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1. Nova Scotia approaching a winter time in demographics.
2. 25 Years Of AIDS: Have We Learned Anything Yet? - By George Will - Jun 5, 2006
``In the period October 1980-May 1981, 5 young men, all active homosexuals, were treated for biopsy-confirmed Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia at 3 different hospitals in Los Angeles, California. Two of the patients died.'' - Centers for Disease Control - June 5, 1981
WASHINGTON - Those words 25 years ago announced the arrival of something most Americans thought anachronistic - an infectious disease epidemic. At first it was called GRID - gay-related immune deficiency. In September 1982, CDC renamed it acquired immune deficiency syndrome - AIDS.
Its worldwide toll has already exceeded the 20 million killed by the 14th-century bubonic plague. By 2020, it probably will have killed more than has any epidemic in history, with most fatalities in sub-Saharan Africa, where it probably began about 75 years ago after some people who ate wild chimpanzees in Cameroon became infected with a low-virulence progenitor of the virus that causes AIDS.
An epidemic requires both a microbe and an enabling social context. In Africa, aspects of modernity in a primitive setting became a deadly combination: HIV was spread by roadside prostitutes serving truckers and soldiers traveling on modern roads. Africa's wars caused population dislocations; economic development caused migrations of workers across porous borders. Both weakened families and dissolved traditional sexual norms. Jet aircraft integrated Africa into the world flow of commerce and tourism. In 1980s America, the enabling context included a gay community feeling more assertive and emancipated, and IV drug users sharing needles.
AIDS arrived in America in the wake of the Salk vaccine, which, by swiftly defeating polio, gave Americans a misleading paradigm of how progress is made in public health. Pharmacology often is a small contributor. By the time the first anti-tuberculosis drugs became available in the 1950s, the annual death rate from TB had plummeted to 20 per 100,000 Americans, from 200 per 100,000 in 1900. Drugs may have accounted for just 3 percent of the reduction. The other 97 percent was the result of better nutrition and less urban crowding. Thanks to chlorination of water and better sanitation and personal hygiene, typhoid, too, became rare before effective drugs were available.
Which suggests that the most powerful public health program is economic growth. And the second-most powerful is information.
The 14th-century Black Death killed one-third of Europe's population, but it was in the air, food and water, so breathing, eating and drinking were risky behaviors. AIDS is much more difficult to acquire. Like other large components of America's health care costs (e.g., violence, vehicular accidents, coronary artery disease, lung cancer), AIDS is mostly the result of behavior that is by now widely known to be risky.
The U.S. epidemic, which so far has killed 530,000, could have been greatly contained by intense campaigns to modify sexual and drug-use behavior in 25 to 30 neighborhoods from New York and Miami to San Francisco. But early in the American epidemic, political values impeded public health requirements. Unhelpful messages were sent by slogans designed to democratize the disease - ``AIDS does not discriminate'' and ``AIDS is an equal opportunity disease.''
By 1987, when President Reagan gave his first speech on the subject, 20,798 Americans had died, and his speech, not surprisingly, did not mention any connection to the gay community. No president considers it part of his job description to tell the country that the human rectum, with its delicate and absorptive lining, makes anal-receptive sexual intercourse dangerous when HIV is prevalent.
Twenty years ago a San Francisco public health official explained death's teaching power: Watching a friend die, like seeing a wreck along a highway, is sobering. But after driving more slowly for a few miles, we again speed up. AIDS has a more lasting deterrent effect.
There has, however, been an increase in unsafe sex because pharmacological progress has complicated the campaign against this behavior-driven epidemic. Life-extending cocktails of antiviral drugs now lead some at-risk people to regard HIV infection as a manageable chronic disease, and hence to engage in risky behavior. Furthermore, the decline of AIDS mortality means that more persons are surviving with HIV infection - persons who can spread the virus. And drugs like Viagra mean that more older men are sexually active.
Still, even with no pharmacological silver bullet, AIDS deaths in America have been declining for a decade. In Africa, where heterosexual sex is the primary means of transmission, the death rate is steady relative to population growth, and the age of beginning sexual activity is rising, as is the use of condoms. Human beings do learn. But they often do at a lethally slow pace.
