>Deciding the size of one's family is a personal preference. In your opinion, should the government intervene in the rights of the individual with regard to family planning?
Sample Essay:
The need for birth-control has increasingly become necessary in many countries, rich and poor, because unless the global population is under control there will be serious problems affecting families and governments alike. Although deciding the size of one's family may be considered as a personal preference, it may be the responsibility of the governments concerned to push effective family-planning programs. Family planning must therefore be regarded as both an economic as well as social issue in various aspects.
Perhaps no other reason for the need of effective family planning measures is stronger than the reality that more people demand more food. It is generally believed that global food supply may not meet the demand of expanding population. There are also fears that overpopulation will not only bring about a global food crisis but also create other economic problems, including excessive consumption of mostly limited and non-renewable natural resources like fossil fuel. Problems like these will certainly hinder a nation's economic development and it depends upon the far-sightedness of all governments to avoid undesirable consequences. Accordingly, it is the the business of the responsible authorities to take measures to encourage family-planning to at least guarantee enough food for all families. In view of this, it follows that the government should intervene in the rights of the individual family because food shortage is a national issue rather than simply a family problem. Individuals, however, must respond to public policies because if birth-control is necessary it begins from families.
Obviously, since family is the basic unit of a society, the size of a family matters in such social tasks as health care and social security. Without proper family-planning policies, social conditions of poverty-stricken countries would go from bad to worse while well-to-do countries may no longer keep improving the quality of life of many families, among other social disadvantages. So, what seems to be a population headache may end in serious social uprisings because hungry people are often angry people. Should the government hesitate to carry out overall family-planning programs, the time would come when many families will take to the street, crying for food. Sadly, the unprepared government would be in for that kind of cruel reality.
As a conclusion, a one-child or two-child plan benefits the family as well as the nation from both social and economic points of view. It leaves no doubt that effective and vigorous measures be taken by the government to curb population growth to a reasonable level, with the willing support from individual families. Fortunately, homo sapiens is the only intelligent animal that practices birth-control, but there seems more to be done to have fewer babies.
