no one has figured out that the human race is on one vast suicide mission by killing the very planet that sustains their lives. I thought that Christians and Catholics consider suicide a sin, yet they condone it everyday when preaching their old doctrine of not using contraceptives and continuing to have too many children. We live on a finite planet that cannot support and infinite amount of people, which is the direction we are heading.

We drill, rape, plunder, and desecrate our planet. We destroy what little wilderness is left and all wildlife by habitat destruction, because there is TOO MANY PEOPLE. We will lose our souls, our happiness, our drinkable water and breathable air, our food and finally our lives. I have always thought humans to be pretty dumb animals, but their stupidly far exceeds what even I had imagined.

We need to learn to curb our population, and not because someone tells you to do so, but because it is the right thing to do! This planet is utterly amazing with all it's diversity of life. Are we going to be the ones that destroy all the wonders and beauty of this world that was given us, or will we finally take responsibility for our actions?

[EngineerBill]

Any parent who abdicates their responsibility to me moral guideposts to hollywood do not deserve to be parents. Hollywood has no, repeat no responsibility to be the guardian of morality. Your post might as well have been written by James Dobson or Michael Medved. The first part of your post made sense because you blamed (correctly) the Catholic Church for their refusal to help prevent AIDS and unwanted pregnancy caused by their refusal to acknowledge 20th century realities about sex. But hollywood is not a church. they are a business. The choice should be up to the parent to decide what a child should or shouldn't see. Geez! I can't believe I have to point out the obvious!

[clifwest]

Mr. Gregory,

Great article and very timely, thank you. I have been discussing this same thing for years, with as many people as possible. Not being a Catholic, I can't understand the reasoning behind having more children than you can afford to raise or a religion that promotes the philosophy of "go forth and multiply." Many people look at a new born life and think how precious, I look at a new born life and think of eighteen years of feeding, clothing, educating, medical care and total concern for that person's welfare.

[frmrrepub]

So, which of our presidential, senatorial and house candidates willing to change our tax rules so there are exemptions for only two children in a family? Taxes can be used for social reasons (or life threatening reasons). Wouldn't this be a start?

And all of the "be fruitful and multiply" religions are being totally irresponsible, and should be taxed.

Personally, I have always thought any religious structure more opulent than a Kingdom Hall should be appropriately taxed.

[katzenmom]

Tom, as a VERY lapsed Catholic for almost 47 years (at age 13), I couldn't agree with you more! The only redeeming feature is that the child faced with raising a child made the responsible choice of giving it up. I had a somewhat older friend who, at roughly the same age, also made that choice, and it has weighed on her heart and conscience ever since.

So, to those young women of today who moan and groan over how tough THEIR choices are, I'd like to remind you that you, at least, have choices to make that were completely out of our reach.

And, to their parents, I'd like to say PLEASE, set aside the moral blather, make sure your children are well informed, and do NOT saddle them (or your grandchild) with your ignorance and irresponsibility. Because that would be the LEAST moral decision you could make!

[sbrownmiller]

I saw "Juno" on Friday night and did not think it delightful and funny despite some witty lines and good acting. I found it a brilliant ploy to disseminate anti-abortion propaganda in a wide-release movie.

[janmB]

Some people who crave the experience of having a baby should just adopt a PET.
They don't THINK it may turn out to be a lifelong responsibiity. Don't they see that our facilities are full of those who are afflicted with physical and mental problems because parents can't deal with it ?

[LeonBNJ]

The depiction of teen or unwanted adult pregancy on fictional TV shows or movies over the last 25 years almost never show the woman having an abortion. All to often they tend to glorify irresponsible sexual beheavior without responsibilty. Too many parents can't or won't deal with or even try to teach their children sexual responsibilty. Far too often schools become a default place to teach sexual responsibility and do a horrible job due to public pressure to only teach that abstance.
What is needed is to teach sexual responsibility at schools with the involvement of parents and/or the faith belief organizations they may be part of. It must have discussions of the real life implications of pregancy as well as how to reduce the risks of rape and poor judgements that far too often lead to sex. Especially as to boys, they must be taught to not demand sex to keep a relationship. Such education should deglorify irresponsible sex, present real numbers of risk as to conterception methods, and to try to encourage delaying sex until both parties are out of high school and adults.

[cindysundancer]

Did you see the CBS show on "Our Warming Planet" Sunday night? A top NASA scientist (I think his name is Jim Hanson) says the earth is warming faster than predicted and we are in a real danger zone NOW. If we don't take serious steps to cut world wide emissions, we won't recognize this planet in a few decades. BTW he also said he and other scientists have been heavily censored by the White House, muzzled against sounding the alarm.

A scientist from the Smithsonian also said in the Washington Post a week or two ago that he believes the world is headed for another mass extinction. WAKE UP, PEOPLE!

