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| Reducing unwanted pregnancyThe Challenge: Reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in the U.S. How the proposed Challenge meets the challenge criteria: 1. Unwanted pregnancy is everywhere Vision or background behind the proposed Challenge: Many unwanted pregnancies end in tragedy -- abortions can be emotionally scarring; foster care and adoption are tough on a kid and there are already too many children without parents; nobody should have to grow up with parents who don't want them; and extra children can place economic and personal stress on a family that lead to less fulfilling lives for everyone involved. Some people also have religious objections to abortion. Traditionally the debate is about whether abortion should be legal or illegal. That's a pretty idiotic way to look at the problem. Let's look critically at sex ed and contraception access to find out what works and what doesn't. Let's look at what makes children unwanted -- turns out, abortions go up when the economy goes down because people can't and don't want to start families when times are tight. The political process -- including Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Evan Bayh -- have all endorsed this approach in prominent ways. But it doesn't seem like anyone's really taking it beyond rhetoric and actually offering a solution or set of solutions to the problem. If we did come up with stuff, I feel very confident that we could get it championed by high-profile political actors -- they're all looking to be seen doing something about the issue, but I don't think anyone's really come up with the ideas. CommentsThis is a cool and innovative take on this issue. Great idea. Contraception is cheaper, safer, and less controversial than abortion, and is just as good for providing reproductive choice. If contraception were universally available and encouraged, the vast majority of abortions would be eliminated and there would be far fewer unwanted children. Noted economist, Steven Levitt, in "Freakonomics" showed that fewer unwanted pregnancies were more effective than increased police presence or an improved economy in reducing the crime rate. There would also probably be less child abuse, and family homelessness. Idea to deal with abortion issue: If you really want to eliminate abortions, don't make abortion illegal. Make abortion unneccessary. Make abortion obsolete. Help women excercise their right to choose whether to have a baby BEFORE they get pregnant. This is a great idea in several ways: 1) Reducing unwanted pregnancies should help the families involved, reduce child abuse and family homeless, and according to economist Steven Levitt in "Freakonomics", is more effective than increased police presence or an improving economy in reducing crime. 2) Universal availability and encouragement of contraception use except when pregnancy is desired could solve the Abortion impasse. Contraception is cheaper, safer, less controversial, and more widely accepted than abortion. Women could excercise their right to choose whether to have a baby BEFORE they get pregnant, and the vast majority of abortions would be unneccessary. Message idea for politicians to voters: If you really want to eliminate abortions, don't try to make abortion illegal. Make abortions unneccessary. Make abortions obsolete. |
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