George F. Will is a 1976 Pulitzer Prize winner, whose columns are syndicated
in more than 400 magazines and newspapers worldwide. Copyright © 2006
- Washington Post Writers Group
Find this story at: http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/georgewill/2006/06/05/199794.html
Please visit us at our website: www.robertjason.ca
E-mail address: bobeva@vaxxine.com
3. Bishops To Vote On New Order Of Mass In English - By Jerry Filteau
WASHINGTON (CNS) - The U.S. bishops will be asked to approve a new translation of the Order of Mass when they meet in Los Angeles June 15-17.
If the new translation is adopted as proposed and subsequently approved by the Vatican, Catholics will have to learn a number of changes in their Mass prayers and responses. Among the more obvious will be:
- Whenever the priest says "The Lord be with you," the people will respond, "And with your spirit." The current response is "And also with you."
- In the first form of the penitential rite, the people will confess that "I have sinned greatly... through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." In the current version, that part of the prayer is much shorter: "I have sinned through my own fault."
- The Nicene Creed will begin "I believe" instead of "We believe" - a translation of the Latin text instead of the original Greek text.
- The Sanctus will start, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts." The current version says, "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might."
Approving a new text of the Order of Mass is only the first step in a long process of considering and approving a new translation of the entire book of prayers said at Mass. In the United States that book has been called the Sacramentary since 1970, but the Vatican wishes to restore the name Roman Missal, since it is an English translation, with minor adaptations, of the normative Latin "Missale Romanum."
Officials of the bishops' Secretariat for the Liturgy told Catholic News Service May 23 that it is uncertain whether the bishops will seek to publish the new Order of Mass for U.S. use as soon as possible or wait until they have the new English translation of the entire Roman Missal completed. Completing the entire Roman Missal is likely to take at least two more years.
Once the bishops adopt new liturgical texts, they must also be confirmed by the Vatican before they can be authorized for use.
In general, people will find many of the Mass prayers in the new version slightly longer and fuller, as the new translation is based on rules for liturgical translations issued by the Vatican in a 2001 instruction. Unlike the previous Vatican rules - which encouraged freer translations more adapted to the language into which one was translating - the new rules require closer adherence to the normative Latin text.
In a recent letter Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, told the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops that if a current text does not conform to the new translation norms it must be changed.
"It is not acceptable to maintain that people have become accustomed to a certain translation for the past 30 or 40 years, and therefore that it is pastorally advisable to make no changes... The revised text should make the needed changes," he wrote.
He said his congregation is open to dialogue about "difficulties regarding the translation of a particular text," but the 2001 instruction calling for translations more faithful to the Latin text "remains the guiding norm."
His letter, dated May 2 and addressed to Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., USCCB president, was posted on the Catholic World News Web site in late May.
In response to a query from CNS, Bishop Donald W. Trautman of Erie, Pa., chairman of the USCCB Committee on the Liturgy, said Bishop Skylstad sent the letter to all Latin-rite bishops in advance of the June meeting.
"I see this letter as a clarification and further restatement of criteria for translation previously authored by the congregation," Bishop Trautman said. He said it "offers additional input for the deliberation of the bishops."
The Order of Mass, found at the center of the Roman Missal, consists of the prayers recited every day at Mass, as distinct from the Scripture readings and prayers that are proper to the day's feast.
Thus what the bishops are to vote on in June are new versions of the prayers that Mass goers are most familiar with because they hear or say them so regularly.
Within the Order of Mass are some prayers for which there are a limited number of alternatives, such as the forms of the penitential rite, the four different Eucharistic prayers or the various acclamations following the consecration.
The text the bishops are to vote on in June does not include the prefaces, solemn blessings, prayers over the people or elements found in the appendix that also form part of the Order of Mass.
The International Commission on English in the Liturgy, which prepared the text to be voted on, is still consulting with English-speaking bishops' conferences around the world on the translation of the prefaces and other elements and does not have a final version of them yet.
Churchgoers will have to learn a different version of the Gloria when the new texts are put into use because part of the current prayer in English does not follow the structure of the Latin version.
