I had always assumed that if a man had gotten a woman pregnant, then if that pregnancy is carried to term, both partners should be financially responsible for the child regardless whether the man had wanted to have the child or not. The mindset being “they got them pregnant, so you have to face the consequences’”.
I was talking with some people online, and they asserted that if the man did not want to have the child, then they should be able to apply to be resolved of any financial responsibility towards caring for it. I was at first against this proposal, but I feel like I now understand it better. Our current legislation was created at a time where abortion was tantamount to murder, and since it was illegal, an obligation of financial responsibility was the only way to ensure that women weren’t stranded with children they couldn’t afford to raise. But now that we live in a world where abortion is legal (for now), and where abortion procedures are safer than carrying the child to term, there doesn’t seem to be a good argument for men still needing to be financially responsible for unwanted children. Men probably would still need to assist in paying for the procedure, but outside of that, I think they had a point. Please explain to me if there is anything I’m failing to consider here.
I also want to apologize for the binary language I used in writing this. I tried at first to write this in a more inclusive way, but I struggled wrapping my head around it. If anyone can educate me in how to write in a way that doesn’t disclude non-binary comrades, I would appreciate it.
I never compared it to rape. I said that the reasoning used by people telling men to “man up and be responsible for your sperm” is similar to that used by rape apologists who tell women “don’t be sluts and you won’t be assaulted.”
If two people who have the right parts to get pregnant decide to have sex they also have to be mature enough to accept the possibility of conception.
It sucks to be “forced” to have a familial relationship when you didn’t want that but if it’s that much of a dealbreaker you the adult must take steps to prevent it. This includes birth control, sterilization, abstinence, other type of sexual activities, choosing partners who can’t conceive.
Like I said, this reasoning is very similar to that used by rape apologists. Furthermore, those “adults” may not even be that mature. As I’ve said in other parts of this thread, our brains don’t even fully mature until at least the age of 25.
