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For India's daughters, a dark birth day
Christian Science Monitor ^ | 2/9/2005 | Uma Girish

Posted on 02/09/2005 2:10:07 PM PST by Huntress

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Not only is this practice absolutely ghastly, it's also short-sighted. This region is going to end up with a bunch of frustrated young men who will probably have a disruptive influence on society.
1 posted on 02/09/2005 2:10:07 PM PST by Huntress
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To: Huntress

What you don't value, you lose.


2 posted on 02/09/2005 2:11:52 PM PST by najida (I actually repaired my Skil saw last night without breaking a nail.)
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To: Huntress
""and weak enforcement of laws banning abortion on the basis of gender""


So basically, abortion is okay just as long as it's not based on a baby's sex. Okay that makes sense, NOT.
3 posted on 02/09/2005 2:12:03 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell (Forgive Russia, Ignore Germany, Punish France - Condoleezza Rice)
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To: Huntress

The Indian practice of killing little girls, before or after they're born, is horrible. And of course infanticide is still practiced when it's not prosecuted. What the heck does it mean to call something illegal when it is also unpunishable?


4 posted on 02/09/2005 2:16:11 PM PST by Irish Rose ("And I learned with little labour/to love my fellow-man, and hate my next-door neighbor...")
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To: najida


That's women's rights for you.


5 posted on 02/09/2005 2:16:32 PM PST by LauraleeBraswell (Forgive Russia, Ignore Germany, Punish France - Condoleezza Rice)
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To: Huntress

The more I look outside our American borders the less I like what I see out there.


6 posted on 02/09/2005 2:17:39 PM PST by Dad2Angels
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To: Huntress

This is so sad. Is there any relief type agency that takes these babies out of India for adoption?


7 posted on 02/09/2005 2:17:57 PM PST by PennsylvaniaMom (FreeMartha)
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To: Irish Rose
"What the heck does it mean to call something illegal when it is also unpunishable?

Oh, I'm sorry. For a moment there I thought you were talking about our immigration policies.

8 posted on 02/09/2005 2:19:42 PM PST by Dad2Angels
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To: Huntress
Conversely, a daughter is considered an economic burden. Pressure to conform can be intense in rural areas, and some families borrow heavily to pay for the rituals prescribed for a girl - the ear-piercing ceremony, wedding jewelry, dowry, and presents for the groom's family on every Hindu festival.

It seems to me that when the shortage of girls gets bad enough, the remaining girls and their families will have the leverage to demand concessions from the families of prospective grooms.

9 posted on 02/09/2005 2:24:48 PM PST by Huntress (Possession really is nine tenths of the law.)
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To: Huntress
In her book on the women of India, "May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons", liberal pro-choice author Elisabeth Bumiller claims that nobody could compare the practice of infanticide and abortion while ending the chapter in which she quotes women who do exactly that. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.
10 posted on 02/09/2005 2:30:10 PM PST by Question_Assumptions
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To: Huntress

The only way to wipe out this evil is to bring Christianity and Jesus Christ to these people.
The Hindu religion and its legalistic customs cause the death of little Indian girls.

Get rid of dowries and half your battle is solved. Get rid of the belief in reincarnation and you solve the other half.


11 posted on 02/09/2005 2:45:42 PM PST by Conservatrix ("He's a barf." --- Sophia T., Age 4, on John Sawed-Off Baldrick "I have a cunning plan" Kerry)
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To: LauraleeBraswell

Exactly. Aborting baby girls (or killing born girls) is based on economic considerations (per the article). Abortion in our own culture is based primarily on economic considerations.

Same difference.

We like to think we are superior because we don't single out girls.


12 posted on 02/09/2005 2:56:59 PM PST by Lorianne
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To: Huntress

They could always hook up with the frustrated feminists in the U.S. The latter don't shave their legs, so Indian men should find them attractive.


13 posted on 02/09/2005 3:05:15 PM PST by Junior (FABRICATI DIEM, PVNC)
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To: najida

Your page is AWESOME

Yes, your house is a very, Very, VERY fine house!

You and your Skil should go to India and show
those ladies what a lady can do!!!


14 posted on 02/09/2005 3:06:18 PM PST by b9
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To: doodlelady

Ahhhhh thank you SO much!


15 posted on 02/10/2005 6:48:50 AM PST by najida (I actually repaired my Skil saw last night without breaking a nail.)
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To: Huntress

A dowery? Didn't those go out in the middle ages?


16 posted on 02/10/2005 6:50:19 AM PST by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: Huntress

Feminists fought for a world where their own gender can be slaughtered.... Gotta love it. Selfish people with small minds increase the oppression of their sisters while thinking they are improving things.

IDIOTS.


17 posted on 02/10/2005 6:55:00 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: Conservatrix

"The only way to wipe out this evil is to bring Christianity and Jesus Christ to these people.
The Hindu religion and its legalistic customs cause the death of little Indian girls.

Get rid of dowries and half your battle is solved. Get rid of the belief in reincarnation and you solve the other half."

female infanticide is not because of any religion.The major reason is illiteracy among the people and dowry is a major factor.No religion advocates dowry but somehow this practice is followed(dont know which nutcase started it)by many in india.But the literacy rate is going up and in the near future this practice will be stopped..And believe me the educated class in india does not follow this practice.

And actually dowry system is illegal and is punishable in india.(there have been cases where people asking for dowry if found guilty have been given 6 years of imprisonment).But the reason why dowry system still continues is because people dont complain and as long as people dont complain nothing can be done.


i totally agree with u regarding the eradication of dowry system.But it is for the people to understand and believe in the judiciary(by complaining against those asking for dowry).

Reincarnation has nothing to do with female infanticide.

once the dowry system stops female infanticide will stop too.

And by the way its not only the hindus but also people following other religions practice it(including christians).


18 posted on 02/10/2005 10:14:25 AM PST by thrust
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To: thrust

Reincarnation has to do with female infancticide in that in the minds of Hindus, the soul will simply come back again in the body of someone (or something else). Hence killing a fetus/little human baby is not such a big deal since you can just recycle its soul, so to speak.

In Christianity, we believe there is one life, and it is spent once, whether killed in the womb or lived to a full 90 years. This is why life is so much more sacred to Christians than Hindus. We also have commandments not to kill, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to care for those less fortunate or weaker than ourselves.


19 posted on 02/10/2005 10:41:07 AM PST by Conservatrix ("He's a barf." --- Sophia T., Age 4, on John Sawed-Off Baldrick "I have a cunning plan" Kerry)
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To: Conservatrix

well first of all hinduism does not ever preach killing a living soul .Yes,hindus do believe in reincarnation but that's not the major reason for female infanticide.

In India,dowry is the major problem.We have a lot of poor people in our country who just cant afford to pay it.Hence to avoid this hassle they prefer killing their little babies .This is very unfortunate but true.

Reincarnation to some extent may be true but till now whatever i have heard of,Dowry is the root cause .


20 posted on 02/11/2005 2:33:08 AM PST by thrust
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