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
Parents cannot assign responsibility elsewhere.
Parents may decide their child can be placed in a child sex trafficking network.
Also, who is this "ilk" you refer to?
It is not their right to place a child in a sex trafficking network. Placing a child in that network constitutes a crime, whether it is the parents doing it or someone who kidnapped that kid.
There are legal procedures to terminate a parent's rights for cause. Social Services or Child Protection Services are two of the more common titles for the governmental agency tasked with that responsibility.
But no more than two.
If a third person feels that he or she needs or should be the child's parent, then there is always adoption as an option, but one of the other parents should be removed from the equation.
I think by allowing it it actually does keep the governments nose further out of our business? It then become each individual families choice, so I am not seeing what the argument is there... but I am not sure if from legal standpoints that it would make things easier. So I am torn.
However, there have been a couple of cases where grand parents sued to gain access to their grand children and they lost both cases. When I say access, I mean nothing more than simple visitation.
I don't agree with it, I just stated the facts.
Responsible parents do not abandon their children. Responsible parents make arrangements to provide for their children should something happen to them. Yes, it is true, that all parents are not responsible and that is where child protective services or other relatives can step in to help out or even take over.
Children sometimes kind of chose an adult to fill a void in their life. A the parent of a friend would be a good example. That adult can help out to a certain degree but it would be an informal type of help because she would have no control over their child's friend.
As a parent, I would not have wanted anyone else making decisions about my children.
This is something I heard about my uncle after he died.
A woman/mother died and her husband became an alcoholic and basically lost the ability to be a parent. The mother's sister left the convent to raise her nieces and nephews. My uncle stopped by and fixed things around the house, bought groceries, and gave them some money.
The above story was relayed to me by my cousin, his daughter. The next story may involve the same family or it may not. My cousin told me that at the wake the class hoodlum came up to her with tears in his eyes and said, "that if it had not been for her dad he would be dead or in prison".
This is a recent story out of the news. A pair of drug addicts had a daughter who was pretty much left to fend for herself. Because they did not pay the bills she was often taking all her showers at the school or camp grounds. Toward the end of her high school years, they moved one day while she was in school. She was given a job at the school so she could earn some money, a janitor's family let her move in. The teachers gave her money for various expenses and what not. She graduated and gained admittance to Harvard.
There are people that will be there for you should the need arise, no matter what the need would be.
However, that still doesn't justify a reason for not having 3 parents. What is one parent was mentally ill or disabled? Another can help out the first parent and help the child, since things like that can take their toll on the child.
And, talking from a child's point of view again, sometimes people THINK they know what exactely the child wants, but in reality just ignore their realy wants. If the third parents has a similar bonding with the child as the other two, then you can't just take the third parent away. Biology doesn't always need to be the dictating factor in this, it should be the relationships and the child's wants and need.