Every single fucking political agenda addresses issues at the surface level. There is not even a whisper of DISCUSSION about the root problems.

We are separating innocent children from their families at the border. This is appalling. So what is the big debate? Let everyone in or keep prosecuting the adults. Neither, of course, is a solution. One is sheer cruelty and the other, given enough time and leniency, WILL result in an overpopulated country without enough jobs or resources to accommodate everyone.

So why aren’t we going deeper? I know going to the level of restructuring our society to a resource-based economy is too deep for most to swallow, but we can still go deeper than where we are.

That said, WHY ARE WE NOT DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM OF BRINGING CHILDREN INTO DANGEROUS, POVERTY-STRICKEN CULTURES IN THE FIRST PLACE?

These children should never have had life imposed on them by parents who knew fully well what that life would entail. That is the first cruelty – and that stems from pro-procreation culture, a worldwide misogynistic ideology that opposes birth control, teaches men that they have a right to women’s bodies and reproductive capacities, and teaches women that their primary purpose in life is to be a mother and that their life will be meaningless if they aren’t.

We are not addressing birth control, we are not addressing misogyny, we are not addressing the assumption – especially in the poorest societies lacking education – that it is a woman’s duty to bear children at any cost.

My wife presented this argument not long ago and was called “privileged” for “implying that only rich people should have children” – ironically, by a rich white woman with children. I can’t believe I have to explain this, but there is a substantial difference between “children should not be born into poverty” and “only rich people should be allowed to breed.” And since we cannot simply wave a wand and POOF away all the world’s poverty, we should at least focus on discouraging people from bringing children into it. Stopping the cycle.

No child, for any reason, NO EXCEPTIONS, should be brought into a chaotic life without immediate opportunities for safety, education, freedom, and all basic necessities.

In short, no child should be brought into a world that someone would want to escape from.

You want to address poverty, sexism, crime, violence, mental illness – you have to start at the ROOT: Give women education and access to birth control. GIVE. WOMEN. REPRODUCTIVE. SOVEREIGNTY.

EVERYWHERE.