The Dangerous Drop in U.S. Births

Policy matters and engaging in formative weekly radio show and podcast produced by the Carolina family policy Council hi this is John Rustin, presidency, family, and were grateful to have you with us for this week's program is our prayer that you will be informed, encouraged and inspired by what you hear on family policy matters and that you will fold better equipped to be a voice of persuasion, family values in your community, state and nation, and now here's our house to family policy matters Tracy to vet bricks. Thanks for joining us this week for family policy matters United States has now joined the vast majority of developed countries in the reality of having a birthright below replacement level even the world's richest man. Elon musk is sounding the alarm about the dangers of such a shift. But the reason for the shaft is a mystery is merely a demographic or economic problem or are there more profound human and societal concerns. When a culture so intensely rejects family life and children Alexandra Davis of Raleigh attorney business owner and mother recently explored this topic in an article for public discourse is entitled the toll of the dwindling birth rate is far greater than under population were grateful.

She joins us today to share her thoughts. Alexandra Davis welcome to family policy matters for having me, so most conversations about the dwindling birthrate focus on demographics what are the demographic trends for the US birthright. There was a study from pew research late last year that surveyed a sample of adults aged 18 to 49 about their family planning interventions and 44% OF the sample reported our check the box that it was quote not too likely, or not at all likely that they would have children, which was a 7% increase from 2018.

Just four years ago and demographers are claiming that the fertility rate needed in our country population is 2.1 flattening Tracy on average couple should have 2.1 children left of the average in the US now the rate is one point which some are claiming is the lowest in history. You said in your article that the dropping birthrate is not just about demographics but it's actually a change in attitude or a quote persistent cultural trend away from family life in childbirth trend because the numbers are really indicative of a general cultural gain for family life and particularly the traditional nuclear family actually tried magazine article published about a decade ago that I read before I wrote this article and having it all without having children about the phenomenon of millennial talking out of having shed, but they're making a position even before they meet there beside something that I want the article was sort of an expos� on their justification for that and notably, it almost seems like we want to design our own lives. We want to maintain our own agenda. Send the highest type of professional achievement, travel to think of the way we want on our terms. So I think that the numbers from the polls that you and I just got sure what that distorted cultural motive is starting to make impact demographically and I would agree with you. I have some friends who have a lot of kids and when I'll mention how many kids they have to to some people. They'll go. Oh my goodness how selfish and I'm like an odd response in my daughter-in-law the same thing when she talks about have a second child.

People are like, oh, I hope you know what you're getting into. There definitely has been a seachange do you think there could be a connection between our nations history of abortion on demand, and this trend away from marriage and family are is that a stretch. Terrible scratch you can make a compelling argument that sort of collective turning away from the family.

From the very thing will route that route is one that Pope Francis has warned about. He called throwaway culture and doesn't just have to relate to abortion it relates to the general idea that people can get in our way that they get in our way in the way of what we want to do they get in the way of how we want to live our lives. And if I do think that there sort of a central ideology that gives rise to a lot of different attitudes toward the family where it kids are in a position to go as far as to say that this trend denies the core of what it means to even be human probably found a bit dramatic to some, but not clear, Tracy. I'm not arguing expecting everyone should have seven children that everyone should have any children or adults.

Children. The number of variables and it reasons that couples opt out issue. The issue goes beyond just the narrower question of whether not have children. It's really you post that underlies the decisions were making the notion the greater good. You know, the bottom in our life is it our own personal fulfillment ideologies, we come to define our generation, argue that it is at the very root of our identity as Americans right our whole nation was started on the fire of an oppressed people to be independent and very good. Arguably, the very good thing. All of were sitting here right now, but problems can arise in the ideal of personal autonomy is taken too far consciously pull away from other people from our communities to view them any needs and requests for personal fulfillment, thinking that we don't need other people to help us with meaningful life that we can find meaning by simply turning to the self.

You say that the cultures focus on individual autonomy doesn't square with human reality seizure saying that that we can't even continue like this.

I guess because we live in community and the most fundamental level of community is the nuclear family so don't have children.

There are other people who are indubitably entrusted to our care. Aging parents sibling who is ill or struggling financially. Look at the way we begin alive fully dependent on others and how many obituaries do you read to get more than here. But for many of them mentioned that the person Surrounded by Family and Friends Right Thing and on the Confident Here of Life.

There's a Reason That the Last Two Years. During the Pandemic.

Many Women, Myself Included, Actually Tried to Get BRCA1 without Their Spouse. Without Their Support Person. Many People Talk about It like Something Even If a Healthy Baby Resulted from It.

So for a Reason. It's Not Good for Us to Be Alone Officially during Moments of Life and Death Were Available Get Very Thin Weekly Radio Show and Podcast. This Is Just One of the Many Ways Is Educating Citizens across Mr. A Lot Of about Policy Issues. The Family Vision Is Stated in the Religious Freedom for Families. For More Information about His Family and How You Can Help Us to Achieve This Credible Vision for State and Nation.

