Why Overpopulation Sucks

Having too many people in one area is a problem. It means the same amount of resources needs to be distributed amongst more people, and as a result, everyone receives less. Overpopulation alone may seem like an inconvenience at worst, but there is a whole slew of problems that accompany it. Think about how unbearably slow traffic is in big cities, or how bad pollution becomes. Although America isn’t nearly as crowded as countries such as China or India, there are still plenty of densely populated areas, with many more that will follow. In order to prevent America from turning into a teeming, choked disaster, efforts must be made to curb this country’s population growth.

One way America can slow its population growth is by increasing citizens’ access to contraceptives, which would mean making them even more accessible than Obamacare and similar efforts have done. Almost half of the approximately 4 million pregnancies that occur each year are unintended, but only about 40% of women obtain abortions. This number is even less in Southern states where unreasonably strict regulations hinder abortion clinics’ ability to operate. Leaving the abortion argument for later, think about all the consequences that could be prevented by contraceptive usage. While it’s likely that some unintended pregnancies occur because of carelessness rather than lack of access to contraceptives, there is still a large group of people suffering because they lack birth control.

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The Benefits of Easy Abortions

Putting aside all of the ethical arguments that have been made in the case for abortion, such as “it’s the woman’s body”, pieces from the 14th Amendment, and so on, there are countless benefits to having free and easy access to abortion services. Accidents happen, and it’s unfortunate for both the mother and child if an unwanted pregnancy cannot be terminated. With a financial burden placed on the mother and a reduced quality of life for the child, abortions should not be difficult to obtain in any situation.

The majority of people who have unplanned pregnancies are in such a predicament because they did not have adequate access to contraceptives, or failed to use them properly. If abortions were easier to obtain, accidental pregnancies may still happen at the same rate, but there would be a sharp decrease of unwanted pregnancies actually carried out. Additionally, those with a strong enough desire for an abortion would find a way to obtain one, regardless of the legality. Illegal abortions are far more dangerous than their regulated counterparts, and forcing those in need to go to such lengths is unethical.

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Corn: America’s Super-Vegetable

Today in America, corn is the number one crop. It’s in almost everything, from every variety of food to gasoline. In fact, this country now has a majority of its food industry based on the single grain. How did corn become so prevalent, and what are the consequences of having a food system so reliant on it?

America’s dependence on cheap and abundant corn all started during the Nixon administration, in the 1970s. After a terrible crop and huge exports of grain to Russia, grain price up shot up, and food prices soon followed. Some foods, like bread and tortillas, were directly impacted. Other foods, such as beef and pork, were indirectly affected; feeding animals became more expensive, and the price of meat had to go up to cover costs. With an alarming percentage of citizens unable to buy food and riots erupting, Earl Butz, the Secretary of Agriculture at the time, was tasked with ending this “scare”. Unfortunately, he did his job far too well.

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