Several years ago, when Senator JD Vance (R-OH) made a remark about “childless cat ladies,” he was referring to the epidemic of those choosing not to have children for material or political gain. He was also pointing out that these are many of the people running things.

It turns out many Americans are demonstrably choosing to contribute to the low birth rate crisis. And make no mistake: It’s a very accurate reflection of the anti-family movement that particularly characterizes the Left.

Pew Research recently released a survey showing that those under 50 who have chosen not to have kids has grown 10% from 2018. Then, only 37% were childless by choice. Last year, it was 47%.

The 18-49-year-old crowd gave various reasons for not wanting children. The biggest one was outright not wanting kids. Other reasons cited were a desire to focus on other things, concerns about the world, and not being able to afford children.

The prime reason — this idea that other things are more worthwhile — is pushed by the feminists, the climate change fanatics, and the pure materialists. Having a career, being wealthy, and saving the environment are all reasons to abstain from procreation for these folks. We have written specifically about one particular subset of anti-natalists known as DINKS (Dual Income, No Kids). DINKS seek to justify their choices by creating lots of content for their social medial accounts.

Furthermore, people who aren’t having children because of the state of the world are buying into the lie that they can predict the future based on the present. In an episode of “Bluey” (a popular kids show featuring a dog family) called “The Sign,” Bluey’s teacher reads the class a story about a farmer. The farmer has alternately good and bad circumstances thrown at him. For example, his horse runs away (bad). His horse returns with two other wild horses (good). His son tries to tame one of the wild horses and breaks his arm (bad). The next day, soldiers come and take all the healthy young men to fight in a war; the farmer’s son is spared (good). The teacher read the story to illustrate that circumstances change all the time and that bad isn’t bad forever. It’s a lesson everyone should learn.

Another reason cited for not having children is the economy. Bidenomics has indeed killed our economy and the market is not doing well. People aren’t able to buy what they used to, and paying for the necessities is difficult. Adding children to the mix is no small burden. However, the reason this line of thinking is foolish is the same as was given to concerns about the state of the world: Times might be tough, but they aren’t forever.

A growing size of the American population is actively choosing not to invest in the future and opting not to have kids. Instead, they are choosing to merely live for the Self. It is a symptom of a deeply ailing culture. Children are a gift. They are not a right or an accessory. They are humans who are brought into this world to add to the next generation with their ideas and achievements. By denying the next generation its due (and, in fact, setting it up for failure), these childless cat ladies are saying they do not value anything beyond themselves.