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Muddy waters

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Self-proclaimed feminists express worry for the rights of a pregnant woman to use illegal drugs.

One of the most dangerous consequences of Bill C-484 is…that it muddies the water regarding the potential for prosecuting pregnant women who use drugs. Pregnant women who use drugs already face tremendous stigma and marginalization; many such women fail to access medical services in fear of having their children removed from their care.

Where to begin…

Is enabling a woman to continue her drug use, especially while in a pregnant state, really doing her a favour? Are we a backwards society for enforcing the protection of children? Is this all about the fact that a man can’t get pregnant, so he can harbor a drug addiction more easily than a woman? Is this a question of equality of the sexes? And finally, are you serious?

in many U.S. States pregnant women who use drugs are criminally charged with child abuse before the child is born and are incarcerated on the basis of protecting the foetus.

Canada’s drug laws are such that we place the bulk of penalties on dealers. To compare this to U.S. laws is to ignore everything we already know about Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Judges have considerable discretion in sentencing offenders under the CDSA. Sentences may take into account aggravating factors such as selling drugs to children, using or involving children under 18 years in the commission of the offence or selling drugs in or near schools or school grounds, or other public places where youth frequent.

If anything, C-484 may mean tougher sentencing for offenders who sell drugs to pregnant women. Who wouldn’t want to see that? Other than drug dealers, that is.

National day of action?

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Protests were organized across the country yesterday in opposition to Bill C-484. For a solid week, abortion advocates were spreading the word, rallying people together, calling it a national day of action.

Nearly 100 people gathered in [Edmonton] Saturday to protest a proposed law they say poses a direct threat to women’s reproductive rights in Canada…

Similar protests were held in Ottawa and Fredericton, N.B.

Radio-Can reports more than 50 people gathered in Ottawa. (Hey, that’s the same amount of redheads that showed up to pretend-protest the Wendy’s logo!)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoPmd_wc7s8]

As of yet, I’ve been unable to find any news coverage on the Fredericton protest, but the Facebook Event had 70 confirmed RSVP’s.

So, what, shall we say 300 people at most participated? I didn’t realize one one-hundred-thousandth of the population constituted a ‘national’ anything.

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Brigitte adds: I spent yesterday exploring the streets of downtown Winnipeg (and the closed shops – this is one dead town on weekends) and can report, with a reasonable degree of certainty, that approximately zero people protested C-484 – or anything else for that matter. Perhaps because it was soooo dashed cold…

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Andrea adds: “Hey hey! Ho Ho! Wendy’s logo has got to go!” That YouTube clip is powerful, Tanya, and reminds me that discrimination is everywhere, all around me, all the time. If I would only look harder.

She dislikes stupid people

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In the privacy of my own thoughts, I’ve found similar sentiments. (Heavens to Betsy, I’ve never actually said any of this out loud!) Read one woman’s perfect rant regarding Vicki Saporta’s article.

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Brigitte adds: Blimey, she don’t mince words, eh? Some points are a bit hysterical and perhaps less thoroughly informed than she believes, but hey. I’m usually on the side of logic and common sense, however clumsily expressed. One thing I like is her reason for not being totally anti-abortion: Because back in the day, when she had pregnancy scares, she considered it as a way out of a potential tight spot.

Back in the day, had I found myself pregnant, I might have considered it, too. Or maybe not. I just don’t know. I never had to face that terrible “choice” because I was lucky, not because I was good. I’m awfully glad to have been lucky, because now I realize how much I would regret having had an abortion. That realization is what makes me try to change this ridiculous pro-abortion culture in which we live.

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Andrea enjoyed that rant: I am of the uptight variety who thinks that if you can’t express yourself without using expletives, you probably shouldn’t express yourself. But I thoroughly enjoyed that rant, and laughed out loud in many places. Especially this:

WTF? What is based on “a significant amount of legal research”? Her assumption that Bill C-484 will lead to abuse of women’s rights? What is she, psychic?

Vicki Saporta Psychic Services: Deciding just when and how much you need to think. Just one of the many services she offers, thinking is her top priority. So you can put your feet up, and agree.   

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Tanya, excited: Oh! Are we pointing out favorite passages? Mine is definitely:

Hello?? Is there ANYONE in the world that doesn’t support a woman’s right to carry a pregnancy to term?This is a non-point. This is the stupidest thing she says. Before I go on, I just want to state, with complete clarity, that I fully support Saporta’s right to have two arms and two legs. Look how wonderful and liberal I am

 

No decay of the human family here

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Quebec is only meeting the increased demand for daycare by half. We have the coveted $7 a day daycare system in place here in this province, and, apparently, we can’t get enough of it. Essentially, we’ve created a monster that can never be quenched. Daycare here is the norm. It’s so normal, that everything else is abnormal. Attempting to illustrate:

Mary to Doris: I’m sending my son to the Big Daycare down the road. Where are you sending your daughter?

Doris to Mary: Oh, I’ll be staying home with her. (or My mother will be watching her 5 days a week.)

