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Comment by vxNsr | Hacker News Reader

Someone might argue that people shouldn't engage in activities that have a strong probability of creating responsibilities they can't handle, no matter how good those initial activities feel.

In other parts of society we'd say "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

I know this is a very unpopular opinion the world over right now, but: This applies loosely to sex as well (Don't have sex if you can't afford to have kids).

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No, it sounds like you're arguing that the child should bear the burden of the parent's bad decisions. Ever hear the phrase "sins of the father?"

The fact is the child has no control over their home environment, and you're effectively damning them to a life of lower achievement based on the fact that their parents can't afford enough bedding. Is that really the kind of world you want to live in?

I'm arguing exactly the opposite!

A parents lack of self/impulse control shouldn't be the child's responsibility. And we should strive as much as possible to prevent people from doing something that might cause that to be the case. Obviously once a child is born we need to work on making sure they have a bright and fulfilling future, but why not stop it at the source?

Because government subsidized abortion is politically a non starter.

No. That's just a completely unworkable and unreasonable demand.

Wow. So asking someone for a bit of self control and being a responsible adult is now considered an unreasonable request. Because it’s so difficult to at least not have unprotected sex when you know you’re not in a position to support a child.

We are truly lost as a society.

Saying that someone should lose all support, as the person I was responding to suggested, just for doing one of the normal human acts is entirely unreasonable.

Depends if you're being pedantic and talking about sex-vs-no-sex rather than protected sex. There are loads of achievable and affordable options including freely available and/or subsidised contraception, practical sex education, down the spectrum towards abortion, etc.

Self control is unreasonable? You honestly sound like those creepy men who go around slapping random coworker's behinds because that's what comes naturally.

> I know this is a very unpopular opinion the world over right now, but: This applies loosely to sex as well (Don't have sex if you can't afford to have kids).

because it's a ridiculous opinion that ignores human nature and provides awful advice.

As I said, unpopular.

It doesn't ignore human nature, it asks that you embrace your humanity. Until recently people would have argued that "unwanted advances" were "human nature." NO! As an adult human you're better than that. Control yourself.

I'm not really understanding why it provides "awful advice"? Why should your children bear the responsibilities of your lack of self control?

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