Too many rabbits wearing elephant costumes

So how did we get so many elephants in the room? Everybody likes to talk about elephants when they show up at the party, but who really looks under the costumes to see whose wearing the costumes?

Ok, so can you guess what I am talking about?

I am using the symbol of rabbits, because they overproduce, in referring to overpopulation.

The elephant symbolism is a little more complicated. I am using it to refer to three things.

First, that overpopulation is the big elephant in the room that the media rarely discusses.

Second, that the Republican Party is the big elephant, its agenda greatly enabled and membership increased by both religous and economic beliefs that contribute to overpopulation.

Third, that the catastrophic decline of species is symbolized by the struggles of actual elephants to survive, in the face of habitat usurpation and poaching by humans.

First, let us define the causes of overpoplation, and then discuss its effects.

Some might say that money, or love of money, is the root of all evil. But money is a medium not avaialable to all. The saying should be "Greed is the root of all evil."

Greed is selfish desire and accumulation beyond what is needed. It is not confined to mateial aquisition. In the context of reporduction greed occurs when one person creates more than one person to replace themself. This is the cause of overpopulation.

Was this greed, this overpopulation always a significant problem? Perhaps not. Overpopulation of humanity was an asset up to a certain historical point. It helped humanity survive through huge epidemics, warfare, and regional natural disasters. Overpopulation helped respond to large percentages of infant mortatlity, short life-expectancy and takning cae of the young, old, sick and disadvantaged. It also created a critical mass of people allowing societys, and division of tasks and consequent innovations for the betterment of human society.

Times have changed. We as a species are at a point where we need to come together and take care of one another, cradle to grave. If we do this, inidividuals will not be as motivated to look out for selfish interests.

Surely all can see that overpopulation is a problem today. Scientists say the oceans will be barren in 50 years. Consumption of fossil fuels continues to rise, in the face of the headlines warning of the dire impacts of global warming. Housing costs have dramatically risen everywhere due to increased competition for limited availability. Homelessness has increased. Wages among middle and lower classes continue to deteriorate. Medical access is increasingly unavailable due to lower economical abilities for increasing numbers of people. Starvation is increasing worldwide. Deforestation increases worldwide, as does mining and oil drilling, under the banner of humanity needing both the resource and the jobs.

Almost every activist and every person is adversely affected by overpopulation, whether they want to admit it or not. It is a core problem for any issue we care about.

Ok, so much for the symbol of rabbits, of overpopulation. Now lets discuss the elephant in the room. Why is ovepopulation not a more prevalent topic of discussion in the media, in religion, and in conversations among individuals? Is it because it is asking individuals to refrain from sexual behavior, a core instinct? Is it because politicians are afraid it will alienate significant voting blocks? Is it because it smacks of restricting the rights of others, whether those others are ethnic citizens or aliens? Is it because overpopulation is in the interests of institutions who want to increase their membership? Overpopulation is the elephant in the room.

One relatively undiscussed aspect of overpopulation is its' frequent spiritual denial within the Elephant party, the Republicans.

A core voting block of the Republican party are pro-lifers, often single-issue voters who ignore all other issues because the republican party has been pro-life.Pro-lifers are motivated by a spiritual beliefs which I think is worthy of consideration. It is standing up for one who does not have a voice. For those pro-lifers who do not have more than 2 children, I applaud your conscientiousness towards a better world. For those pro-lifers who have more than 2 children, I certainly hope you have considered the repercussions of our deciding to have more children and how it affects overpopulation.

The decision for a woman to have an abortion is not easy. Women do not think, "Oh, it would be fun to get pregnant so I can go have an abortion." No, the choice to have an abortion is always a response to a difficult situation.

Bystanders can have ideas on solutions, and hopefully are always accorded the right to express their ideas. At the same time, we all need to respect the woman's choice on this profound difficult decision. Beyond this individual's choice, their difficult choice affects an issue which we all need to address more , overpopulation.

Economically, in the United States, apparently it is predominantly the Republican elite which cherishes overpopulation. Increased competition for jobs lowers wages, enhancing upper class profits. Union membership is undermined by job competition from excessive workforces, including illegal immigrants who have much lower demands. With lower and middle classes scrambling to survive, these non-union workers have less time and power to become educated, and to challenge for more rights. Overpopulation erodes worker rights.

Unfortunately, the cycle continues. As workers become desperate, they often turn to religion. Some religions proclaim against population control but not all. There are religious spokespeople who do want to be identified with more responsible parenthood behavior, but their voices are often unheard in mainstream media. Their voices are there, and some of us are listening, so hopefully they continue to speak up. The issue of overpopulation needs to be discussed everywhere, in order to avoid further community polarization.

Unfortunatel, workers from overpopulating communities outmigrate elsewhere, usually taking this behavior with them. Their own economies cannot keep up with them, so they compete in other economies.

Imagine that two neighbors have dogs in their backyard, with a simple fence between them. One neighbor has 2 dogs, fixed or spayed, two doghouses, a grassy yard and two full waterbowls and two full food bowls. The other neighbor has 6 dogs, and none of them are spayed or fixed, with two doghouses, a grassy yard, 2 full food bowls, and 2 full waterbowls.

Now think what will happen when the dogs in the second yard have litters, and in 2 years it is full of 117 dogs, all trying to live in 2 doghouses and eat out of 2 full foodbowls and 2 full waterbowls. The dogs can see over the fence to the neighbors yard, still with only 2 dogs, 2 houses, 2 food bowls and 2 dog bowls.

What do you think is going to happen in the next 2 years with these dogs, solely due to overpopulation?

Many are disappointed by any family in the 21st century which has more than 2 children under the age of 18, whatever their class, nationality, religion, or ethnic origin. Both knowledge and resources to avoid overpopulation should be available to all. Also, we should make strenuous efforts to lift all humanity out of poverty.

For those society members who are resitant to small family size, should these families pay an extra annual tax of perhaps, say, 10% of their income for each child, up to the age of 18, if they have over 2 children? This tax would not apply in cases of multiple births, adoption or foster parenting, or in cases of rape.

At the same time, should there also be more thorough enforcement for fathers payment of child support?

Should there be stricter U.S. immigrant quota restictions on countries that have a higher birth rate? Should immigrants from families of more than 2 children under 18 should be more thoroughly restricted, and citizenship contingent on such family not having more than 2 children in the following 10 years upon entry?

Answers to these questions are not easy, but public debate is overdue on this pressing issue. We need to find substantive ways to reward countries and individuals who are conscientious about overpopulation.

In closing, how do we view our species in the great picture? For those who think that humanity is great, is not that greatness diminshed with the loss of each species ?

If only one species is finally left, then greatness means nothing. It has nothing to compare itself to. It is the worst as much as it is the best.