You learn in 9th grade biology what happens when a particular ecosytem can't sustain a growing population. It's not pretty.
We're already seeing the "life-boat" effect of immigrants from Africa and Mexico struggling to make it to Europe and the USA respectively. EVERYONE SHOULD THINK VERY SERIOUSLY ABOUT HAVING MORE THAN ONE CHILD! And we need a mature, well-educated population to deal with the tough decisions that will be coming down the pike. With oil peaking, the planet warming, and a billion plus people in India and China wanting cars and big houses and a USA lifestyle--the next 50 years are going to be nothing like the last 50 years of cheap energy and record prosperity.

[mommadona]

"The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the industrialized world."

Ok - let's put this discussion on the PROPER FOOTING:

THE UNITED STATES HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF LEGAL-AGED MALES RAPING UNDERAGED GIRLS, THEREBY CAUSING UNWANTED PREGNANCIES IN THAT AGE GROUP.

It takes TWO.
The ADULT is RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE.

Men, take your proper place.

[longislandlol]

Wasn't it George Bush Senior and Barbara Bush who were a barely out of their teens when they had George Jr.-- well -they were both from big monied families with houses all over America to stay at, etc... having more than 4 kids nowadays- and getting hitched barely out of your teens is not in the socio-economic scheme of things..

[WilliePilgrim]

I think that whenever we try to legislate instinctual behaviors whether its sexual behavior or bullying or adult socializing activities (drinking) whether it's by church or secular law, we risk failing while looking brutal and stupid.
If having children when more mature was such a good idea, we'd see many of society's ills dissappear from those groups who practice this. But a quick glance at any playground in middle class suburbia should dispell that idea. We have tons of problems with kids and almost none of it is due to their parents being under 18. Prescription drugs keep 'em tractable.
It has to do with our observing the date of birth more than leaving these decisions to the communities who know these people best and who have genuine influence over their kids. Now that function, has to a large degree, been taken over by school psychologists laboring under the false premise of the Standard Sociological Model.
A closer understanding of our evolutionary psychology will do a lot more good that the logical, though false, interpretation of human motivation that has been so meticulously prepared for us, mostly by people who themselves claim as expereince the screwed up childhoods they had.
I prefer to see young mothers who are embraced and welcome in the communities and who, when they are ready, might then want to pursue a career or develope their interests, once vested interest in raising a child has run its course. Or are you saying that by not pursuing career interests early we aren't worthy of having them later in life?
I find it unusual for me to argue against what passes for enlightenment in human understanding but in fact our human understanding has ignored or disregarded our powerful instinctive behavior; patterns that have been guiding humans for longer than history. We ignore these realities at our peril and the proof is in the current situation with regards to psychology's miserable failure to accept that the way the mind works is not well understood and is certainly not in tune with the theories of the Standard Sociological Model..sadly.

[Sciguy]

Kinda makes one pine for the days of Dan Qualye and Murphy Brown, doesn't it?

I don't know if the problem is Catholicism, but it's surely a contributing cause. Once upon a time, it was best for women to have as many children as possible, because most of them would die before they reached adulthood. (That's still seen in some parts of Africa and India.) The Catholic church encourages unchecked reproduction because, I assume, they used to have to "go with the flow" to keep recruiting new members, and they - like most institutions - don't like change.

Nowadays, there's no excuse for people living in a country where birth control and decent (or at least emergency) medical care is available to have potloads of kids, especially when they can't afford to raise them. In the US, the days of the family farm that needed lots of workers are gone, as are the days of children dying before age 5.

Even the ones that can afford all those kids shouldn't be having 10 kids. For example, the late Bobby Kennedy had a passel of kids, which he could certainly afford. However, the rest of us CAN'T afford his kids - they're wealthy, so they used much more than 10 kids' worth of resources. No insult to RFK intended - it's just a point that most of us can't afford to have 10 kids - regardless of who their biological parents are.

[Paul]

The Right-to-Lifers tell a story and I think it is a good one:

A women finds herself pregnant and asks your advice. This will be her 12th child, and several have already died in childbirth and common disease. The house has no electricity nor running water, and her husband's income is irregular. Furthermore you have a way of knowing that this child will be an orphan before he is 11.

What chance does such a child stand for any success? The women asks you if she should seek an abortion.

For those answering in the affirmative, they have just terminated the birth of J.S. Bach.

[JustAnotherJoe]

Tom,

Got a link to this study you mentioned? While you wrote that the study broke down the results by race, any mention of whether it also broke down the data by economic status as well? You drew a conclusion about the population growth among Hispanics based upon their predominant religious affiliation, but another reasonable conclusion may be that poor Latinos, especially those who are undocumented, simply do not have ready access to birth control. Most American Catholics, 78% according to a Gallup poll, do not agree with the Pope's teaching on contraception. Here's an article in USNews that cites the Gallup report:

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/050418/18american.htm

My point here is that birth rates may be a function of economic conditions as much as religious ones. Traditionally, people from countries without a social security type infrastructure rely on their families to care for them in their old age. The bigger the family, the better chance they will have economically. Think undocumented people here who won't qualify for social security don't know that?

Also, I wouldn't want the government telling me NOT to have kids either a la China.