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by M_Grey 3535 days ago
There is unlikely to be anything like a perfect solution, and placing the burden on the taxpayer anytime a parent decides to brush the kid off seems unfair as well. A good guideline though, is that you can't force people into medical procedures, or force them not to get one they want/need. Given that life is unfair in that way, or at least not equal, the law is going to reflect that inequality to some extent.
2 comments

In general I'd agree with you, but there are adults who really could benefit from medication but refuse to take it to their detriment and to the detriment to others in society. So I think, while I agree to a great extend with your above opinion, I think there are cases where professionals should be able to coerce people to take their meds.

Yes, I know abuse is possible, but given the alternative, I'm willing to take that risk, unless this kind of person has someone else who will be responsible and can be responsible for this person.

I have to be honest, the history of making people take medication has been an ugly one; I'm not sure if we've really moved past it either. If we had perfect medications without grievous long term adverse effects, I'd agree with you in any case though.
Do we then say that men should not have the right to decline parenthood because its too expensive for society, while at same time say that women should have the right because its a fundamental liberty?

We could, but it is not a good sound bite when calling for gender equality and reproductive rights. It also sound as there is more, maybe smaller steps that we could do to minimize the difference in rights and responsibility when it comes to reproductive rights.

> men should not have the right to decline parenthood because its too expensive for society, while at same time say that women should have the right because its a fundamental liberty?

Yes. It's an interesting philosophical point, but there are real differences between men and women and this one is pretty straightforward.

> but there are real differences between men and women

Thank you.

So you're saying that men should shoulder more responsibility for breeding for the greater good?