Sunday, April 16, 2006

Not black and white

60 minutes did a report tonight about the growing gender imbalance in China. In the report they focused on China's one child policy. They stated the policy was draconian and they implied that it's only purpose was to further China's economic growth in order to secure thier position as a world superpower. They discussed the fact that women were having abortions as late as the 9th month of preganacy to weed out female children in order to try again to have a male child. They discussed how girls were being kidnapped or bought (for approximately $8 American) to be raised as slave brides. The painted a grim picture of an unfeeling nation.

They neglected to mention the average income for a family in China is approximately $1500 American...and that many famlies in the west will only make about $100 American a year. They forgot to mention the desperation of a people who live in a country where just over half of the land is inhabitable. They failed to mention the millions of citizens who do not have enough food to feed themselves and their families. They didn't share with us how many lives were saved by the one child policy--a number that exceeds hundreds of millions of people.

Tonight they painted a picture of a country who let foreigners come wisk away 12,000 of their girls a year without discussing the fact that almost half of those children would die before they were 12 years old if they hadn't found homes.

60 minutes presented a very black situation tonight. But the world is very rarely black and white.

4 Comments:

Blogger Donna said...

Well said, Lissa! Could you copy and paste this into an email to 60 minutes?

Donna

Sunday, April 16, 2006 9:39:00 PM  
Blogger Kelli said...

Great post Lissa! I've been on edge all night after watching 60 minutes. You summed it up perfectly.

Kelli
LID 7/8

Sunday, April 16, 2006 10:01:00 PM  
Blogger Stinky Mouse said...

I've been thinking about this one a lot too. Modern media does a great job of presenting stories in a "no think" fashion.

Like you say, it is rarely black and white. For while all the things you say are true, I would not want to live under a government that is capable of enforcing a one-child policy. Nor, would I want to live under the conditions which preceded the policy. What is the "right" solution for China's problems? I don't know, and its obvious nobody at 60 Minutes knows either.

-ScottO

Monday, April 17, 2006 4:38:00 PM  
Blogger Lynne said...

Lissa~ thanks for posting this kind of stuff on your blog. It helps me know how to sort out the real story for my daughter.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 9:00:00 PM  

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