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Why Is That so Fundamental to Human Life Began like Just These Life-And-Death Issues. Part of Our Call to Care for the Marginalized Social Outcast, Sick Be Abandoned in Whatever Ways We Might Be Called on to Do so. So I Think That When We Turn Our Backs on Things like Family Life, Parenthood, the Sort of Underlying Rationale There That We Can't Be Bothered up the Burdens of Others.

Logical Conclusion Part of the Childbearing Contacts. I Think It Leads to a Conclusion That Can Be Bothered to Take Care Of People. It's Not Our Problem and I Think That That's Problematic.

I Think That All the Different Ways and to Different Extents Are Called or Asked to Take Care of Other People, Whether They're in Our Families Are Not. You Mentioned That You Don't Think That Everyone Needs to Have Children and Certainly Not like Seven Children, but We Need to Be Examining the Why Even before You Have Any Kids to Talk about That, Whatever Reasons Should What What Should Our Reasons Be for Having Children and Having a Family, Children Can Provide Really Deep and Abiding Meaning in Our Lives.

I Think That This Is Not to Say That Finding Meaning of Impossible Help Out Of the Conflict. Parenthood. But What I'm Saying Is for Those Who Are Able and Willing, and Absent Compelling Reason to Opt out, of Which There Are Many to Ask the Question Only You Can Answer. What Is the Cost of Turning Her Back on It and I Think That the Meeting We Can Derive from Stepping into the Calling Parenthood Which Demands Go Much about so Much Sacrifice from the Physically to Me Hunting Season of Caring for Babies and Toddlers to the Difficult Work of the Moral Formation of Young Adult and Adolescent. This Is Something That Those Who Choose That Is Truly a Path to Sanctification. One Thing That I've Heard A Lot Of People Say in My Generation Is I Don't Feel That It Would Be Responsible.

I Don't Know That Would Be Prudent to Have Children out Because the World Feels Exceptionally Tumultuous. Right Now There Are Very Legitimate Concerns about the Environment and What's Going to Happen There Very Legitimate Concerns about the Political Landscape. The List Goes on and on and on like to Say Is Yes This Is True, but the World Has Always Been Unsettled Truly Been Promised Utopia Here on Earth We've Never Been Promised, Perfect Ability. A Lot Of These Things Seem to Be Cyclical Pandemic.

I Know Some People Might Argue We Were Actually Due for Some Radical Disruption.

After Relatively Calm Decade, but I Say Is While It's True That the World Will Always Be Disrupted and Disruptive Children an Opportunity to Create Family World a Home That Can Be a Mooring That Can Be a Safe Place That Can Be a Fertile Ground to Inculcate Values and Virtue in a Tumultuous World. So While We Don't Have Control over the State of the Planet. We Do Have Some Control over Our Own Homes and to Be Able to Bring Children into That This a Decline in the Family and and Having Children.

We Also See an Increase Though in Interest Surrounding Children Children's Issues Children in School. What Are Children Being Taught. Why Do You Suppose That Those Things Are Happening at the Same Time Know Deep down in Our Quarterback Children.

Children Really Represent A Lot Of Hope for Future Generations and I Think That's Why Baby, Bit of a Battleground Lately in Society and Media Specially When It Comes to Education. Could You Just Address. Finally, What This Could Mean in a Practical Way. If Our Country Continues on in This Trend a Great Question, Tracy Mullen, Certainly Not an Expert on the Economic Side.

In My Research I've Done on the Topic I Have Learned That Economists Are Very Concerned about Issues like a Collapsing Population, and Its Effects on How Were Going to Pay into Things like Social Security How We Are Going to Care for the Old and the Sick in Our Society. If They're Certainly Not When Not Enough Young People in Our Society, and Certainly in Countries like the US, Many East Asian Countries, Some of Which Are the Exact Ones I Don't Want a Quote I Know That There Are Fewer. The Average Fertility Rate Is below 1% Problematic.

That Simply Means That the Population in Those Countries Will Cease to Exist and I Think That That Is Very Chilling.

Got a Very Scary and It's Not Saying That This Is Something That 300 Years Away. Some of Them Are Cleaning up within A Few Decades Sandra Davis Where Can We Go to Read This Article That You've Written the Toll of the Dwindling Birthrate Is Far Greater Than under Population. The Best Place to Access This My Other Work Is My Website Alexandra E. Davis.com Alexander E.

Davis.com There Is a Tab There Were.

You Can Ask My Recently Published Articles and Essays, Alexandra Davis, Thank You so Much for Being with Us Today on Family Policy Matters, Tracy and Thank You for All the Work That You're Doing You Been Listening to Family Policy Matters. We Hope You Enjoyed the Program Employee to Tune in Again Next Week to Listen to the Show All Lawn and to Learn More about NC Families Want to Inform, Encourage and Inspire Families across through A Lot Of Our Website It NC Family.Award That's NC Family.org. Thanks Again for Listening and May God Bless You and Your Family