Problematic sollutions
Problematic sollutionsProblematic Solutions
With the New Year approaching great change will undoubtedly accompany the new millennium. Changes in technology and the arts will emerge naturally but as the times change it is our responsibility to ensure that social policies are designed to best benefit society. Drugs, crime, violence, poverty, and illiteracy are all rising at amazing speeds and this indicates a problem in our current social policy. While there are many possible reasons for these problems the corresponding rise in white illegitimacy is the largest factor.
Charles Murray identified this problem in an article in the Wall Street Journal. He came up with possible solutions that he felt would cure this societal illness. His suggestions were good but unreasonable. He touches on both societal and governmental reform and although many of his suggestions are valid they would cause more harm then good. His recommendations include ending governmental economic support such as welfare, subsidized housing and food stamps, increasing social stigma, and returning to the ideals held in the mid 20th century. Although these suggestions do contain some validity in theory, I don’t believe that implementation would have the desired effect.
Murray’s opinion is that some women go through with pregnancy because they know the government will support them through the Welfare system. Therefore Murray feels this economic policy should be abolished. To understand his theory you must look at illegitimacy as a circle: It is a fact that women, especially teenage women, are more sexually active today than in the past. One reason for this increase is that they know the government has systems designed to support them if they become pregnant. This serves as a safety net for the women therefore they are more sexually active.
Murray feels that by cutting out this policy women won’t have that safety net. This will cause them to be less sexually active in turn cutting down the number of illegitimate births. This may work for some women, but Murray doesn’t stipulate as to what happens to the women it does not work for. Cutting out the welfare system will leave those who use, rather than abuse, the system out in the cold. It may help decrease the number of illegitimate births but it will also bring great harm to many babies and children. Welfare checks are often used to put clothing on the baby’s backs and help to support their needs as they grow. Without that money the baby’s health is put into great jeopardy. Undoubtedly the current welfare system isn’t flawless but abolishing it would have much worse effects on children then what is already in place. Instead of using Murray’s solution of downright ending welfare simply altering the system could solve many of the problems.
Another of Murray’s possible solutions for decreasing white illegitimacy is ending the food stamp program. No food stamps means no food,...
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