As reported in Lifesite, Latin American leaders of the pro-life movement are asking for people around the world to persuade Brazil to adopt a law that would ban the practice of infanticide.
Isn't infanticide already illegal in Brazil, you ask?
The practice being targeted occurs among indigenous tribes. There are some who kill their babies if they are born disabled or are considered "cursed".
This is an outgrowth of their past. It was considered "merciful" to kill a disabled child who could not be helped.
This may have seemed moral in the past, but in the 21st century, it cannot be sanctioned, especially as access to health care is improving.
Critics are afraid that enforcing a law would interfere with tribal practices and we would be "imposing" our values on these groups.
Human rights are supposed to be universal.
We can be tolerant of certain evils in the name of a greater good. But we may never be tolerant of allowing others to kill innocents. The right to life is the first human right.
Right now, in the Brazilian legislature, there is a proposed bill that would require the government to take measures to eradicate the practice. It would not criminalize the practice-- I imagine it is already technically legal-- but it would require the government to take action to get natives to stop engaging in the practice. The Lifesite article mentions giving the natives of other options. I imagine there would be education campaigns, policies and other relatively non-coercive measures.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children is asking that people write the President of the Brazilian Human Rights Commission to ask him to support this law and support the right to life of babies.
The President of the Commission is Congressman Luiz Cuoto. Please also CC Dom Dimas Lara Barbosa (secgeral@cnbb.org.br), the President of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference. The SPUC also wants you to email Chico Alencar (dep.chicoalencar@camara.gov.br), a Brazilian Congressman. (I'm trying to find out what role he is playing in all this...please be patient! Most of the references are in Portuguese).
Please, do it, now! Please show that this subject is important to the outside world!
