Troubling Stats

[Jay82]

I came across this article on CNN today:

cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/04/08/out.of.wedlock.births/index.html?iref=t2test_livingwed

According to the article: “Nearly 40 percent of babies born in the United States in 2007 were delivered by unwed mothers, according to data released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics. The 1.7 million out-of-wedlock births, of 4.3 million total births, marked a more than 25 percent jump from five years before.”

I find the aforementioned out-of-wedlock birth numbers to be extremely high and troubling. I would have never imagined it to be 40%. I don’t really follow these type of trends/stats, but 40%, is a huge percentage of the children of this generation. Sadly, I don’t expect these numbers to get much better in the near future.

These kids growing up, and being raised by a single parent, is going to have a ripple effect on society as a whole and future generations to come in areas such as divorce rate, teen pregnancy, crime rate, high school graduation rate, etc.

Thoughts?

 

[jwashu]

Well… for years we have been teaching abstinence only education in the schools.

Bush started that in TX in the 90s and 4 or 5 years ago the results came out just like this in TX. People argued that we should change the national mandate but it got shot down… and thus here we are!

This is also why the abortion rate for the 19-24 group was increasing as of 2006. I’m terrified to see the 2007 numbers when they are released.

And while those moderates like myself believe we should teach both, in Public School, we can’t legislate our morality there, in order to save lives (both abortions and AID) and decrease teen pregnancy and STD rates (they are up too) we are going to loose on both sides now.

The ultra right will stick their head in the sand and keep yelling that abstinence only works (facts are it doesn’t except in a religious setting and then usually not very well).

Even worse the far left will use this type of data to push for increases in Planned Parenthood and their abortion agenda…

This is why our nation needs moderate political leaders who can talk to both sides. If our President continues to cave to the left I pray that the Republican party can find a leader who understands logic and moderation.

Joe

 

[nmoerbeek]

Thoughts?

A tree is known by its fruit.

 

[grandiosa]

The illegitimacy rate in the urban black community has run well over 50% for decades… and look at the state of those people, their culture, their opportunities, the rate of violence and dependence upon government. Look at the number of young black men in prison, or black men who have been there since they were young. People complain about blacks being incarcerated at a rate much higher than is representative… so why is that true? Fatherlessness… which is the usual consequence of being born out of wedlock. I look at my own children and I know without a doubt that they WOULD NOT be the same people without their father living in the house, caring for them, playing with them, being attached and invested and disciplining and being firm differently from me every day.

 

[Jay82]

The illegitimacy rate in the urban black community has run well over 50% for decades… and look at the state of those people, their culture, their opportunities, the rate of violence and dependence upon government. Look at the number of young black men in prison, or black men who have been there since they were young. People complain about blacks being incarcerated at a rate much higher than is representative… so why is that true? Fatherlessness… which is the usual consequence of being born out of wedlock. I look at my own children and I know without a doubt that they WOULD NOT be the same people without their father living in the house, caring for them, playing with them, being attached and invested and disciplining and being firm differently from me every day.

Yes, that has been a problem, and unfortunately will continue to be a major problem for the black community in the future. However, the article didn’t single out a specific ethnicity/race, it was referring to society as a whole. So ‘fatherlessness’ is becoming more and more wide spread and will have profound negative affects on future generations.

Fatherlessness… which is the usual consequence of being born out of wedlock. I look at my own children and I know without a doubt that they WOULD NOT be the same people without their father living in the house, caring for them, playing with them, being attached and invested and disciplining and being firm differently from me every day.

It is great your children are/were able to have a good relationship with their father and he is/was active and engaged in their lives.

I believe when a child grows up in a single parent environment they affected negatively in many ways, even if the single parent (mother in most cases) is well off financially and can give their child many opportunities to succeed. Boys growing up without a father never learn how to properly treat a girl and do not get to see first hand what a stable loving relationship is like. They will learn how to treat girls from peers or the media. External, less than desirable examples will be what they use to guide their behavior, actions, and expectations. They will never get the benefits of the most important strong male role model they could ever have… their father.

Girls on the other hand will not experience the love/affection of their father and when they hit a certain age will seek out that affection from boys to fill the void in their life (this can also happen with fathers that are present, but disengaged, however more common in single parent homes).

I feel like these out-of-wedlock birth numbers will only get worse and worse as time goes on. In 25 years we may only see 30% of births within marriage.

