One Child Policy example essay topic

823 words
"Over-Population Doesn't Justify Disregard for Human Life"- anonymous. The question proposed is, does the Chinese population control policy violate human rights? This is very controversial issue. There are many different views on this subject. By some it's seen as a successful tool for making certain that China will be able to continue to support its large population. Others believe the policy is inhumane and causes abuses and female infanticide.

Is China going about this problem the right way? The slogan of the initial population control program is "Later, Longer, Fewer". The one child policy is not officially a law. It's more of a "way of life".

China can't punish couples for having more then one child because it's not a law. So they provide motivation, such as extra salary or larger houses for couples that pledge to have just one child. If you did become pregnant and you agreed to give up your child the government would pay for abortions. A woman who had an abortion was rewarded with a paid vacation. China's policy pushes later marriages, postponing children, fewer and healthier births, and they encourage couples to only have one child. Figures show that the policy has reduced China's population by 250 million, isn't this good?

If you only have one child, you can provide more to that child. The child can have a better life. Lu Zhu feng, a 20 year-old medical student said, "If I have one child it will be raised better. It will have more opportunities, and my career is the most important thing. I really want to excel at it". Mothers used to stay home and take care of the children but with one child it isn't much work.

With fewer children it will free up the mothers time so instead of caring for more then one child the mother has more time to go into the work force. On the other point of view, some people might argue that the "one child policy" is a violation of human rights. Most Chinese families prefer male children to female children. The reason for this is the men are stronger and will be able to take care of them in their old age. However, if they have a female, she will have to get married and the parents will have to provide a dowry. As a result to this boy demand and since you can only have one child, if the female has a girl they might kill the infant, Hundreds are being drowned, smothered, and abandoned.

The couple may try again for a male. One example of this is the story of Mei-ming, 'no-name'. At the age of two, she was tied to a chair, soaked in her urine, with dried mucus all over her nose and eyes, dying slowly and painfully, with no food or water. No one visits her in her room, except for once each morning, just to see if she has died yet.

Her parents abandoned her, and the orphanage is doing the same thing, abandoning her in the 'death-room'. The reason they are doing all this, is because she is a girl. Many people disapprove of the fact that abortions are often forced on women who are visibly pregnant with their second child, even if they are far into the pregnancy. I believe that a female can decide how many children she wants. Instead of the government funding as much for family planning they could spend the money improving hospitals and educating to have more teachers. If the hospitals are improved, then families may not have to have as many children.

They " ll know if they only have two children, those two infants will live to old age and be healthy. If the couple doesn't get permission to have a second child and that child is born, that child cannot be registered and, therefore, does not legally exist. The child will not be able to attend school and later will have trouble receiving permission to marry, to relocate, and all other life choices involving the permission of the government. Therefore, now you see all the controversy brought upon this subject. It lowered the population increase that occurred after the Communist Party came to power, but is it being done the right way? Is it ethical to force females to abort their second child?

Some may say yes, for the good of the country. Some believe one child is enough but what about those who don't? Should they have to suffer? Is China violating the peoples' rights? In some ways yes, but the government thought this policy was necessary in an attempt to control population.