If you have read "The Postman," then you recognize this story.
Papua New Guinea women kill males babies to end tribal war
One of the 3 major storylines of "The Postman" is the radical idea that women have to take responsibility for the cruelty of the males in their society, to the point that they should kill their males (offspring or lovers) if the males are violent predators. It is very disturbing, and the idea has stuck with me since reading the book. I was quite happy that I had never heard of this situation happening in real life, and I'm -very- happy I don't have to worry about the situation in MY life. I feel for the women of Papua New Guinea; they really are stuck between a rock and a hard place. However, I really wonder if this is the right solution. I don't pretend to understand each mother's mind; but what is keeping these women living with these men? Is this just an ultimatim to snap their lovers out of their selfishly destructive ways? There's of course no way to track the deaths due to this idea in such a primitive culture (no autopsies, no real pre-natal or post-natal testing, etc). Or is this a way for each mother to finally be able to exert some manner of control over her own future? Is the death of an innocent at its mother's hands the only way to stop the warfare?
Very, very disturbing. This situation hits me at about the same level as the reasons behind genital mutilation, particularly female genital mutilation in southern African societies.
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