I’m not sure they’ve helped the pro-life cause though. I wonder what the poor souls who had to make these plastic babies thought: A rapid increase in demand for fetal development education in the U.S.A. perhaps?
Tip courtesy of FiveFeetofFury.
Gosh, that’s still a lot…
U.S. Abortion Rate Falls to Lowest Level in Decades:
The abortion rate for 2005 was 19.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. In comparison, the rate was 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 1981, 21.3 abortions per 1,000 women in 2000, and 19.7 abortions per 1,000 women in 2004.
The report says there were “1.2 million abortions in 2005, compared to a high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990.”
Gaaaack! Huckabee calls abortion slavery!!!
Well, that’s what the headline writer probably wants you to think. Here’s what the candidate said:
Leaving it up to individual states to outlaw abortion within their own borders is not enough, he said.
“That’s again the logic of the Civil War — that slavery could be okay in Georgia but not okay in Massachusetts. Obviously we’d today say, ‘Well, that’s nonsense. Slavery is wrong, period. It can’t be right somewhere and wrong somewhere else.’ Same with abortion,” Huckabee said.
So it’s not the kind of rhetoric one would want to use if one were trying to reach out to middle-of-the-road voters, or to those who haven’t really given the subject of abortion much thought. (These people exist, you know.) But it’s ideologically coherent; if one believes abortion is wrong, period, then one believes it ought to be outlawed everywhere, period.
I’m not wild about Huckabee myself. And, as I said elsewhere, I don’t believe legislation is the answer to the problem of casual abortion – at least, it’s not the only answer. But you sure can’t accuse Huckabee of wobbling. And that I like.
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Andrea adds: The media put headlines on stories, and then other media incredulously pick up on them. That is a terrible, biased, convoluted headline–and all the candidates should be allowed to have their citations stand in full so that voters can read them and choose.
On a different note: The abortion-slavery comparison gets at another mantra we repeat often, that abortion is strictly a private issue. Was not slavery a private issue too? As in, you can have slaves, or not have them, and that’s your choice? Shouldn’t bother you if I purchase a couple at the market this weekend. My life is busy these days. Heck, I could use one to help moderate comments on this site. Trust me, if I had slaves, I’d treat them well–which should make all of you feel better about the fact that I have them. Right?
The concrete wall
The headline said “Women still earn less than men for same work”
But that’s not what the Equal Pay Coalition said at all. What they want is that “female jobs be paid the same as male jobs of similar value…”
Big, BIG difference. But in the end George Jonas is still right. These folks aren’t worried about evidence. There’s no glass ceiling, so they continue to bang their heads against a big ole’ concrete wall.
I’m not sure what we know about “glass ceilings.” Was there one, or do the equality people make that up too? One of the problems in the history faculties these days is the rewriting of history to suit different perspectives and a “gendered perspective” is top of the list. It always made me wonder about the veracity of what I was studying, and whether we weren’t layering on way too many of our own perspectives, without letting the historical facts and faces tell the story.
You’re offended, I’m offended… so what?
All it took was a couple of complaints and Don Hull, Hamilton’s director of transit took the ad above down.
Councillor Brian McHattie said he asked for the ads to come down after his office heard from upset residents. “For me personally, it definitely was offensive.” Personal opinions on abortion aside, he said the city shouldn’t been seen to support or promote either side of such a controversial issue. “It’s totally inappropriate for the city.”
What part of “have we gone too far?” is offensive? Your answer might be no, it might be yes, it might be a shrug – which is to say, you never pondered it before.
I’m offended that they took the ads down. But I don’t suppose that means they’ll put them back up.
What is it about “being offended” that has become sacrosanct these days? Since when must we not offend? Life without offense would be very boring, as I’m sure any hockey fan will agree.
Shutting these ads down because a simple question was posed? I think that’s “totally inappropriate.”
ProWomanProLife in the news
580 CFRA, an Ottawa radio station reports about our ideas here.
And Lifesite news reported about us here.
Numerous blogs have been kind enough to mention us as well, here and here…
Thank you also to all who have emailed–and so many of you have. Your appreciation is, well, much appreciated, and I’m going to respond to each note individually as soon as I can.
Then there are the detractors, of course, which to be perfectly honest, I appreciate as well. Votelife Canada’s blog wrote about us here. One comment on that. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, founder of the largest abortion clinic in New York City a couple of decades ago, turned pro-lifer (and after he became pro-life he converted to Roman Catholicism) says this, and I’m paraphrasing: The country that can outlaw abortion doesn’t need to, and the country that needs to, can’t.
It’s Ye Olde Catch 22 of this thing we call democracy. I may well be Canada’s first pro-choice pro-lifer. But I’m not “OK” with the abortion choice and that’s why I started this group.
Incidentally, there are more radio shows to come and we’ll keep you posted on those as they get closer.
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Brigitte agrees wholeheartedly: I don’t believe the issue should revolve around who’s pure of heart and who isn’t. There are 100,000 abortions in this country every year. True, if abortion were illegal there would be a whole lot less. But unless you spend your spare time burying your head in the sand, you know it’s not likely to be made illegal soon. So in the meantime, instead of griping that some of us aren’t pure enough, those of us who’d rather work on that aspect of the issue ought to try our best to change the culture. There should be room enough in the pro-life movement for all of us.
When “years of reading” are not enough
In the Globe today, a story about Stalin’s great grandson, who has this to say about is his great grandfather:
Stalin, he has concluded after years of reading, was not the murderous villain who killed millions of opponents including intellectuals, peasants, and artists like him.
You could be shocked, or you could be totally unsurprised. I am the latter. If many Canadians lack the visceral horror over Joseph Stalin’s endless atrocities and murder of millions – it’s not that surprising that his own family would think him a “great leader.” Overturning years of misinformation is a tricky business.
Pity they can’t both lose
So there’s some kind of hoopla in the world of tennis. Apparently some male commentator said something tasteless and dumb about Venus Williams’ bottom. Well, pfft. While I agree his comment was stupid and inappropriate, I also have to have a good laugh at the girls. Players nowadays display A LOT more than a mean backhand. Not that it excuses idiotic comments. But you know, when you dress like a tart, don’t be surprised if people treat you like one.
Lakehead and life
So apparently the students at Lakehead University could have had a pro-life club, they just can’t
- advertise
- educate
- and they have to apply for express permission to use their own university’s logo
Next thing you know they might want to hold an event. Clearly, this club is demanding.
I’m not even going to get into the delicious irony of a university that forbids education from student clubs. A new motto perhaps? “Lakehead University–no learning, now or ever”
I’ll keep brainstorming…
Fixing boys? Why, are they broken?
It’s not just feminists who bother me when they mistake particular women’s difficulties for systematic discrimination. For the most part, Hillary Clinton’s electoral troubles are hers and hers only – and she would have them were she a middle-aged white guy. I used to think the exact same thing back in the day Pauline Marois could not get herself elected at the head of the PQ (she has since become the party’s leader). It’s not your gender, I once wrote in a column. It’s you.
But then, I’m also not wild about those who say society is now hurting boys. See, assuming society does something bad to one gender takes responsibility away from individuals because it encourages them to blame their shortcomings on discrimination instead of blaming themselves. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself has never been a good idea. Why promote it?