In the Nicene Creed, where the current version refers to Christ as "one in being with the Father," the new ICEL translation says, "consubstantial with the Father." In the documentation sent to the bishops before the meeting, however, the Committee on the Liturgy has recommended keeping the "one in being" translation in the United States.
The new ICEL text for the people's prayer before Communion says, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed."
The committee proposed that the bishops seek to keep the current shorter version of the beginning of that prayer, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you." The committee did not, however, propose a change from the ICEL translation at the end, where the people currently pray, "but only say the word and I shall be healed."
The bishops will also vote on several American adaptations in the Order of
Mass, such as adding the acclamation, used in the United States since 1970 but
not found in the Roman Missal in Latin, "Christ has died, Christ is risen,
Christ will come again."
4. CLC-DMC - See Marriage Vote Action Alert - June 9, 2006
"I haven't had a single person come up to me to talk about it. It certainly isn't in line with the five priorities that we're set out." Peter MacKay, quoted in the Kitchener Waterloo Record recently. Other MP's have been quoted as not receiving any letters, emails, etc on the subject. Here in NS, Gerald Keddy, Bill Casey and Peter McKay, could this be a CPC Strategy?
When marriage, family and children are devalued in any society it seems, that society is in decay and once that society accepts homosexuality as a norm, then it is in extreme decay. One only has to review the works of Pitrim Sorokin, J.D.Udwin and others.
Marriage has been the time-tested arrangement that has fostered generations and given stability to countries.
The USSR, France, Australia have opted against recognizing homosexual marriage, and 20 USA, States have placed in their constitutions laws to protect marriage as between one man and one woman.
Please take the time to visit your MP, E-Mail, Fax or phone and the time to do it is now this summer.
Herm Wills, Campaign Life Coalition NS
PS. Campaign Life Coalition is a partner in the Defend Marriage Coalition.
Note from Jim C.
Hi Herm,
This is a neat tool that can help you contact your
MP. If people want to write letters by e-mail to ALL the MPs at once, with each
one appearing to be a unique one, they can use this wonderful site: http://www.friendsoffreedom.org/action.php?op=ActionLetterBlank
5. Demand Soars for 'Morning-After Pill' - Fri, 19 May 2006
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=a846c7d0-695a-43e9-bc61-bbb6805bfe5d
Demand doubles for morning-after pill. Health care costs down as drug more accessible: research
Tom Blackwell, National Post - Friday, May 19, 2006
Demand for the morning-after pill has doubled in the year since the drug was made available in Canada without a prescription, sales figures indicate.
Shipments of Plan B - designed to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex - soared after the Federal government ruled the product could be purchased directly from a pharmacist, without a doctor's approval, says the IMS Health research firm. And there is evidence that easier availability of the pill is leading to significant savings for the health care system, says a University of British Columbia scientist studying the drug's use. "Reduced costs for abortion, for physician visits... It's substantial," said Dr. Judith Soon of the UBC's faculty of pharmacy sciences. She did not provide specific details of the cost savings because her study has not yet been published.
Dr. Soon said she is now looking at whether broader use of emergency contraceptives in B.C. has led to a decrease in the abortion rate in the province.
Anti-abortion crusaders, however, say they are appalled by the boom in Plan B sales. They insist it aborts pregnancy, contradicting scientists who agree the drug blocks conception, and is not an abortion pill.
Sexual-health advocates complain, meanwhile, that some pharmacies will not dispense the pills, while others ask personal questions that critics argue are often unnecessary.
Melanie Thomas, a 24-year-old graduate student at the University of Calgary, said the campus drugstore refused to sell the pills to her for possible emergency use, suggesting she go on regular birth control. "That was startling, to say the least," she said. "The attitude was paternalistic."
The morning-after pill, sold under the brand name Plan B for $35 to $50 a treatment, is an enhanced dose of the hormone progestin, used in some regular birth-control medication. Dispensed as two separate tablets, it prevents pregnancy 89% of the time if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
Health Canada decided in March of last year that it could be bought over the counter from pharmacists to ensure women get their pills in time. Although European nations, as well as British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan, had already taken a similar stance, it remains a controversial issue in some jurisdictions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, ignoring staff recommendations, ruled last year that a prescription would still be necessary in the United States.
