That really conincides with a story that is making the headlines here in Canada. The CBC did an undercover investigation into whether private ultrasound clinics would provide the gender information for foetus' under 20 weeks. The concern being that abortions will be performed on female foetuses if parents knew they were going to have a girl. The most shocking part of the story was the doctor outside of Toronto who based the price of the ultrasound based on the details that the CBC producer provided - $600 for something that usually costs between $50-100 - because she wanted to know if she was having a girl at 14 weeks. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...r-testing.html
That really conincides with a story that is making the headlines here in Canada. The CBC did an undercover investigation into whether private ultrasound clinics would provide the gender information for foetus' under 20 weeks. The concern being that abortions will be performed on female foetuses if parents knew they were going to have a girl. The most shocking part of the story was the doctor outside of Toronto who based the price of the ultrasound based on the details that the CBC producer provided - $600 for something that usually costs between $50-100 - because she wanted to know if she was having a girl at 14 weeks. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...r-testing.html
This is complicated stuff, so I'm going to try very hard to respond without busting the TAT server.
The normal sex birth ratio is 105 males per 100 females. The theory is that evolution has accommodated a slightly elevated number of males because male infants are at greater risk of death in infancy than females.
Canada's birth ratio is in the normal range, 1.056 males/1 female. The U.S. sex birth ratio also is in the normal range, 1.047 males/1 female. There is no cause for concern in terms of suspecting sex-selective abortion until the ratio for a country or region of a country reaching 1.07/males/1 female. Canada, country-wide, does not have a boy preference problem. (See the chartsbin maps below.)
That doesn't mean, however, that certain subpopulations aren't prone to boy preference. The article you posted mentions people of Indian heritage. It's true. Oversimplistic, for sure, but still true. Some people of Indian heritage, just like those of Chinese heritage and some other Asian subgroups, have brought boy preference with them to the U.S. And yes, these subpopulations have out of whack sex birth ratios in the U.S. and Canada compared to the general population. And there are providers who are poised to profit off these biases, using advanced U.S.-developed ultrasound technology to make their buck.
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In recent years, we've also seen a proliferation of gender selection clinics in the U.S. and Canada where wealthy parents can choose their child's gender (among other things). They're popping up in numerous urban areas in North American--in close proximity to communities with large populations of Asian heritage.
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Now, and this is an important point I've already stated, but it needs to be said again--sex-selective abortion no doubt happens in the U.S. and Canada but not anywhere near a scale that it affects what science has determined as normal birth sex ratios for a particular region (105 males per 100 females). Anyone who says it is a widespread problem in the U.S. or Canada is lying about the data. Or has another agenda.
It IS however, an emerging problem among some Asian American/Canadian subpopulations. And it stems from boy preference.
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But how far do we want to take this? Should a couple be restricted from designing their family to be one boy and one girl? Should we outlaw any form of sex-selective abortion to restrict that kind of family planning?
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And to what degree does this debate in the U.S. belittle what are already proving to be global challenges as it relates to boy preference worldwide? Check out the chartsbin maps posted above. They show very clearly the scope of the problem worldwide. The discussion about this in the U.S. and Canada in the political sphere only distracts from where the real problems exist--and what we are already seeing as the consequences of decades of boy preference--regions of the world full of men of marrying age who cannot find a bride... And we're already seeing the results of that as well--spikes in human trafficking, rape, gang rape, a woman being sold to a group of husbands, child prostitution/rape...
And what we're seeing now is just the beginning. It will get far worse before it gets betters. That's just simple mathematics.
And finally, a great article on this issue as it relates to the U.S. from the Washington Post this past weekend. It does a great job of showing how both the pro-life and pro-choice movements have generally missed the boat on this issue.
Oh give it time, humans will select themselves right out of existence. I'm not entirely sure this earth can support 12-26 billion people, and if it can, it won't for long. ; )
Oh give it time, humans will select themselves right out of existence. I'm not entirely sure this earth can support 12-26 billion people, and if it can, it won't for long. ; )
No. We are far too many. Even a pandemic that were to wipe out 90% of every single country would still leave 700 million of the species.
I understand your point, but wiped out we won't be. That we are foolishly going against Malthusian rules (and no signs that he was wrong have ever been presented) and that we are heading for mayhem is clear (to me, ponchi101 the optimist ).
But wiped out we won't be. There will be pockets of Homo- Not- So- Sapiens for quite a while.
(Now, if our genome is not stable that is another story. And we are pushing the 1 million years of existence mark, a good average for most species, but that belongs in the Science Thread, and Suliso and Vlad have to get involved in that conversation9.