Mary to Doris (gasping for breath): What? Aren’t you terrified that she won’t be socialized?

Yes, that’s right. Many in Quebec believe that, if you don’t send your child to daycare, they will be that weird kid who sits in the corner and talks to himself. A fallacious stigma once reserved only for homeschooled children has now attached itself to those kids who spend their early formative years with (brace yourselves) family.

Quebec being misled

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La Presse, a popular Montreal news source, has called Bill C-484 the “federal abortion law.” (For those who may not know, it’s actually a bill to protect pregnant women and their fetus from violent crimes against the mother.) Translated:

According to many, including physicians, women’s groups and affiliated unions, [the bill] opens the door to some recognition of fetal rights, therefore to the abortion debate.

Supposing that there is much meat to the statement above (which there isn’t) why shouldn’t the abortion debate be opened – I should say ‘remain open?’ In 1988, when the Supreme Court struck down the abortion law, it was left to Parliament to introduce a new law on the issue. It’s now 20 years passed, and thank goodness I wasn’t holding my breath.

Contraception and peace of mind

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A recent study shows a correlation between emotional distress and imperfect contraceptive use. Read more here.

Between 10 and 20 percent of women reported that noncompliant behavior with their current method negatively affected work activities and their relationship with their partner, and about 3 percent had missed days of work or school. A higher percentage of pill users reported that they were ‘worried’ or ‘scared’ (68.8 percent and 22.6 percent respectively) compared with women using the skin patch (61.7 percent and 19 percent) or the vaginal ring (58.3 percent and 16.4 percent).

 

60 to 70 percent of hormonal contraception users regularly feel worried? Many have problems at work and in their relationships? This is definitely a stark contrast to the confident, liberated women portrayed in the commercials. Where’s the disclaimer that states “results not typical?”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU90rwIy7GY]

Legislation to think about

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South Carolina may pass legislation requiring abortion doctors to offer their patients the option of an ultrasound.

A legislative compromise formally announced Thursday says women must wait at least an hour after seeing the ultrasound to have an abortion.

In other words, the bill recognizes the fact that women are rushed into the decision to abort.

Pro-abortion groups, however, label this sort of legislation unethical conspiracy. Their idea of pro-choice is not the sort of choosing that involves thoughtful consideration, I guess.

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More and more Andrea thinks: The purpose of quick access to abortion is to ensure a woman doesn’t overthink what she’s doing. Pro-choice advocates–I’m talking about the extreme ones–don’t want women thinking–just acting. Quickly. (Act now, and ponder later–not a good combo.)

Pro-choice support of Bill C-484?

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The Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists, an 8,000-member federation presided over by Gaétan Barrette, has “denounced Bill C-484” as a sneaky scheme to criminalize abortion.

Barrette described Bill C-484… as “clearly a manoeuvre to go in the direction of recriminalizing abortion… [He] expressed concern that were the bill to become law, anti-abortion groups would quickly take advantage of it to take a case to the Supreme Court to make abortion illegal again.

When one man stands up and speaks in the name of 8,000 physicians, he better at least understand the bill. It seems instead that he’s read the Joyce Arthur tutorial on the issue.

Barrette conceded that some medical specialists are against abortion, but it’s the federation that has taken a position – not individual doctors.

Yes, some physicians do oppose abortion. It should also be noted that some people, who are not strictly pro-life (and likely some of them physicians), do support the bill.

Either that, or 66% of Canadians are actually pro-life, according to the Angus Reid Poll. What a pleasant fiction.

Celibacy U

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Here’s a little ad being circulated around Ryerson University. What a surprise–it’s being torn apart in the comments section. It seems it isn’t politically correct to refer to your personal values as “more honorable.”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hn6mIK8G2Vc]

But let’s be honest. If saving yourself for your ideal mate is the motive behind the celibacy, is that not more honorable than, say, a one-night stand?

Oh, right! We use the remote to change the channel, order food that’s ready in about a minute, and use high-speed internet. What makes me think waiting for sex in our instant-gratification society will be a very popular idea?

And yet, I’m decidedly optimistic.

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Andrea doesn’t want to be mean yet she wonders: Whether some of these people are celibate by default, not honourable choice. Nothing against Star Trek, but…

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Brigitte doesn’t mind being mean: Holy Corny Cheesy Cringe-Inducing Terrible Clip, Batman! Is this for real? I’m all for sexual restraint (sorry, I don’t think celibacy is necessarily for everybody, but between that and indiscriminate hooking-up, I’m sure there’s a healthy middle), and I am not always as pessimistic as I sound, but golly, this video is so awful it would have pushed me far away from celibacy…

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Andrea again: Apparently, the clip, having been torn apart in their comments section, will now be torn apart in ours. Perhaps we should take it down. I don’t want to be responsible for someone running out into a torrid and inappropriate affair because of bad celibacy advertising–no booze required. I once heard someone say it’s fine to be celibate: You should, however, refrain from advertising publicly. Proof positive.

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