Just My Two Cents...
I guess what really bugs me about our fellow countrymen slamming another country, in our case our daughter's birth country, is their egocentric perspectives and need to impose American opinions, politics and culture upon other countries.
Chris and I were discussing China’s one child policy looking for a way for me to handle “those questions” better. We both agree that limiting the number of children a person can have is a major “human rights” offense. Having said that and after reading this paper and other recent articles on China’s population control policy, Chris made some interesting points. One of which is that China’s policy to limit family growth is in part born out of necessity, we do not agree with it, but there is no social structure to support those who cannot support their families. In the paper from Harvard the writer indicates that in China it “pays” not to have more than one or two children, having more than that will cost the family money in the form of a fine and payment for registration and education of the additional child. As we were discussing China’s policy, Chris pointed out that here in the U.S. the government will actually PAY people to have more children than they can afford to support. No you say?? Sure we do…..we provide subsidies for housing, medical care, mental health, dental, childcare, education, food stamps, etc. The more children you have in America that you can’t take care of the more the government will pay you to help take care of them…you don’t even need to leave the house!
People question how China “treats” their children. Really, how well do we treat our children here in the United States?? Even with “supporting” parents, children in one of the wealthiest countries in the world are neglected, unloved and die every day. Our foster care system…please... it fails children daily.
Every year I encounter children at school who require a flow map to explain who lives with them and how they are related to one another. Every year I wake up a parent of one of my students at 11:00 AM in the morning to come get their sick child, and they are not asleep because they worked second shift either. I have parents who do not have jobs, but can’t seem to make it to a meeting at school once a year. There are parents that have 5 or 6 kids and they are not even 30 years old yet. They can’t seem to figure out birth control but they certainly know how to fill out the free and reduced lunch forms.
I don’t disagree that as a society we should support those who are in REAL need. Poverty in America is a vicious cycle. But we have to be honest in saying that the system fails. It fails to instill hope for something better than a hand out, it takes away desire to succeed and care. Here in America it does pay to have more children than you can care for, it just doesn’t in many other countries.
Chris and I were discussing China’s one child policy looking for a way for me to handle “those questions” better. We both agree that limiting the number of children a person can have is a major “human rights” offense. Having said that and after reading this paper and other recent articles on China’s population control policy, Chris made some interesting points. One of which is that China’s policy to limit family growth is in part born out of necessity, we do not agree with it, but there is no social structure to support those who cannot support their families. In the paper from Harvard the writer indicates that in China it “pays” not to have more than one or two children, having more than that will cost the family money in the form of a fine and payment for registration and education of the additional child. As we were discussing China’s policy, Chris pointed out that here in the U.S. the government will actually PAY people to have more children than they can afford to support. No you say?? Sure we do…..we provide subsidies for housing, medical care, mental health, dental, childcare, education, food stamps, etc. The more children you have in America that you can’t take care of the more the government will pay you to help take care of them…you don’t even need to leave the house!
People question how China “treats” their children. Really, how well do we treat our children here in the United States?? Even with “supporting” parents, children in one of the wealthiest countries in the world are neglected, unloved and die every day. Our foster care system…please... it fails children daily.
Every year I encounter children at school who require a flow map to explain who lives with them and how they are related to one another. Every year I wake up a parent of one of my students at 11:00 AM in the morning to come get their sick child, and they are not asleep because they worked second shift either. I have parents who do not have jobs, but can’t seem to make it to a meeting at school once a year. There are parents that have 5 or 6 kids and they are not even 30 years old yet. They can’t seem to figure out birth control but they certainly know how to fill out the free and reduced lunch forms.
I don’t disagree that as a society we should support those who are in REAL need. Poverty in America is a vicious cycle. But we have to be honest in saying that the system fails. It fails to instill hope for something better than a hand out, it takes away desire to succeed and care. Here in America it does pay to have more children than you can care for, it just doesn’t in many other countries.
posted by TBG Happenings at 4:44 PM
13 Comments:
Amen sistah!
Sadly your comments are very true for your neighbours to the north too.
Very well written.
I learned a lot last week about the famine problem that was happening in China prior to the 1 child policy when I read Rumor Queen's post on the topic. It was informative and very helpful to learn more about the initial reasons the one child policy was put in place.
OMG..You hit the nail on the head! That was one of the most well written acticles I have EVER read!
Great post and unfortunately very much true. There are no simple answers.
I second Krista- AMEN.
I'll give you a quarter for those thoughts. I couldn't agree more with you. I do see the necessity in the one child policy and feel it is a double edged sword for the Chinese people. Great post.
Right on with this post. While limiting folks to having just one child in China may seem barbaric to us, China must do what it thinks is best for all the people. Our system does fail in the worst way. Rather than help those who are trying to help themselves but just can't quite make it for one reason or another... they would rather pay them to stay home and do nothing.
Thank you for a great post! I agree that Americans need to stop imposing their views on the rest of the world including China and other countries. What works well in one country is not always appropriate for another. I like how you point out that our government does pay for all of these extra things for children people can't even afford. Perhaps if the goverment stopped doing that, I could have healthcare instead. Maybe they should pay for college instead of public school for all of these kids, too. I can't afford healthcare OR repayment on my student loans. I think the government often puts its money in the wrong places...
Talk about hitting the nail on the head! It is so sad that we see so many kids in school whose safest and healthiest environment is school, purely due to the fact that their parents keep having more and more kids just to fund their big screen TV's to watch all day long in between their napping etc.. while some of the kids teachers consider themselves fortunate to budget in just basic cable on an old TV! ( myself included)
Kids truly don't have anything any better here in our welfare systems and foster care. We just have different types of abandonment/neglect.
I wonder if it is possible to reach a happy medium somewhere...?
( from another Datong mom and SpEd teacher)
Thanks for this thoughtful and beautifully-written post. I completely agree. And it bothers me no end when people feel the need to make blanket statements about China, having done no research and knowing nothing more than the basic concept of "one-child policy". I'll leave it at that. You really said it all.
After spending several years in China, I feel that your post is very true. There are so many other things to add... very good post!!!
Excellent post.
I love it... I agree with all you said... take care
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