girl or boy?

if you could only have one child, would you prefer it to be a boy or a girl? here's america's take.

i think it's pretty obvious why people would prefer boys, tho after reading through the comments, i guess my definition of "obvious" is all wrong because not one person said what i think is the most compelling reason to have a boy.

i'd prefer a boy because i feel like i'd have to worry less about their safety and overall well-being. you hear ALL THE TIME about young girls who get taken advantage of, either sexually or emotionally. of course, boys aren't at all exempt from sexual abuse (hello catholic church!) and the world is probably safer for your lesbian daughter than for my gay son, but the victims of nearly every non-fatal crime are female.

even if somehow our kids escape abuse and crime, our daughters will likely get paid less than her male counterparts. she'll find it more difficult to find a job, get her first loan, get proper medical attention, become a politician, get taken seriously, play professional sports, get a high ranking job... and those are just the "tangible" things. she'll likely also be more likely to suffer from eating disorders, emotional disorders, and low self-esteem. gah, the list goes on...

anyway, yeah, if i had to choose the sex of my only kid, i would probably prefer a male. tho, honestly, i'd probably be unhappy with any kid, boy or girl. ...wait, i mean, i'd be happy with any kid, boy or girl. ...