if my stepfather had had parental rights, I wouldn't have been left with my mother to be sold (sorry, I meant rented) to the highest bidder on a regular basis... my brother wouldn't have been murdered after one of her drug deals went bad... my sister wouldn't be a PTSD addled nutcase who is unable to care for her own child, or even herself... we could, instead have been raised by someone who actually gave a damn about us... but he didn't have rights... only our bio-dads had rights, and they were like mom, and didn't give a damn...
having more than 2 parents shouldn't be controversial, if indeed it is... what should be controversial is abusing your kids... hurting your kids... letting other people hurt your kids... how about we worry more about helping kids, and making their lives better than about what sex their parents are or are not having?
PUBLIC OPINION > Having More Than Two Parents Is Controversial
SodaHead Living
2012/07/05 21:00:00
California lawmakers are pushing a new bill that would allow children to legally have more than two parents in order to address complicated parenting situations. However, opponents have pointed out that the bill would bring equally complicated legal issues into the mix -- tax deductions, citizenship, and assistance, to name a few. We asked the public if it was OK for a child to have more than two parents.
After more than 800 votes, the public still couldn't come to a consensus. It was split right down the middle. This is a pretty complex issue. On the plus side, additional parents are a reality that many kids are dealing with, especially in non-traditional homes. On the other hand, additional parents can potentially cause more disagreements and confusion within the non-nuclear family and among society at large. Needless to say, there are a lot of elements at work.
Parents Limit Parents
Though parenthood didn't have the strongest effect on how voters responded, it's the most immediate demographic. They are the ones who are going to make that decision (or at least fall into that position), after all. What's interesting is that people who don't want kids were most likely to OK additional parents. It's fine by them, as long as they aren't the ones doing it.
Modern Families
As you might expect, age had an enormous correlation. Voters under the age of 45 were about 35% more likely to give their blessing, while very few voters over 45 were OK with additional parents. We assume the primary reason for this is that younger voters are more likely to have either grown up with multiple parents, or known people who grew up with multiple parents. Or maybe they're just more open-minded.
The Man of the House
The gender correlation was interesting. Based on the results, women are about 23% more likely to be OK with additional parents than men. This could be the result of two elements. First, previous polls have suggested women are more comfortable with the thought of homosexual relationships. Second, men are sometimes expected to be the "head of the household." If a father has to share that responsibility with a step-parent, it could create difficulty.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about having more than two parents. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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darlenedoskas1969 2012/07/06 14:24:35
I never claimed to be a free sprite. I like soda but I never said I was one. I think you actually meant spirit?
Though I haven't the slightest clue of what you are trying to say to me, so I will take this comment and its raves with a grain of salt.
I am shame of "YOU ............America
This has nothing to do with gay parent(s), as I have no problem with that. However custody/guardianship should be legally limited to one or two parents.
The bottom line is, how many parents should a child have? 4? 8? 10? 20? When this so called family falls apart and most will, who gets custody? Visitation?
The child will always have a loving individual to take of them, instead of being dumped in a child care facility because one or two parents have to work just to make ends meet.. If more people were RESPONSIBLE for the child, then maybe the child would be able to excel beyond expectations.
As Ginger said, the happiness of the child and not our opinion is what matters.
I could go on, but you get the point.
However with so much divorce and remarriage in the world, kids end up having extra parents - stepparents. (Sp?) I personally have no children of my own but I have two stepdaughters and a stepson.
Bioengineering has already made it possible for a mammal to have more than one father. DNA from one sperm is grafted into another. They are using this technique for animal breeding today. It is probably a short time before this technology will be used on humans to prevent genetic diseases.
Also, there is the case of surrogate mothers. A fertilized human egg, from a biological father and mother, is implanted into a woman who carries it to term. This child has two mothers and a father. This procedure is in use now.
So, shouldn't children born of multiple fathers or multiple mothers have a legal status which reflects their biological reality?
Welcome to the 21st century!
This is no longer true. See my post above.
Just my $1.50 though...
Of course, California State would say no because all they are doing is trying to save money by having more than 2 parents take care of and pay for the welfare of children within their borders since they are already a big welfare State. They don't care about the Social degradation of the matter to the child or to society.
