The word parent doesn't necessarily mean the one who gave birth to a child. There are stepparents, foster parents, adoptive parents, and grandparents who are raising children.
And for the unfit parent's, Thank God we have child welfare services to remove children from these unhealthy homes.

Having children should be a personal choice. Not one that is made for us. Should we go around sterilizing all the people we don't want to produce children and take away their God given right to be parents, say all the poor people for example. Just because they may have to rely on food stamps or even welfare, does that make them bad parents. Or we don't believe in what a certain religion practices so anyone practicing that faith isn't allowed to be parents.

I think when we start saying who should or shouldn't be parents, then our next step maybe to say who should live and who should die. Do away with everyone in prison, the mentally ill, or the elderly. It's not up to us to play God nor to judge others.

Teachers as well and doctors and hospital staff, are being trained to be on the lookout for signs of child abuse, and the proper authority is called in on the case to investigate. If you suspect a neighbor or anyone you know of any wrong doings to a child, call the police or Human Resources as soon as you suspect something isn't right. It's best to be wrong then to find out later your gut feeling was right and you did nothing to stop it.

I do however, feel that everyone who wants to be a parent should have that right. Except for anyone who is listed as a sex offender or if they've had a child taken away from them in the past. In cases where the parent is a minor themselves, I feel like someone in the family should be given temporary custody of the baby until the birth mother becomes of legal adult age, or in cases where the mother may have been treated in the past for a mental illness then a social worker should be assigned for in home visits and observations on how the mother is handling the stress of a little one. other then that, parenthood should be a well planned choice.

Learn more about this author, Carolyn Lanier.
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