In Canada, the manufacturer, Duramed Pharmaceuticals, supplied 23,000 morning-after pills to retail pharmacies in January, 2005, and 20,000 in February. The numbers climbed steadily after the rule change in March, averaging 41,000 a month in the past year, according to IMS.
That translated into wholesale sales of $4.1-million in the 12 months after the new policy came into force, twice the sum for 2004.
The figures are good news to Kelli Dilworth of the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, formerly called Planned Parenthood Canada. "This is such an important issue for women in Canada," she said. "Emergency contraception is safe and effective and so important to women's health and autonomy."
But there have been reports of pharmacists in rural areas refusing to sell the pills on principle, forcing women to travel long distances, Ms. Dilworth said.
Controversy has also swirled around some pharmacists who ask questions about the type of contraception the customer uses, how recently they had sex and even their names. Pharmacists argue, with the support of privacy commissioners in some provinces, that they need such information to ensure the pill is appropriate for the particular woman.
While the hope is that wider use of the morning-after pill will cut back on Canada's abortion rate, national statistics to measure any such effect will not be available for a year or more.
The Morgentaler Clinic in Toronto has not seen a reduction in demand for its services since Plan B was made available over the counter, said Sharon Broughton, the clinic manager.
Depending on where a woman is in her menstrual cycle, the drug keeps the egg from leaving the ovary, prevents the egg from meeting the sperm or blocks a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. Even the U.S. Health and Human Services Department states unequivocally that it is not an abortion pill.
But Canada's largest pro-life group maintains that Plan B is morally offensive. Mary-Ellen Douglas, a spokeswoman for the Campaign Life Coalition, argues that the uniting of the egg and sperm represents conception, and the drug destroys the "newly conceived baby."
As well, women are being exposed to potential side effects, which can include nausea and vomiting, without seeing a doctor first, she warned.
tblackwell@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2006
6. Drug 'Reverses' Vegetative State; Terri Schindler Schiavo's Family Comments
The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Health Care Ethics Calls For a Moratorium of Ordinary Care Removal From Persons Diagnosed in a Persistent Vegetative State
ST. PETERSBURG, Florida, May 24 /Christian Newswire/ - Following reports that the drug Zolpidem can temporarily revive people in a permanent vegetative state (PVS) to the point where they are able to speak, The Foundation is calling for a moratorium of all potential ordinary care removal for persons diagnosed in a PVS condition.
Zolpidem is usually used to treat insomnia. However, South African researchers,
writing in the Neuro Rehabilitation, looked at the effects on three patients
of using the drug for up to six years.
They reported that "All patients were aroused transiently every morning
after Zolpidem."
Their conclusion was that Zolpidem appeared to be effective in restoring some
brain function to patients previously determined to be in a persistent vegetative
state.
Terri's family pleaded for years with Terri's guardian, Michael Schiavo, and
the courts to try and use different treatments or medicines that could possibly
help improve Terri's condition, but were denied. The Foundation has been contacted
by dozens of families with similar stories of patients improving significantly
after being wrongly diagnosed in this PVS condition.
In December 2000, Patricia White Bull, after given the drug Amantadine (used
to stimulate people with Parkinson's disease and brain damage) awoke after 16
years of being in what doctors were calling a persistent vegetative state. Sadly,
we will never know if any of any of these drugs or treatments that were available
would have improved Terri's condition.
This recent finding and other studies in the past demonstrate the dangers of
this subjective and often incorrect diagnosis. A report released by the British
Medical Journal in 1996, found that 43% of the diagnosed cases of PVS they studied
were, in fact, misdiagnosed.
"We at the Foundation are seeing that the PVS diagnosis is being commonly
misdiagnosed. Consequently, it has become very obvious we don't know enough
about this so-called diagnosis, and common sense dictates that the removal of
food and water based on this misclassification must end until further studies
can be conducted." Robert Schindler, Sr.
