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Indiana assisted reproduction law

2005-10-05 13:54:25.153708+00 by Dan Lyke 2 comments

On the one hand, I'm not a great fan of the idea of fertility treatments, and I think a lot of people who do become parents shouldn't. On the other hand, I'm not sure I can get behind this proposed Indiana legislation that would make it illegal for unmarried people to use "assisted reproduction", and require that the prospective parents also provide to a court:

(6) Personal information about each intended parent, including the following:

[snip]

(B) Values.
(C) Relationships.
(D) Education.
(E) Emplyment and income.
(F) Hobbies and talents.
...

And:

(10) A description of the family lifestyle of the intended parents, include a description of individual participation in faith-based or church activities, hobbies, and othe rinterests.

Maybe this is just sour grapes. Maybe this is me saying "restrictions on child-bearing are fine if the rules match my values", but I shudder at this level of government intrusion into personal life, especially when the intrusion is so clearly intended not to raise the living standard of the prospective child, but to enforce a specific set of stated goals and values onto the prospective parents.

[ related topics: Religion Politics moron Sociology Law ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2005-10-05 14:57:28.588577+00 by: petronius

Well, all laws promote one value system over another, even no-parking ordinances. Virginia Postrel in Forbes (skip the animation) talks about Canada's laws on genetic manipulation which come from a very secular angle and prohibit things that we are a century away from accomplishing, and that not even the Religious Right have on their radar. Whose values do we complain about here?

Of course, the Canadians can always drive down to the US, and the Indianans (Indianians?)can come over to Chicago to get their reproduction assisted.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-10-05 22:59:29.294979+00 by: meuon

I am mixed on this one.. but when it comes down to it, I think the state MIGHT have the right to say "You can do this procedure as long as it looks like, at least 'right now', that you can support this child" and won't be requiring our long term support.

And that's about it, and even that's a big -maybe-.

The right to procreate.. is basic to the definition of life itself, pretty hard to regulate that, even though it's done.