meritocrat

Why should a 'society' protect children?

ONLY a parent is respsonsible for a child's welfare. Not people elsewhere who are complete strangers. It's the parents' responsiblity to feed, clothe and nuture them; no one else's.

meritocrat

In some countries, you cannot. What's your point?

Ab_Normal

Most western cultures have decided that society as a whole benefits when the youngest members of the society grow up in good conditions, increasing their chances to grow up and contribute to the success of that society.

Hypothetical situation: A five year old child is the only survivor of a house fire, and there are no living relatives to take them in. What should happen to that child, in your ideal society?

extinctionist

Of course. Because children, who have no means to fend for themselves, should be completely at the mercy of parents who may or may not give a fuck about them... Did society have no responsibility for Victoria Climbie?

Regarding the OP, its up to you to prove a link between the possession of rights and the ability to assert them. If there isn't one, then your point falls flat on logical as well as humanitarian grounds.

meritocrat

If children have 'bad parents' they should accept the cards they are dealt. I see no reason why I should 'care' for children, who are NOT MY responsiblity.

Come on, the overwhelming majority of people take care of their OWN primarily. Other people's 'children' are secondary.

Tom Sawyer

One of the reasons that we have been able to develop as a species is because we realized hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago that we function better in groups than we do alone. When the group is stronger, each individual in that group does better as a result. By caring for children in our society, whether or not they are our own, we help them grow up to be stronger and more productive adults, which helps every member of the society, including ourselves.

If a child has bad parents, odds are that they are going to grow up as less educated, less socially adusted adults that will be a drain on the society, meaning that you and I are going to have to pay for them. By helping them out as kids, the odds are better that they will grow up to be more productive adults, which means they will be better able to sholder an equal burden in society and you and I will not have to take that burden ourselves.

So since you seem to take an extremely selfish view of this issue, there is a completely selfish reason for you to care about the well-being of other people's kids.

meritocrat

Children certainly don't warrant equal rights to adults, not in all cases at least.

meritocrat

Others should take care for him/her. But that doesn't necessarily warrant the entire society must care for the child!

Ab_Normal

Who are these unknown "Others" if not society?

Ab_Normal

Minor nit-pick -- that was said by extinctionist, not I.