Not your latest brand of mosquito spray, for sure.

In fact, it would’ve been a lot nicer if it was just an aerosol spray. At least you get to zap some pesky critters. For the record, I absolutely ABHOR mosquitoes. If you’re one, you better not bzzt too close to me, lest you end up in a violent spray of blood – MY blood. Yeah, I’ll let you suck some, before splattering your guts out with my bare hands.

But I digress.

There’s really nothing right or wrong about the entire issue. *hears a collective dismay* Yes yes, I’ve chosen not to take a stand. If you seek my personal opinion on abortion, I would say it’s horrid and absolutely do not stand for it. But seriously, who am I to say whether entire countries or cultures are right or wrong in doing what they do?

At least future generations of Indian guys won’t have it as tough as future generations of Chinese guys in finding a mate.

Unless of course, interracial love becomes the norm of the 21st century. Or, gay/lesbian marriages and surrogate pregnancies gain widespread approval. Or we all become part of the Matrix and procreation isn’t really something we need to be bothered with.

HMMMmmmmm…not very likely is it? Then maybe it’s time to start an investment fund to invest in matchmaking companies targeting the China market, start a business to tuition Chinese males in the finer arts of female seduction, and create a killer Web 2.0 company whose sole objective is to sign up every single SINGLE Chinese female in this world.

Multi-prong approach + diversified portfolio = guaranteed success high returns!

in·fan·ti·cide (ĭn-făn‘tĭ-sīd‘)
n.

1. The act of killing an infant.
2. The practice of killing newborn infants.
3. One who kills an infant.

[Late Latin īnfanticīdium, the killing of a child and īnfānticīda, killer of a child : Latin īnfāns, īnfant-, infant; see infant + Latin -cīdium and -cīda, -cide.]

foe·ti·cide (foē‘tĭ-sīd‘)
n. Destruction of the embryo or foetus in the uterus. Also called embryoctony.

As reported by BBC News, the Indian government is planning to set up a network of cradles around the country where parents can leave unwanted baby girls. The idea is to reduce the rate of female foeticide and female infanticide.

We will have cradles strategically placed all over the place so that people who don’t want their babies can leave them there,” Ms Chowdhury told the BBC News website.

They will be collected and put into homes,” she said. “There are plenty of existing homes and we will be adding some more also.

My initial dismay at such a move quickly turned into support, as I read and gained an understanding of the situation in populous countries such as India. Historically and culturally, the preference for boys over girls have been alluded by various texts to be due to:

1. The family’s inability to support the child financially
2. Population control e.g. Amazonian, China’s one-child policy
3. Traditional customs
   • In the Solomon Islands, some people were reported to kill their first-born and adopt a child from another island
   • In certain cultures, males are viewed to be more important: ability to carry family name, work on farms, support parents in their old age
4. In times of adversity, e.g. famine, extreme poverty, parents have to choose which of their children will live or starve
5. Social unacceptance of newborn e.g. children of incest or illegitimate origins, cross-caste
6. Mothers’ psychological depression combined with unreadiness to care for child
7. The guy’s unwillingness to stand by his gal…
8. And whatever other shitty reasons people can think of

All of the above thus leads to either abortion (foeticide), or infanticide.

My thoughts to come shortly.