This article from Associated Press talks about something that is going to become a big problem for China in the coming years. Because of their strict one-child per family policy, they now have a lot more boys than girls. (The policy has been in effect since the 1970s.) Their 2005 census indicates that "males under age 20 exceeded their female counterparts by a whopping 32 million."
The reason for this is that many families, faced with only having one child, have chosen to abort female babies so they could have male babies. Apparently abortion is widely available, even in the last trimester of a woman's pregnancy.
Chinese officials are afraid that they will face increased crime rates as these boys grow up, and are unable to find mates.
The real tragedy is that because of the population control policies of the Chinese government, girls have become a burden for many Chinese families. In addition to the baby girls who have been aborted, many are abandoned, or even killed, after birth.
Of course, the Chinese government has no moral qualms about having babies killed. But because they see that trouble is on the horizon, they are loosening some of the restrictions on families having more than one child. Hopefully, it will mean that some of these precious girls will survive.
That would be a good thing. But the root of the problem is that the Chinese government doesn't see the Chinese people as valuable in themselves. Their value comes from their usefulness to the state. I can only hope that the US never gets to that place...
The reason for this is that many families, faced with only having one child, have chosen to abort female babies so they could have male babies. Apparently abortion is widely available, even in the last trimester of a woman's pregnancy.
Chinese officials are afraid that they will face increased crime rates as these boys grow up, and are unable to find mates.
The real tragedy is that because of the population control policies of the Chinese government, girls have become a burden for many Chinese families. In addition to the baby girls who have been aborted, many are abandoned, or even killed, after birth.
Of course, the Chinese government has no moral qualms about having babies killed. But because they see that trouble is on the horizon, they are loosening some of the restrictions on families having more than one child. Hopefully, it will mean that some of these precious girls will survive.
That would be a good thing. But the root of the problem is that the Chinese government doesn't see the Chinese people as valuable in themselves. Their value comes from their usefulness to the state. I can only hope that the US never gets to that place...
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