Archives for 2010

It must be summer when reporters write stories as lazy and old as this one. This can’t even be considered news, can it? An “exposé” about crisis pregnancy centres in the Star today.

I read with disbelief that she categorizes “emotional trauma” as one of the post-abortive myths. It’s a myth when you are a pro-abortion activist, sure. For the rest of the women out there who have had one, this ain’t no mythical beast. Neither is it mythical in the hard sciences, but pro-abortion people choose to look the other way.

These are people who can’t ever conceive that abortion wouldn’t be right. So when someone highlights that abortion might not always be neutral and easy, they are up in arms.

It is deceitful and harmful to make the claim that abortion is an easy choice. It is deceitful to fail to offer counselling and just let women, young women, teens, walk in and out of abortion clinics. Finally, it is deceitful to ignore the scientific literature decidedly indicating that there are negative side effects.

No, I didn’t do anything nearly as good or interesting as what Andrea did during my time off. (Actually, I didn’t take time off – I just worked on other things. I have issues.) Still, it’s good to be back. To the stuff that matters. Such as this:

Mark Wahlberg regrets dedicating a book to his penis in the 90s.

Mark has given up his hell-raising ways and is now a respected actor who recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The 39-year-old married his long-time partner Rhea Durham last year and the couple have four children together.

However, the star found fame as a streetwise teenager and released records as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. Mark often posed topless to show off his muscular frame and became renowned for dropping his trousers during live performances.

In 1992, he released his memoirs entitled Marky Mark and paid tribute to his genitals in the preface.

When asked why he chose that dedication during Time magazine’s Live 10 Questions this week, Mark replied, “I thought it would be funny.”

Here’s an easy rule for you boys and girls out there: If you’re ever tempted to make your private parts public, don’t. Chances are you’ll regret it.

You’re welcome!

From the makers of Jesus Camp, which I never saw, comes 12th and Delaware, a movie about abortion in America. They focus on a corner in a town in Florida where there is an abortion clinic and a pregnancy centre across the street from one another.

If you watch the clip, substitute “Taliban Camp” for pregnancy care centre and I think you get the frenzied, conspiratorial tone of the journalist and the filmmakers about right. I don’t see it, not in Canada, that’s for sure, but also not in what they are reporting. Nothing appears to be quite that frightening to me.

A good hiatus, which I expect to blog about in the future. I was in Ukraine where I stayed at a transition home for young girls, some of whom came from the streets of Odessa, others from the Ukrainian orphanage system. Second week was spent running a summer camp in a small village. So much that I learned and saw and experienced that I hardly think I’ll ever be able to put those thoughts to paper.

But if I were to make any application for this blog it would be to say I learned (experientially, and not because someone preached it or told me) there are no unwanted children, only those we choose to label as unwanted.

It was good to be away. But now I’m back, and apparently, back to lots of abortion news. A huge article on Linda Gibbons in the National Post, which I’m sure you’ve already seen, and then the news today that Canadians are almost entirely unaware of what Canadian abortion law is.

This speaks to the apathy factor, which is, of course, much larger than the anti-abortion/pro-abortion camps combined. So onwards in engaging this apathy and the ongoing sympathy that exists toward abortion amongst really well meaning folks. Can’t believe it’s August. Back to work!

Friends, countrymen (and women), lend me your ear. PWPL is going on a summer holiday. It’s our first official break since we started in January 2008.

We shall return to our regularly scheduled blogging in August.

Check out this trailer for a new documentary about human trafficking. Coming soon.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEBbYhqKLKk”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEBbYhqKLKk]

And again at this. Actually, read it. This is a very fine column by one John Robson. However, it will be much funnier if you watch this first.

After saying they might not stone one woman accused of adultery, they decide to sentence this 25-year-old to be stoned to death for adultery, even though she is pregnant.

Here’s an optimistic article from the U.S.

Healthcare reform represents a historic victory for millions of Americans previously denied access to quality and affordable medical care. Among the law’s many benefits for vulnerable families are funds just announced by the Obama administration that will help low-income pregnant women. This overlooked but significant achievement has established common ground between pro-life and pro-choice leaders who agree on a common goal: reducing the number of abortions by addressing its root causes. […]

More than 1 million abortions are performed in the United States every year. Canada, Germany, Japan and Britain all have lower abortion rates than the U.S., despite having less restrictive abortion laws. Why? In large part because those countries offer comprehensive healthcare that includes robust pre-natal and post-natal care. British Cardinal Basil Hume once told a reporter: “If that frightened, unemployed 19-year-old knows that she and her child will have access to medical care whenever it’s needed she’s more likely to carry the baby to term. Isn’t it obvious?”

While I’m a strong supporter of health care reform, I fear that it will have little impact on abortion rates. The U.S. has a higher percentage of women in “high risk” demographics for crisis pregnancies (higher percentages of women living below the poverty line etc.) than the compared countries, and I believe this is the reason for the higher abortion rates. Health care reform, while it will impact women for the better, won’t bring about the dramatic changes necessary to move women outside of those demographics. I hope I’m wrong.

PETA’s latest ad campaign might not be able to run on the streets of Montreal. The trouble arises in that they’ve labelled female body parts as if they were pieces of meat. So the political correctness police are stepping out in full force because of the labelling. Because this might be sexist. Possibly even degrading? Now good old fashioned regular porn, up and down our city blocks–now that is clearly not degrading. The sex shops, the shady massage parlours, with all the forced labour, human trafficking, prostitution that implies–not a trouble! But this ad might be.

I’m desperately confused.