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Since Paul Erhlich wrote The Population Bomb, it’s long been recognized that uncontrolled human population growth is the greatest threat to our planet. Coupled with an economic recession, many families, including the first family, recognize that small family size is crucial for surviving the current depression and climate crisis. That’s why President Obama has endorsed a $10,000 tax credit for American males that undergo vasectomies, essentially making the surgical procedure free.
According to CNN Health:
Since then, the Cleveland Clinic has seen a 50 percent increase in vasectomies, an outpatient surgery that is the cheapest form of permanent birth control. Vasectomies are less invasive and cheaper than tubal ligation, which involves blocking, tieing or cutting a woman’s fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy.
April Fools!
But seriously, Obama has not endorsed such a tax credit, as far as I know, but the economic recession has caused an increase in vasectomies. Dr. J. Stephen Jones, who has been performing seven vasectomies a day, explains:
It’s unlikely that some guy read the Dow Jones numbers that day and said, “Why don’t we have a vasectomy?”…They realize they don’t have the financial security long-term with what’s going on. Several of them have mentioned, “We can’t afford to have any more children in this economy.” My perception is that it’s more of the concept of raising children in an uncertain economic future.
The Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine in New York has seen a 48% increase in vasectomies consultations over last year. Historically, birth rates did go down during the Great Depression, so it is not unexpected that families are being more conscious about having children more now than in prosperous times. Maybe Obama should consider a tax credit…
Image: Dead Spin
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according to statistics we are currently in a larger baby boom than the original baby boom! and what do my husband and I say? praise god! and may he bless our family of 8 with additions! it’s about lifestyle. if you choose to live as the world you are not being a good steward of gods resources!
@Amy,
huh?
That is HILARIOUS. I can just see all the men cringing…
yeah…I wish!
Great post, Jennifer. Even better “stimulus” idea, at least in this house.
Reminded me of a cakewrecks, of course.
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2009/03/celebrating-different-kind-of-v-day.html
My husband and I have two wonderful kids, we have thought of a third, which would be our last. I never wanted more then 3. We have already agreed we will revisit the idea of a 3rd in another 3-5 years and after that whether we have a kid or not he is going to go get the snip. I think men who cringe at this idea are not completely confident in their masculinity. It takes a well adjusted male to realize that he can help prevent possible unplanned pregnancies with his wife, significant other, girlfriend, or whatever relationship he may be in.
And I do not think it is necessarily a good thing that we are in the biggest baby boom, which appears to be out pacing the generation of the original baby boomers, we are in an economic crisis after all.
Vasectomies have been linked in several studies to an increased risks of prostate and testicular cancer. They may also be linked to increased risks of lung cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma and autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, some types of hepatitis, Addison’s disease (malfunction of the adrenal glands), lupus, and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
75% of men show detectable levels of sperm antigens 2 years after having a vasectomy. When the body gears up its defenses to destroy cells of its own making, as after a vasectomy, then the body becomes “auto-immune” — allergic to itself.
Vasectomies are bad for men’s health…
This is not such an outrageous idea. I think that the government should have a service that provide vasectomies and then give vouchers to the court system. Then when someone is convicted of a crime that demonstrates their utter stupidity the judge can offer them a snip coupon in lieu of jail time, effectively taking these idiots out of the gene pool and reducing the impact on our over burdened corrections system.
I’m not saying that EVERYONE that gets arrested is an idiot, and I’m not saying that people that don’t aren’t. It has just been my experience that the people that make the worst parents tend to have the most kids and they raise their kids poorly and their kids grow up to be idiots too. These people tend to have troubles with the law as well, making the court a convenient steward of the priceless coupons.
Hey Jennifer,
I came here from the Green and Clean Mom blog.
Anyway, I can’t resist saying…
Wouldn’t this be more of a tax “cut” than a credit?
Ouch, just thinking about it makes me wince.
~ Steve Booth