8 Year Old Rape Victim Abandoned by her Family

[BroomJockey]

Because they are so drastically different from the US.

Every time I come on this board, I'm astounded just how dissimilar they are.

The most apparent difference to me? The US has a deep, abiding distrust for its government. Canadians bitch and moan about our government, but I don't think we actually think we need to protect ourselves from our government. You don't hear Canadians talking about Nanny States.

[Rapscallion]

We complain about a nanny state from time to time, but generally speaking if we don't like the wankers enough we try to blow them up. Sort of the Fawke/McVeigh syndrome.

More seriously, we just let them talk about each other in front of cameras all the time, and we just get on with enjoying ourselves while the idiots don't realise there's nobody but the die-hards listening.

Rapscallion

[Boozy]

The most apparent difference to me? The US has a deep, abiding distrust for its government.

For me, it's everything. Americans and Canadians think differently about food, sex, time, work, alcohol, money, clothes, and decorating. All those little things that create a culture. The way we think about religion and government are the big things, but it's the little stuff that gives me the "I'm a stranger in a foreign land" feeling when I'm in the US.

[AFPheonix]

For me, it's everything. Americans and Canadians think differently about food, sex, time, work, alcohol, money, clothes, and decorating. All those little things that create a culture. The way we think about religion and government are the big things, but it's the little stuff that gives me the "I'm a stranger in a foreign land" feeling when I'm in the US.

I get that more when I go to the eastern part of Canada. I think I even told my Mom last time we visited family over in Ontario, "oh my god, we're in a different country!"
Because I have family up there, I visit Edmonton and Onion Lake and Victoria every year to once every few years. Besides better breakfasts at McD's and maple leaves on everything, I don't think it feels terribly different than the Pacific Northwest. Victoria especially feels a lot like Washington/Oregon.

I find it interesting people feel they have the 'freedom' to abandon her.

Remember this thread?
http://www.fratching.com/showthread.php?t=699

The whole reason that law was abused was because Americans can be punished if they abandon their children. So...families that are American cannot hand their children over to CPS without facing charges, but since this family comes from another culture, it's ok?

I didn't see anyone arguing for punishment for the American families that handed their kid over. I see a lot of discussion about providing help for overwhelmed parents so they can resume their parenting duties.

In this case, I do support allowing removal of the kid, because chances are, if they were forced to keep her she may end up the result of an honor killing. Get her far, far away, and in time, as the children assimilate into the culture (which they tend to do pretty well) the bad parts of the culture will die off with the parents.
That Google article was actually quite good. We forget sometimes that Liberia has been an absolute hellhole the last few decades with 2 civil wars and a dictatorship under Charles Taylor. They have elected their first female president and I've listened to interviews with her. She sounds like a pretty wonderful woman. I hope she can enact some sweeping change there.

[Nyoibo]

And how do you differentiate between culture and religion?

Are you serious?

Because they are so drastically different from the US.

Hey! ... oh wait, damn television.

[BroomJockey]

Because I have family up there, I visit Edmonton

Hey! Next time you're on your way up, lemme know! We should have... well, not coffee, since I don't drink that but something! It'll be fun!

[BlaqueKatt]

And how do you differentiate between culture and religion?

is Catholicism a culture-nope it's a religion-in some cultures you are only allowed one child due to overpopulation-is that because of religion? They are not interchangeable.

Culture-the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.

I find it odd that you're so happy your family is abandoning their heritage.

I should be proud that my ancestors happened to be born in a particular country rather than another particular country? That seems extremely silly.

According to Sicilian "culture/tradition" I was supposed to have an arranged marriage to my cousin to keep the family money in the family-yeah that's something to embrace wholeheartedly especially as he believed that smacking your wife around was acceptable as in Sicilian "culture" it is acceptable.

It is in no way part of Hmong culture to kill female infants.

According to the people of Hmong descent living here and defending her actions it is(we have a very large Hmong population-I know several of them-one girl explained to me that if she didn't bear her husband enough sons he could get as many other wives as he wanted because she was "defective", and if anything happened to him she went to his brother as "property")

[AFPheonix]

Hey! Next time you're on your way up, lemme know! We should have... well, not coffee, since I don't drink that but something! It'll be fun!

Ha ha! My mom is flying up tomorrow to visit her brothers, and was whining that I wasn't coming. Not my fault she didn't give me any warning and that I've already used up my vacation days for the year
And chances are next year I'll be using up my vacation goin' down to Tulsa for World Show.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I don't like American culture. Where should I go?

Well, uh, with respect, you have an entire "rest of the planet" to choose from, and a plethora of lovely airports.

What do you want us to say?

[Flyndaran]

Well, uh, with respect, you have an entire "rest of the planet" to choose from, and a plethora of lovely airports.

What do you want us to say?

As an american it should be assumed that we are unwilling to learn a second language. I say that with a bit of seriousness.

[BroomJockey]

As an american it should be assumed that we are unwilling to learn a second language. I say that with a bit of seriousness.

I say again, Canada, UK, Australia...

[Flyndaran]

I say again, Canada, UK, Australia...

Is it really as severe there as it is here? Immigrant families lose thier original language within about three generations. They may make a slang or creole that sounds like thier original.

[BroomJockey]

Is it really as severe there as it is here? Immigrant families lose thier original language within about three generations.

I can't speak for Australia, never having been there, but you can get by as a monolingual English speaker in the UK (visited twice, for a week each time), and in Canada. Canada's good about multiculturalism, rather than melting pot, but stick to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, or Ontario and you can go weeks without hearing anything but English, if you stay to certain areas.

[anriana]

Well, uh, with respect, you have an entire "rest of the planet" to choose from, and a plethora of lovely airports.

What do you want us to say?

Well, uh, with respect, my point was that you seem to have a problem with people who don't share your culture taking your precious tax dollars. Since I don't participate in American culture, do you have a preference for which country I should go to?

Are you serious?

No, I was being totally sarcastic!

is Catholicism a culture-nope it's a religion-

Okay, so is Mardi Gras a cultural or a religious event?
Christmas?
Easter?
Halloween?

in some cultures you are only allowed one child due to overpopulation-is that because of religion?

No, but the only "culture" I can think of where that is the case is China, where it's the law, not the culture. I am not familiar with any Chinese immigrants who go to other countries and then don't want to have more than one child because it's their culture.

Culture-the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of human beings and transmitted from one generation to another.

That sounds a lot like religion to me. Is the difference that religion is written down formally and culture isn't?

According to the people of Hmong descent living here and defending her actions it is(we have a very large Hmong population-I know several of them-one girl explained to me that if she didn't bear her husband enough sons he could get as many other wives as he wanted because she was "defective",

What does that have to do with killing infants?

and if anything happened to him she went to his brother as "property")

Hey, that sounds exactly like the Scripture of the religion that the majority of Americans follow!

If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.

-Deuteronomy 25:5

[BroomJockey]

No, I was being totally sarcastic!

Now, someone with a less finely tuned sense than I might not be able to tell, but this time, she is in fact being sarcastic. By extension, I'd suggest the other time was serious.