http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/12/national/12DAD.html The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rendered an interesting decision. NYT, 12Jul01, "Father Owing Child Support Loses a Right to Procreate": Writing for the majority, Justice Jon P. Wilcox pointed out that child support collection was an enormous national problem, that one family in three with a child support order received no money at all and that parents who did not pay deprived children of about $11 billion a year. "But the female justices said the order violated Mr. Oakley's fundamental right to procreate and, as Justice Diane S. Sykes put it, basically amounted to "a compulsory, state- sponsored, court-enforced financial test for future parenthood." In her own dissent, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley wrote: "Today's decision makes this court the only court in the country to declare constitutional a condition that limits a probationer's right to procreate based on his financial ability to support his children. Ultimately, the majority's decision may affect the rights of every citizen of this state, man or woman, rich or poor." Obviously, as soon as I saw this, I thought of Garrett Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons", with the decision it posed for humanity of either: (1) unlimited right to procreate, or (2) the chance of a world in which persons will be able to enjoy other rights. [As for myself, I think no person should be permitted to procreate without posting a surety bond for the child's upbringing thru a college education, and even then the rich should be limited to 2 children per person (not per couple, which would permit the serially related to have more children).] -- The first time I tried to send this message, my web browser crashed. "I think somebody might be trying to tell me something." +\brad mccormick -- Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16) Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/
