IBARW #2

[desertvixen]

 Something else that bothers me, in conjunction with racism: the complaint that white women aren't "breeding" enough.

 First of all, we aren't breeding stock.  We're people.  We have other purposes to our lives.  I have one child.  I plan to have another.  Possibly, possibly, a third.  That's it.

 Second, I can't get all worked up about POC becoming a larger number of the population.  I just can't. 

 I also can't ignore that often the same people saying white women should have more babies (with white men, naturally) often complain that POC have too many babies, have too large families. 

 Makes you wonder.

 DV

Comments

[dunmurderin.livejournal.com]

I read that and my first reaction was "Whaaaaat?" -- not so much because I can't believe someone would say that in the sense of "No, that would never happen!" as I can't believe someone would say that in the sense of "Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Pat Buchanan wrote a book, State of Emergency, where that was one of the alarm cries.

There's also the Quiverfull groups with religious basis for having lots of kids. I believe the Duggars (they of the many J names) are Quiverfull types.

DV

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

I just got OUT of the kitchen. Barefoot, even.

I did guess it was sarcasm, however. :)

DV

[garpu.livejournal.com]

You see that attitude all the goddamn time over on closedcafeteria.blogspot.com, especially towards Muslims, but it's a not-so-thinly veiled slam on Mexicans (usually) as well.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

"Brown types" seems to cover a lot of ground.

DV

[garpu.livejournal.com]

Yeah it does, sadly.

[raeyn.livejournal.com]

Screw race when it comes to having kiddos... I still stick to my standpoint that intelligent people should do the world a favor and breed to fight the idiots... though I know it's a doomed cause, since most of my friends who are having children support the ideology of zero population (I'm with you - I want 2, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe three.).

Need caffeine now <3

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

It's not so much a zero-population thing as it is a lifestyle thing.

How many more resources can we devote to our children if we limit the number we have? Especially since the amount of resources is limited by things like our careers (Brian wants to stay military as a warrant officer, and I want to teach. I also don't want to work a job that takes over my life.)

Also, pregnancy and childbirth isn't how I want to spend a large portion of my life. Childbirth itself actually isn't so bad, but the "pregnancy police" drove me up the wall.

[raeyn.livejournal.com]

There is that, too. I almost wish I could have twins so I could get it all over in one lump sum (however, twins do not appear to run in either my family or my husband's family :D).

As for number that a family is able to support... yes, I also concur that is a factor. I know that I definetly wish to have at least two for the simple fact that growing up with siblings is a wonderful thing (I'm glad my parents managed to support the four of us; it's nice having so many friends with the same genetic make-up!).

And you'll have to elucidate on the pregnancy police - I believe I have an idea of what you mean, but would love to confirm :)

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

"I was in labor for thirty-six hours with NO drugs because it was better for the baby."

"Should you be eating (fill in the blank) while you're pregnant?"

"Are you gaining enough weight?"

"I hear caffeine can cause miscarriages. Should you be having a soda?" (Yes, but you'd have to drink a lot. More than you, I, and Walt could drink on one night shift. EVERY DAY.)

"When I was pregnant..." from total strangers.

And the people who want to touch you. I didn't have a big problem with this, but I think it was the no-touch vibes I was sending out.

DV

[raeyn.livejournal.com]

Ah, that is what I thought. I recently had a friend who found out she'll be having a child, and had a doctor who told her the most ludicrous bullshit I'd ever heard, such as the absolutely no caffeine... and hell, almost sounds like he was trying to put her on the Atkin's diet. I told her (and I know, I've never had a child, but I was sure on this bit) that the stress of her freaking out over not having a cup of morning coffee was going to be more detrimental to her child's health than the coffee... she's been a much happier girl since then :)

I also tend to point out to people (when their doctors and friends go psycho over their pregnancies) that people have been having babies much longer than we've had modern medicine....

And heh... I have every intention of having midwife-delivered natural childbirth in the comforts of my own home when I do have children... my hatred of hospitals and strangers is that strong.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Not sure if she's in the UK or US, but there's a book called The Panic Free Pregnancy that gets into a lot of the old wives tales, and such, and lays out how much you really need to worry about some stuff. On that hand, I wouldn't rec What to Expect When You're Expecting because they get into a lot of bad what-ifs with really low likelihoods.

DV

[raeyn.livejournal.com]

I'll point that out to her :) She is on the East Coast, US-style-y :D

[garbagewomyn.livejournal.com]

I obiviously have a hard time with this for alot of reasons. It doesn't seem to me though that Pat Buchanan needs to be concerning himself with OTHER people's breeding habits. I mean this has got to be one of the stupidest things I have heard from a conservative in awhile.

If they are going to talk about one group breeding more than they should---WELL THEN maybe birth control (in all forms) and good education should be readily available to all people. That isn't to say I am making a judgement on all folks with alot of children because I am sure many times it is planned. All the same it is these same folks that that get their panties in a wad if you talk about actual sex ed or reproductive choice.

Plus all this talk about race and what not makes me ill. I mean to me the only difference between Bryan and a white guy is the skin color. Or say Jen (my best friend--Korean) is that our skin tones are different and she has almond shaped eyes and more delicate features. To me it isn't any different than say someone having red hair and someone being blonde or having blue eyes instead of brown. It just seems this whole idea of race is so much more a social construct than actual differences. I don't know why there is a sense of one being better than the other or not mixing. With an increase of interacial relationships and such lately it seems that it just is a big melting pot and to me that isn't a bad thing.

Hopefully that made sense.

[garbagewomyn.livejournal.com]

That isn't to say culture and ethnicity don't matter. I mean these are the same people who might preach about the difficulty of being "mixed" and having to choose. You aren't one or the other---you are a combination of both. Plus race, ethnicity, and culture are three different (maybe not VERY) concepts.

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

Yes, it makes sense. And I wish more people had that attitude.

DV