Reply #109: It isn't always used that way

[LeftyMom]

it's frequently used to divide the world into childfree people and breeders, or GLBT people and breeders (which isn't even a good dividing line, as there are plenty of GLBT people with kids.)

Even when used to denote lousy parents only, creating a label reduces society's responsibility to help that family to one to pass judgement. A child is not an imposition, a child is a human being and in the sort of situation you describe, that child needs help and compassion. Sometimes helping the parents up rather than tearing them down does our society a great deal of good. It's less fun than sneering and calling names, but we're liberals. We help people- right?