Baby boom
Good Lord, how atrocious is this story - broken by Time Magazine - of a "pact" among underage teen girls at Gloucester High to get pregnant?
The appalling fact that young girls would make the likely-disastrous decision to become unwed mothers because they want someone to give them "unconditional love" is nothing new. When did that Bill Moyers documentary on the psychology of such behavior featuring girls confessing to that same motivation come out, thirty years ago? We thought that welfare reform removing some of the economic incentive for irresponsibility had made a permanent dent in the problem, but that seems like wishful thinking now. So, what do we do about it? That question opens up a cascade of difficult, confusing issues, including whether or not to give out contraception without parental consent (not something that would have forestalled the Gloucester High baby boom, apparently), the role of economic deprivation, how to break the cycle of broken families creating more broken families, and so on.
Without pretending it's a panacea or knowing how, exactly, to make it happen, I suggest an idea for your comments: bring back shame.
My WBZ radio commentary this morning (hear it here) raised this issue in connection with two fresh examples of local irresponsibility -- the reckless driving that led to Monday's horrific truck accident on the Southeast Expressway, and last night's idiotic vandalism by a handful of alleged Celtics fans in the North Station area. I suggested finding a way to shame these culprits publicly as part of their punishment, perhaps by having them stand out at the scene of the crime with large signs admitting their culpability and letting public reaction teach them, and others, a lesson about actions and consequences.
I'd probably get hammered for suggesting that the clueless Gloucester moms-to-be be required, if they intend to seek public assistance, to wear sandwich boards detailing the projected cost to the taxpayer of their foolishness, so I won't. But there has to be more motivation applied to a disturbing number of our fellow citizens across class lines to avoid grotesquely irresponsible behavior. Shame is a powerful motivator, far more powerful and cost-effective than law enforcement. But when shame is absent, it seems anything goes.
So mull it over and tell me what you think. If you get back to me over the next few hours I may be able to use some of the more thoughtful comments on tonight's 11pm news.