50 ways to leave your (non) lover: "I hope you understand me when I say it was torture having met you"
KABUL, Afghanistan: A group of Afghan Girl Scouts recite the Scout motto during their meeting. These girls are part of the Marastoon Boy and Girl Scout Troop in Kabul. The troop currently has more than 200 Scouts and hopes to have 400 very soon. (Source: FB I Like Afghanistan page)
KABUL, Afghanistan: A group of Afghan Girl Scouts recite the Scout motto during their meeting. These girls are part of the Marastoon Boy and Girl Scout Troop in Kabul. The troop currently has more than 200 Scouts and hopes to have 400 very soon. (Source: FB I Like Afghanistan page)
A beautiful pop singer who defied the Taliban's decree against music and dancing was shot dead after she left a beauty salon last night.
Pakistani star Ghazala Javed, 24, was shot after a motorcyclist opened fire on a car she was in with her father, who was also killed.
Police said that one of the suspects is her ex-husband, who she reportedly asked for a divorce after finding out he had at least one other wife.
Her demand was a highly unusual one for a deeply conservative and male-dominated society where many consider a woman asking for divorce a dishonour to the husband.
Ms Javed, who was popular with young, progressive ethnic Pashtuns in northwest Pakistan, was reportedly driving home with her father when a motorcycle raced towards their car and opened fire.
She was hit with six bullets and and pronounced dead along with her father at a hospital in Peshawar, according to CNN.
In recent years the rise of the Pakistani Taliban, who disagree with singing and dancing, made it difficult for Ms Javed and other artists to perform and record songs in the country.
Ms Javed had started recording many of her songs and music videos, which she sang in her native Pashto language, in nearby Dubai.
But early indications were that the Taliban were not involved in her shocking death, according to police official Imtiaz Altaf.
Last year Ms Javed made headlines when she left her husband to live at her father's home after just six months of marriage.
'Two men on a motorbike sprayed bullets and fled leaving them in a pool of blood,' said senior police officer Dilawar Bangash.
'We have registered a case and launched an investigation. The murder seems to be result of some internal dispute,' he added.
Ms Javed married businessman Jahangir Khan in 2010 after fleeing to Peshawar in 2009 to escape the then Taliban-dominated northwestern district of Swat. He too tried to ban her from singing, her family said.
Several years ago, another popular female singer, Ayman Udas, was killed - allegedly by her family.
Betty Makoni's new book is about to hit the streets in the next few weeks. I hope you will check it out. A survivor of rape at age 6 who then witnessed the murder of her mother--at the hands of her own father, no less--Betty Makoni today is widely regarded as one of the world's most ferocious advocates for girls and women.
I hope you'll give it a read. Because if I know Betty, it is not a story of victimization or defeat; it is a story of hope and the unquenchable power of activism through personal healing.
The sad truth about "double tap" tactics during drone attack, which are particularly despicable actions aimed at those that come to help, which are mostly civilians. Sometimes even aimed at funerals.
The sad truth about "double tap" tactics during drone attack, which are particularly despicable actions aimed at those that come to help, which are mostly civilians. Sometimes even aimed at funerals.
The sad truth about "double tap" tactics during drone attack, which are particularly despicable actions aimed at those that come to help, which are mostly civilians. Sometimes even aimed at funerals.
Beijing, Jun 29 (PTI) Uighur militants today made a brazen but futile bid to hijack a passenger plane using a broken crutch in China's restive Xinjiang region, creating a mid-air drama which climaxed with alert passengers and crew overpowering the six hijackers. The incident that left 10 people injured occurred in the restive Xinjiang province of western China, where Uighur Muslim militants are fighting against Chinese rule. The Tianjin Airlines' Flight GS 7554 flight carrying 100 people took off from Hotan airport and was headed to the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi, 1400 km away, but just 10 minutes into air six hijackers tried to take over the aircraft, state run Xinhua news agency quoted regional public security bureau as saying. The hijackers tried to break into the cockpit using a broken crutch as a weapon but were overpowered by passengers and crew, a statement from Hou Hanmin, a spokeswoman for the Xinjiang regional government was quoted as saying by BBC. At least ten passengers and crew were injured. While two flight policemen were seriously injured, a head attendant and seven passengers were slightly injured in the fight with hijackers, police said. The plane returned to the Hotan airport and the suspects were detained. Police said they were Uighur separatists. Xinjiang, the home of Uygurs, a Turkik speaking Muslim community has experienced ethnic clashes as Uighurs have resented the increasing settlement of Han Chinese majority in their region.
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Originally Posted by dryrunguy
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