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ISSUE 5 CREDITS

Skepchick-in-Chief
Rebecca Watson

Managing Editor
Diane Perry

News Editor
Chani Overli

Contributing Writers
Lynette Davidson, Donna Druchunas, Chris Blohm, Jamila Bey-Greenhouse, Jesús Pineda, Benjamin Radford, Mike McRae, Ed Rabin

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"Flash Guru" Nick

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Dear Skepchick,

After reading the article, Where are all the Skepchicks, by Michael McRae, I was wondering how he feels about the role of today's parents/guardians in a young persons growth and maturity?

I've walked into homes, parents nowhere to be seen, but they are there, somewhere, and the young kids eyes are glued to the Xbox/Playstation for hours on the Wide screen TV... Maybe it really is good for more than hand/eye coordination, what do I know. They say these kids are socializing, but are they really talking to each other or just themselves?

Will our future generations have it better than we did? They may have more toys, but I fear not the wisdom necessary to thrive.
Thank you for listening!
Carol

Mike responds:

Thanks for the response, Carol.

I really only have one thing to say to this; role modelling. We can dictate all we want to kids how to think, and even what to think, but in the end it's only more information for them to absorb and choose from. Information once belonged to the privileged. Now it is everywhere, in many forms, and we take it for granted that we have the skills to be able to evaluate it. Sadly, we don't.

We might fear that kids are overly influenced by the media and by their peers, but the truth is that those they trust most remain to be those who prove the most stable. Typically one would hope that this would be their family. Therefore simply being a critical thinker, sharing in a wide variety of information resources such as books and movies (and, yes, X-box too) can only benefit.

By being a critical thinker first and foremost, half the battle is already won. If only it worked the same when it came to getting them to clean their room.
Mike

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subject: great article on mormons

I read your great article and could not agree more. Very well written. Just want to let you know the correct name of the "mormon" church is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Yours is a common mistake.

Keep writing-you are awesome and keep teaching your children what you are teaching them. So lucky they are to have such a smart mom.

Best to you,
Sincerely,
Robin

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Dear Skepchick,

OMG! I just read the article that Dr. Beckwith wrote about being childfree. I swear if she was in front of me right this instant I would kiss her square on the mouth. And my gate doesn't usually swing that way. But thank god she said what I've been trying to say all of my adult life! And now that I'm in my mid to late 40's the new questions is "Why didn't you ever have children?" or "Who was it? You or your husband?" I usually want to tear my hair out when that happens. So please thank the good doctor for one proud and happy childfree woman in Florida!

Thank-you,
Kathleen

Dr. Beckwith,
I wish you had decided to have children at some point. They would have been smart as hell and probably added a lot to the propogation of a worthy culture.

As it stands, there are oceans of imbeciles and adherants to Thracymican views of justice that are toxic to every value a free society cherishes. When their broods mature, they will inherit.

An alternate read on biology as destiny is that unused biology is it's own destiny for any information that must be carried past a single generation. In most species, the information is biological. If a species adopts a behavior that causes them not to reproduce, they disappear, and that informationis lost.

In humans, as opposed to animals, it's more clearly demonstrable that culture transmits most reliably from generation to generation. If that culture adopts a behavior that prevents reproduction, it goes away.

Look at the Shakers.

You are a doctor, a person of letters, creatively literate, mentally rigorous, and socially involved. It would have been nice to have children to directly inherit and transmit those ideas and values.

-Andrew

Risa responds:

Dear Andrew:

First, thank you for the compliments. I can’t say I would get tired of hearing that I’m “smart as hell” and “mentally rigorous” any time soon. I’m glad you wrote, as I have a chance to address the important issue you raised. As your letter demonstrates, the genetic argument is prolific. I do frequently hear how endangered smart people are and how intelligent, socially involved, and literate children would naturally follow if I, and people like me, did indeed have children.

I have a problem with the genetic argument on a lot of levels.
Continue reading Risa's response here (opens in a pop-up) >>

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Dear Skepchick,
It was great to read Risa Beckwith's article on Childfree(ness)! I am a 55 y.o. grandmother with two children and three grandchildren. If I had been stronger or left to my own intellect, I probably would not have had more than one child or maybe even none. I had hopes that my own children would remain childfree, for genetic reasons, and would have supported them in that choice.

I love my children and grandchildren dearly, but I certainly wasn't thinking about having any when my late husband, and my mother pressured me to become pregnant. I gave in, instead of going to college or pursuing other interests and the whole of society was, once again, appeased. I also know how society (still!) attempts to outcast and influence single women (past a certain age) to marry, or remarry if single from death or divorce.

I do have a very strong maternal instinct, but I think I would have better served "society" by applying that aspect of my biology to a broader application. I completed a Bachelor's degree years later, but you just can't get back all those years, monetarily or physically. I applaud Risa and others like her. You are filling the role YOU know is best, for you and society as a whole.
Patricia