 

[MarieVeronica]

Thoughts?

Well, like you… I’m astounded. It sure is sad. :nope:

During the height of the news coverage on the little girl missing in Florida (the one who was found dead, stuffed in a garbage bag )… I heard one of the EWTN priests comment on the “tragic effects of promiscuity”. He didn’t come right out and name this particular case… and I won’t, either. But, I’m sure… you all know which one I’m referring to.

He was alluding to the fact that this precious child had been born out of wedlock, to a very young girl… who was obviously not prepared for the responsibilities of motherhood. The tragic result… the death of this precious child. So sad.

Parents of young people and teens… do NOT “teach” your children to be careful. Teach them to be CHASTE.

There is a bus stop right outside my home. It has a big poster of a young man and a young lady… and it says… “HAVE YOU BEEN TESTED FOR STD’s? GET TESTED.”

I am SOOOOO tempted to sneak down during the night… with an extra large permanent marker… and write over it… “VIRGINITY IS BEAUTIFUL”… or “TRY CHASTITY INSTEAD”.

May God have mercy on us.

 

[grandiosa]

Jay82, I know this article did not single out any racial or ethnic group. I was using the example to show where the rest of us are headed as we follow that one segment of society down the same road.

 

[jwashu]

Well, like you… I’m astounded. It sure is sad. :nope:

During the height of the news coverage on the little girl missing in Florida (the one who was found dead, stuffed in a garbage bag )… I heard one of the EWTN priests comment on the “tragic effects of promiscuity”. He didn’t come right out and name this particular case… and I won’t, either. But, I’m sure… you all know which one I’m referring to.

He was alluding to the fact that this precious child had been born out of wedlock, to a very young girl… who was obviously not prepared for the responsibilities of motherhood. The tragic result… the death of this precious child. So sad.

Parents of young people and teens… do NOT “teach” your children to be careful. Teach them to be CHASTE.

There is a bus stop right outside my home. It has a big poster of a young man and a young lady… and it says… “HAVE YOU BEEN TESTED FOR STD’s? GET TESTED.”

I am SOOOOO tempted to sneak down during the night… with an extra large permanent marker… and write over it… “VIRGINITY IS BEAUTIFUL”… or “TRY CHASTITY INSTEAD”.

May God have mercy on us.

This is great and I will teach my sons this but we are talking about a population that encompasses many different religions and cultures. As a Nation we have to address what is best for ALL of them without interfering in their religion. (that’s the hard part right?) However in a public setting we have to realize that many parents, even some who claim to be Christian or even Catholic, are not going to teach their children properly and we have to look at what is best for society.

Frankly I do not want to see more babies dead from abortion or more born to unwed mothers who may or may not grow up with a father figure (I worked with inner city Gangs for a while) nor see AIDS and other STDs increase because we expect everyone else to be held to our belief system. That just can not be accomplished in a free society. Remember it was religious persecution, having to be Anglican, that drove many people to this new land to start with.

Joe

 

[xyneshia]

grandiosa is right about the black community.

I have noticed somthing else too. Not race related. It seems that it is very popular to be a “single mom”. Often when I meet a woman she will introduve herself “Hi nice to meet you my name is name and I’m a single mom” . If I am out with my kids while my DH is at work people will ask me if I am a “single mom”. I have known women who would say they want kids but not a husband–and they do have kids and no husband. When I got a new upstairs neighbor my landlord was telling me “oh you will love the new family upstairs! She is a single mom with a little girl.” okaaaaaayyyyy I for one would not want to be a single mom but seems I am the odd one out.

 

[ChristinaM]

Thoughts?

If we want to see where we’re headed, all we have to do is look at the Scandinavian countries. I read a similar article a few years back that said many people were no longer bothering to get married even after having kids.

I think this was the article I read.

The End of Marriage in Scandinavia

Children deserve to grow up with a mother AND a father. I’m not trying to demean those women who are single mothers through no fault of their own. I’m glad they’re choosing life - better a single mom than a dead baby. But deliberately depriving your child of growing up with a father just doesn’t seem right to me.

 

[Jay82]

This is great and I will teach my sons this but we are talking about a population that encompasses many different religions and cultures. As a Nation we have to address what is best for ALL of them without interfering in their religion. (that’s the hard part right?) However in a public setting we have to realize that many parents, even some who claim to be Christian or even Catholic, are not going to teach their children properly and we have to look at what is best for society.

