I am really worried about the general intelligence of many of the people in this country. It sounds condescending, but think about this: how many really smart, accomplished people do you know who have more than one or two children (if any)? I don't know many. On the other hand, think about those who are having more than two. Utah is a bit of an anomaly, but in general the undereducated, economically depressed in this country are having the most children. That may be okay except that these same parents are often unmarried, transient, and ill-equipped to help children succeed. Many of them struggle with substance abuse, and pass that to innocent children.
There are horrendous articles in the media about abused and neglected children--and so many of those parents have several others. About a week ago there was a 3-year old girl found wandering along a street. It took police 6 hours to find out who she belonged to, then only because a "relative" recognized her picture on television. Apparently her mother dropped her off at a home with several "adults" who didn't even notice she wasn't there until contacted by police. The article mentioned that the girl had very limited verbal skills. Obviously. No one bothered to wonder about her, much less talk to her.
My friend and colleague used to say she had a sign (she'll recognize herself) that said, "The Gene Pool Needs Some Chlorine" or something to that effect. Oh, if it were that simple.
