Robert Reich recently made a social media post that reads:
“So the Republican Party has historically blocked:
-Paid sick leave
-Paid family & medical leave
-Universal childcare
-Universal pre-K
-Expanded Child Tax Credit
-Programs to support reproductive health
And they’re wondering why more people aren’t having children?”
My first thought upon reading this post: And this is somehow supposed to be a bad thing?? How, exactly, is any of this bad?
Paid sick leave: OK, there is nothing wrong with this. It also has nothing to do with having children. People get sick sometimes, and therefore benefit from having paid sick leave, regardless of whether or not they have children.
Paid family and medical leave: Medical leave is OK for the same reasons as sick leave. But family leave is discriminatory against people who do not have children.
Universal childcare: This is discriminatory against people who do not have children.
Universal pre-K: This is discriminatory against people who do not have children.
Expanded Child Tax Credit: This is discriminatory against people who do not have children. Why should people who have children, get to pay less tax money than people who don’t?
Programs to support reproductive health: These are discriminatory against people who do not have sex.
So Mr. Reich, please explain: How, exactly, is it bad for Republicans to have blocked policies and programs that discriminate against people who do not have children?
As a commenter correctly pointed out: “Parents don’t have the right to other people’s resources.”
100% correct.
Discrimination against people who do not have children is morally wrong, and it is to Republicans’ credit that they have blocked it.