Gentlemen. I must describe to you a perceived injustice. I consider myself to be a socially enlightened fellow of education, pedigree, and decorum. I do not, as a rule, judge others' actions which affect only their own person. HOWEVER, I hold one opinion I consider to be strictly conservative to the point of being reactionary. Even discussing it makes me cringe that I would hold this prejudice and not be willing to accept others' diversity. So, I don't mean to disparage anyone's upbringing or personally criticize anyone. I am approaching this from a purely ethical standpoint as a means of debate. Frankly, I want to be proven wrong.

I do not believe that individuals should have children outside of uncommitted, unestablished circumstances. Some explanation: In my previous employ I helped engaged couples create their wedding registries. At rough estimation, some 20% of these couples already had children before getting engaged. Discounting children from previous partners, some of these children were as old as ten! More commonly, these children were between one and four, but these engagements were clearly not as a response to having a child. Now, I don't care that the couples were choosing to wed, in a way I'm glad that they're raising the child together. What bothers me is that these couples chose to commit to having a child, but felt that the financial and emotional rigors of having a SPOUSE were less serious?

In this vein, one of my old friends became engaged recently. Less than a week later, he announced that he and his now-fiance were expecting. Good for them. But this is what concerns me: My friend, K., works part-time at Dunkin' Donuts (he receives no benefits, and is not in a salaried position.) His fiance is similarly employed, they currently live with K's mother (who pays for their home and is gainfully employed as a nurse.) I respect that the economy is hard. I am still dealing with my own economic hardships, but in what way are these two able to raise a child? As far as I know, they don't even have a moral obligation to have this child, and are wholly choosing to do this of their own volition. I can't help but cringe every time they announce this, or share ultrasounds and the like.

This is immature and self-aggrandizing. Parent's that choose to have children without being fiscally and emotionally established are forcing undue obligations on their children to grow up without the opportunities they could have if their parents had waited. It angers and upsets me, and I cannot see the upside in not criticizing such rash, literally lifetime effecting, decisions.

TL;DR Parents that have children before being financially established and emotionally invested are immature and reprehensible.