Archives for 2010

Starting with the first sentence:

Like anything that involves killing babies, abortion tends to be controversial, and remains so in Canada more than 40 years after a bunch of white males decided to relax the common-law restraints on this practice. It is controversial in other countries, too: check out the United States, for instance, or the various European countries, in most of which it has long been “open season” on the unborn.

And it is a splendid column carrying on throughout. Killing babies remains a very difficult thing to defend, done only with the special sort of politically correct gymnastics of those who call abortions “abortion care”–nice try. But when I read this sort of fine column and I understand that I have logic, science and clearly, some good writers on my side, I get depressed because in the end, we do not live in a pro-life country. BUT THEN, I think, how much more depressing to be pro-choice–without logic or science on your side, just a very apathetic media and a couple of old-school feminists who won’t be around much longer. (Editor’s note: Very uncharitable, Andrea, shouldn’t that remain your “inside voice?”)

So while University of Ottawa was happily hosting me to discuss why being pro-life is pro-woman, University of Victoria banned their pro-life club. Because it “inherently discriminates” against women. Clearly, some work remains.

An Ottawa University student writes an open letter to Michael Ignatieff. Nice. These students are impressive:

As a 22-year-old Canadian woman, I felt I needed to inform Ignatieff that there is by no means a Canadian consensus in favour of abortion. I believe that it is scientifically indisputable that abortion is the act of terminating a human life.

She references last night’s talk. I think it went well, but then again, I gave the talk. So when it shows up on YouTube, watch and decide for yourself! There were no attempts to shut us down, however, which on campuses across Canada these days is rare. I tend to think it’s because the position I take is actually so common sensical, that protesting it…would rightly make the other side look foolish. I do think it would be really fun to debate someone like Carolyn Bennett. Now that, that would be a great debate. We shall see if such a thing could come to pass in the future…

Thank you very much to the students of Ottawa University for their hard work and their courageous, public stance. Certainly seemed to be a large and thriving club, which is indicative of very good things for the future.

Apparently it now includes easy access to Plan B in military clinics and hospitals.

After recommendations from the Pentagon’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and a successful vote to include the morning after pill on the list of drugs that military facilities should stock, officials announced the Department of Defense will begin making the pill available in its hospital and clinics around the world. It’s the latest step taken by the Obama administration to reverse women’s health policies made during George W. Bush’s administration, and fulfills a request from 2002 by women’s health advocates. “It’s a tragedy that women in uniform have been denied such basic health care,” said Nancy Keenan of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “We applaud the medical experts for standing up for military women.”

I say a country that has as many as 200 “honour” killings, and where a teenage girl can be buried alive for having male friends, is anything but.

The gruesome details surrounding the murder of Medine Memi has shocked Turkey, home to some 200 “honour killings” every year—half of all murders in the nation. The 16-year-old was found outside her home in the south-eastern province of Adiyaman last December in a sitting position, her hands tied. A postmortem exam revealed large amounts of soil in her lungs and stomach, indicating that she had been alive and conscious while being buried. “The report is blood curdling,” one official told the London Times. Memi’s father and grandfather have been arrested and are due to face trial. Her mother was also charged but has since been released. Media reports say the father had told relatives he was unhappy that his daughter had male friends. The grandfather is said to have beaten her for having relations with the opposite sex. It has also emerged that Memi had repeatedly tried to report to police that she had been beaten by her father and grandfather days before she was killed. “She tried to take refuge at the police station three times, and she was sent home three times,” her mother said after the body was discovered.

Please forgive this display of crusty-old-goatitude (it had been a while, no?), but what the heck, let’s gripe. We all know teenagers are interested in sex, but how many of us would write seriously about the etiquette of sex-on-prom-night? None other than two women with “Post” as their last name. Poor old Emily is, as we speak, spinning uncontrollably in her grave.

[h/t]

Police in New Zealand would like you to know that auctioning off your virginity on a public website is “not a safe practice.”

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Andrea adds: Come now. Can’t we all agree they’re being just a bit prudish?

Stephen Taylor believes he just found the magic solution:

Here’s what the Conservatives might say about Michael Ignatieff’s flirtation with abortion policy,

“Mr. Ignatieff doesn’t seem to realize that in the past 34 years, we Canadians closed the divisive debate on abortion in this country. This topic has split families and the debate has caused heartache for countless Canadians. We are saddened by Mr. Ignatieff’s attempt to reopen the topic for discussion and to callously use the philosophical debate over life and the exercise of reproductive rights as a political football to be tossed about carelessly.

Mr. Ignatieff we’ve moved past this. We will not allow you to bring the American-style politics of abortion to this country as a wedge issue to divide Canadians.

Canadians that we’re consulting these days are concerned about jobs and the economic recovery. While Mr. Ignatieff wants to hold university style seminar discussions about abortion, we’re focused on phase II of our Economic Action Plan.”

So winning now means giving up? Orwell would be proud.