In the not so far off future, the California State Government degradation of societal values will backfire, and pretty soon nobody will get married and be responsible for the children they bring into the world. Younger generations will grow up having sex with many partners and let the State take care of the children that result from the act of procreation. The maternal bond between children and their parents will be shortened and/or severed at a rapid rate after these children are born. This will assure Big Government will continue getting Bigger until Socialism and/or Communism is achieved.
I apparently missed the part in Sunday School where calling someone an A-hole, a moron, or a fool were the ways that Jesus would have wanted his followers to live. For this entire time, I thought it was love and forgiveness. Thankfully my path to salvation doesn't lie in you (or any man for that matter) but I wholeheartedly expect we'll be together on the other side. That, or you can pray for the kinda eternity where you're forever alone. I guess that would be Hell, wouldn't it? To each their own, I guess...
As for the "differences" between the Republicans and Democrats, lets examine the facts:
- Both are keeping us committed to the Oil wars in the Middle East
- Both support corporate welfare (Dems use stimulus spending, GOP uses tax breaks that aren't afforded to individuals or small businesses.)
- Both are committed to the drug war
- Both want to play the system so "their" forms of energy are given government assistance to be developed (Conventional fuels for the GOP, Alternative fuels for the Dems.)
- The GOP and it's institutions came up with the "mandate", the Dems put their name on it and claimed it to be their own.
- Nei...
I apparently missed the part in Sunday School where calling someone an A-hole, a moron, or a fool were the ways that Jesus would have wanted his followers to live. For this entire time, I thought it was love and forgiveness. Thankfully my path to salvation doesn't lie in you (or any man for that matter) but I wholeheartedly expect we'll be together on the other side. That, or you can pray for the kinda eternity where you're forever alone. I guess that would be Hell, wouldn't it? To each their own, I guess...
As for the "differences" between the Republicans and Democrats, lets examine the facts:
- Both are keeping us committed to the Oil wars in the Middle East
- Both support corporate welfare (Dems use stimulus spending, GOP uses tax breaks that aren't afforded to individuals or small businesses.)
- Both are committed to the drug war
- Both want to play the system so "their" forms of energy are given government assistance to be developed (Conventional fuels for the GOP, Alternative fuels for the Dems.)
- The GOP and it's institutions came up with the "mandate", the Dems put their name on it and claimed it to be their own.
- Neither wants to commit to true social justice (GOP believes in the death penalty, Dems believe we aren't responsible enough to own guns.)
- Neither wants to properly address the on-going war on life (GOP wants to preach ignorance only to watch the ignorance lead to more pregnancies and STDs, Dems want to fund abortions with taxpayer money instead of using their views to drive us toward a pro-adoption society.)
- Neither have a comprehensive immigration plan that makes sense (GOP wants to build a ridiculously expensive border fence, Dems want sanctuary cities and ridiculously expensive entitlements for people who aren't documented.)
I really could go on but I have other things to do. From 2001-2008, the Right told me that I had to respect my president or I was a terrorist. From 2009 onward, the Right told me that I had to bash the president or I wasn't patriotic. Your president is your president. Regardless if you voted for him or not, the rest of the constituents did, so either love it or leave it. And if Obama was really a "Socialist Kenyan Muslim Usurper", why is the GOP standing by idly while the Presidency is hijacked by someone who isn't eligible for it?
I think for myself, so I can't expect everyone to have an individual's sense of reasoning. I'm not being fed by Fox News or Rush Limbaugh, nor am I being fed by MSNBC or Michael Moore. I'm not being fed by any religious institution (well, not anymore anyway) and I'm not being fed by some atheist agenda. The thoughts and feelings I have are a conclusion of my life lessons, and if all anyone can do is call me an idiot without sufficient evidence that can be proven to be accurate, then all they've proven to me is that their argument has failed.
Two heterosexual parents who've failed to do their duties are not a lesser evil than splitting custody amongst step-parents or surrogates.
having more than 2 parents shouldn't be controversial, if indeed it is... what should be controversial is abusing your kids... hurting your kids... letting other people hurt your kids... how about we worry more about helping kids, and making their lives better than about what sex their parents are or are not having?
The rest of us can shut the f… up.
Having three parents would not have solved that situation. It would only have made it worse in your case. Imagine your good step-dad taking you guys in, BUT having to grant visitation rights to your biological mother and father.
it needs to change