tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post1896971124713217072..comments2023-12-31T05:01:58.031-06:00Comments on Young Stranger: "Iphis and Ianthe": CommentaryJohn Gustav-Wrathallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03557940681381951271noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-36667186730625241972007-08-29T20:46:00.000-05:002007-08-29T20:46:00.000-05:00When I first read this story, I think I was aware ...When I first read this story, I think I was aware of the practice of female infanticide, but I didn't make the connection to the story itself. It seemed like a very bizarre plot element to me. But later, because of my interest in the story, I did a little research on female infanticide both in the ancient world and in modern day India and China, and it became much more real to me. <BR/><BR/>I had no idea how prevalent this practice still is today! I understand the Indian government has begun a program of actually paying families to raise girls, to help stem the practice. In China part of the problem is that the government limits the number of children you can have, and many families feel like they don't want to waste their "quota" on girls. Now with technologies that allow you to predict the gender of a child, aborting girl fetuses has also become a common practice.<BR/><BR/>But now, as science begins to uncover more information about the biological basis for homosexuality, there's been some speculation that it may be possible to predict whether a fetus will be born gay, and fear that some people might actually engage in a form of gay infanticide by aborting "gay fetuses." This was actually the subject of <A HREF="http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43058" REL="nofollow">proposed legislation in the state of Maine</A> a couple of years ago.John Gustav-Wrathallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03557940681381951271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2018387523779914474.post-39220772072134748942007-08-29T18:53:00.000-05:002007-08-29T18:53:00.000-05:00I don't know that this is relevant or very pertine...I don't know that this is relevant or very pertinent, but from a very personal point of view, I have been affected by the practice of female babies being abandoned in India. This practice is rampant. Orphanages are filled with female babies. When expecting mothers find they are carrying a female fetus, they go into clinics and request induced labor to abort their baby. Sometimes, these abortions actually survive the ordeal! If such "live abortions" occur, and the baby has enough natural will to live (even at a pre-mature weight and development and with no modern equipment and technologies to help them survive) they are handed over to orphanages to care for. Live abortions of female babies! And you know what? Such babies, with such fight and determination to live, become amazingly beautiful young women! (I wish I could capture some of their determination!)Beckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06159223254071653666noreply@blogger.com