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The Birth of a Child

It is well known that birth rates in national communities first decline as soon as the community’s living standard increases in order to stabilize afterwards again at a lower level. You could ultimately conclude from this that married couples throughout the world principally wish to have children, but not too many, and offspring is only numerous since, due to the high mortality rate under very poor circumstances, only few children survive to look after the elderly parents. It is supposed that women of all cultures have known different contraceptive measures for thousands of years that were taken secretly and, of course, were not accepted like our modern pill.

conclusion: The world’s protection from overpopulation depends on life standard’s level. Nevertheless, the individuals’ attitude towards sense of life is decisive to avoid mankind’s extinction, which is not to be expected in the near future.

Keeping stable a population requires a constant birth rate of at least 2,1 children per woman, less leads to an aging community. This applies to some European countries where standard of living is comparatively high and also to Germany.despite considerable governmental attempts to encourage birth rate.

At the beginning of the 60’s birth rate was still 2,5 children per woman. Up to the mid-80’s it declined to 1,3 children per woman and then reached a level of approximately 1,4 children.

Why are the Germans so uninterested in reproducing themselves? 22 percent of women born in 1955 are childless. Latest researches revealed that 23 percent of men and 15 percent of German women consciously decide against a family. Approximately half of the interviewed men and women aged 20-49 thought it would be possible to lead a fulfilled life even without children. Arguments: Children are only one ideal among many, mean a high financial burden, impair career opportunities and restrict personal freedom. Other reasons cited for childlessness were: instable partnership, professional or financial reasons, the partner is not willing to have a child, unability to conceive children, partly due to the fact that the couple hesitated too much time. Family has a bad reputation for a considerable part of the German population. Only 25 percent of Germans are the opinion that their country is suitable for children, in France it is a percentage of 80.

Even if nowadays all German women at an age to bear children would decide to have two or more children, a decline of population could no longer be avoided. There are simply not enough potential mothers which is a direct consequence of the decline in birth rate in the course of the last fifty years.

Vacuums do not exist on earth. Empty spaces are filled again and again. People with different appearance and mentality will immigrate and are already doing so, just as it has always been for hundreds of thousands of years without generally having been disadvantageous for the region.

Let’s look forward to each new born baby!

Günter Garbrecht 2014