Santa Maria Sun / Letter To The Editor

Keep the population under control

Bill Denneen

Civilization started on this planet about 10,000 years ago with 5 million Homo sapiens—about the number living in L.A. right now. In 1800, we managed to reach our first billion. At the time I was born (1925), we reached our second billion. The number of Homo sapiens since then has soared to 7 billion—5,000,000,000 more people in just my lifetime.

This is called a Population Explosion (PE) and occurs in nature (lemmings). The birth rate and death rate of a species should be equal. Excessive births over deaths results eventually in a Population Collapse (PC). We are ripe. We call ourselves Homo sapiens meaning “man wise,” but I see little indication of this “wise” condition. To get the birth rate and death rate in balance, we have to either lower the births or increase the deaths. I prefer the former as I enjoy being alive.

When I came to Santa Maria (1960), it had the highest teen pregnancy rate of any city in the entire industrialized world. I taught about contraception when teaching in Santa Maria High School. I introduced at Allan Hancock College a course in human sexuality, which became very popular. I have always supported Planned Parenthood locally—even when opponents attempted to burn it down. A group daily prays against PP; I counter demonstrate with my “CONDOM” sign. I suggest all rest rooms (especially at high schools) have contraceptive dispensers.