Topic > Essay on Infanticide - 945

Infanticide means intentionally taking the life of a child. It has existed since ancient times and is said to be an ancient and extensive practice among humans. Infanticide implies culture. It's a bold practice in some parts of the world, especially in Indian communities like the Amazon. Indian tribes of Brazil such as the Uaiuai, the Bororo, the Mehinaco, the Tapirapé, the Ticuna, the Amondaua, the Uru-eu-wau-wau, the Suruwaha, the Deni, the Jarawara, the Jaminawa, the Waurá, the Kuikuro, the Kamayurá, Parintintin, Yanomami, Paracanã and Kajabi indigenous peoples continue to practice the killing of such innocent children. It is not a crime for them, it is their tradition based on their belief that, if a child is born with one species when same-sex twins are born, it is good luck. But when they show different sex, it's bad luck. The child's parents are forced to kill him because he is a sirpi (two-headed snail). It could be a demon, which could bring imbalance in their tribe. Furthermore, it can cause natural disasters. In some Amazonian tribes, children whose mother was unmarried or whose parents were dead and had no one to raise them are also sentenced to death. The above children are all sentenced to be buried alive or simply abandoned in the jungle. It is a very controversial issue, because it calls into question the nature of culture and the nature of rights, the right to live. Cassidy points out that "society's judgments about infanticide are based on worldviews (sets of assumptions and values, often unconscious) that allow users to perceive, categorize, and understand events and to socialize their children accordingly." Burying or abandoning a child is illegitimate considering international human rights. It is against their freedom to live. Allowing such practices can result in the mass death of children. Interfering in culture is extremely important, but it has to be a problem. Such conflicts occurred because there is a clash of cultures. The anthropologist claims that we must understand and respect the ancient concept of their traditions. The other side believes that a child's right to live is more important than practicing those actions as per tradition. In an interview in the Brazilian capital, the Department of Indian Affairs said the state is not in favor of death but that it would be dangerous to criminalize the actions of indigenous people. Furthermore, defending the cultural survival of a people does not mean defending death (Vaz 2008). Although it seems to intervene in their culture based on domination values, it must be considered that the refusal to help the victims of the cultural practices of another culture implies that the inferior race deserves less protection because of the culture in which it was born.