I agree with you here and as you said, that is what makes it very tough.

Jay82, I know this article did not single out any racial or ethnic group. I was using the example to show where the rest of us are headed as we follow that one segment of society down the same road.

I know, but I didn’t want someone else to just read the posts and think the article singled out one ethnic group.

I have noticed somthing else too. Not race related. It seems that it is very popular to be a “single mom”. Often when I meet a woman she will introduve herself “Hi nice to meet you my name is name and I’m a single mom” . If I am out with my kids while my DH is at work people will ask me if I am a “single mom”. I have known women who would say they want kids but not a husband–and they do have kids and no husband. When I got a new upstairs neighbor my landlord was telling me “oh you will love the new family upstairs! She is a single mom with a little girl.” okaaaaaayyyyy I for one would not want to be a single mom but seems I am the odd one out.

Oddly enough, I have experienced what you have described above. I work with and know several single moms, who always find it necessary to emphasize they are a single parent. I also know some women in their late 20s/early 30s who are my age or a few years older that really want kids, but feel they will never find a decent guy to marry, so they are seriously considering the route of a sperm bank/donor and raising a child alone because they desperately want kids.

If we want to see where we’re headed, all we have to do is look at the Scandinavian countries. I read a similar article a few years back that said many people were no longer bothering to get married even after having kids.

Interesting article. I don’t necessarily agree with the author on some of his conclusions/rationale, but it does bring to light a worldwide trend. I didn’t realize out-of-wedlock births were this wide spread. I would be interested in follow up studies on things such as education, crime, etc.

One thing this article about Scandinavian countries seemed to portray is…couples in those countries had children together, cohabitated, but didn’t get married, and possibly got married after having several children. In my opinion (and this could be wrong) – That is a bit different from the single mother situation in the states where most out-of-wedlock babies are raised by the mother without the presence of the father (or very minimal presence of the father). Having children together and not getting married, yet living together seems to something less prevalent in the states. I’ve been around many parts of the country and met many couples living together for extended periods of time, not really interested in getting married, but none of them have any interest in having children without marriage (which they don’t want, so therefore, they don’t want kids as well - I should also say most of these people are older, around 40+ and don’t have any kids at all or are divorced and have grown children).

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

I don’t think that the children born out of wedlock statistic is necessarily due to lack of contraception, and I don’t think it has to do with just teens. Just browsing through any magazine, there are usually 1 or 2 ads for some contraceptive. For the past 25 years we’ve been hearing, “safe sex, safe sex, safe sex.”

It has to do with people having sex without being married, and having children without feeling the need to be married.

I will be 40 soon. I remember clearly there was a controversy over the actress who played Shirley on “Laverne an Shirley”. She was pregnant and not married, and people were protesting that she wasn’t a good role model for her audience. That was about 25 years ago.

Now, lots of “Stars” are having children without being married, like “Brangelina”. Society as a whole thinks its OK.

Also, I recently read a statistic that adoption rates are significantly down, and that most adoptions are by men, adopting their wives’ children.

There are many parts to this puzzle. It isn’t just a lack of contraceptives.

 

[Cracker_Mom]

Well… for years we have been teaching abstinence only education in the schools.

Bush started that in TX in the 90s and 4 or 5 years ago the results came out just like this in TX. People argued that we should change the national mandate but it got shot down… and thus here we are!

This is also why the abortion rate for the 19-24 group was increasing as of 2006. I’m terrified to see the 2007 numbers when they are released.

And while those moderates like myself believe we should teach both, in Public School, we can’t legislate our morality there, in order to save lives (both abortions and AID) and decrease teen pregnancy and STD rates (they are up too) we are going to loose on both sides now.

The ultra right will stick their head in the sand and keep yelling that abstinence only works (facts are it doesn’t except in a religious setting and then usually not very well).

Even worse the far left will use this type of data to push for increases in Planned Parenthood and their abortion agenda…

This is why our nation needs moderate political leaders who can talk to both sides. If our President continues to cave to the left I pray that the Republican party can find a leader who understands logic and moderation.

Joe

Check the statistics again re. abstinence ed. Remember the old saying that figures don’t lie but liars can figure?