About the Schindler Family: Mary and Robert Schindler as well as Suzanne Schindler
Vitadamo and Bobby Schindler now work for The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation
Center for Health Care Ethics in St. Petersburg, Florida, an organization dedicated
to ensuring the rights of disabled, elderly and vulnerable citizens against
care rationing, euthanasia and medical killing.
To: National Desk - Contact: Bobby Schindler,
The Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation Center for Health Care Ethics, Inc.,
727-490-7603, info@terrisfight.org
7. In The U.K., Aborting A Baby Is Legal, But Depicting It Is A Crime, By Steven W. Mosher - May 30, 2006
The persecution of pro-lifers in the U.K. is intensifying. Peaceful pro-life activist Edward Atkinson is going to jail for having sent a picture of an aborted baby to a hospital administrator. He was charged with - if you can believe it - sending "offensive materials" through the mails.
PRI Weekly Briefing
30 May 2006
Vol. 8 / No. 20
Our cousins in Great Britain, from whom we inherited a language, a political
culture and, most specifically, the principle of freedom of speech, are going
off the deep end, to judge from the jailing of Edward Atkinson.
Here's the background. Last year, the U.K. was rocked by a high-profile abortion
case. This was because the demise of "Baby A," as she became known,
was photographed and videotaped. This evidence of her brutal end was widely
distributed in the U.K.
The abortion took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, Norfolk,
not far from where Mr. Atkinson lives. This veteran pro-life campaigner decided
to educate the Hospital's chief executive, Ruth May, in the horrors of such
events. He sent copies of the photographs and other literature to Ms. May.
Upon receiving the pictures, Ruth May complained to the authorities. The Director
of Public Prosecutions, as district attorneys are known in the U.K., promptly
ordered his arrest on the charge of "sending offensive materials through
the mails." The policy then dragged the 75-year-old Catholic, who is nearly
crippled with arthritis, from his home and held him in prison until his court
date.
In court, the hospital staff recounted how the photographs had upset their delicate
sensibilities. Ruth May's secretary, Christine Rogers, said she was "upset"
when she opened the letter from Atkinson containing a picture of Baby A. The
hospital's "Complaints and litigation manager," Karl Perryman, said
that as a father of two daughters he had been quite disturbed" by the images
he had been shown. Ms. May herself opined that "It is upsetting for everyone."
She went on to say that "I believe people who work for the National Health
Service, and particularly at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, are passionate about
providing excellent care for their patients."
All except for those they abort, of course. In that case their "passion"
is reserved for those who have the courage to remind them of what they are doing
to tiny babies. Such pricks to their (perhaps guilty) consciences make them
"upset" and "disturbed."
Atkinson himself said that he had sent the images "to educate," adding,
"I accept that the documentation was highly distressing. It's horrendous,
monstrous and sickening but it represents the truth of what is going on in our
world. Everyone in this courtroom knows that abortion is murder and no one has
the guts to say it."
On the basis of the hospital staff's testimony, Mr. Atkinson was convicted and
ordered to serve a month in jail. In sentencing Mr. Atkinson, District Judge
Phillip Brown said "It is clear that you intended to shock and I am certain
that your purpose was to cause distress and anxiety."
Somebody ought to tell the BBC, which specializes in broadcasting shocking footage
from Iraq intended to cause distress and anxiety among the British public over
the British troop deployments there, that these are now punishable offenses
in once jolly olde England.
Mr. Atkinson was also fined 500 English pounds in court costs to be deducted
directly from his pension and given a five-year anti-social behaviour order.
Judge Brown warned that disobeying the order would result in five years in jail.
In that case, the stalwart Mr. Atkinson replied, "you may as well lock
me up and throw away the key."
He has been punished in other ways as well. The Norfolk hospital boss, Ms. May,
struck him off the waiting list for a hip replacement, and now formally denies
him all medical treatment save for life-threatening illnesses.
All this for having exercised his right to freedom of speech on behalf of the
voiceless unborn.
I have some advice for our English cousins, at least those of the pro-life variety:
someone ought to organize a postcard campaign directed at the offended hospital
staff - whose hospital apparently continues to authorize abortions, by the way.
Let them complain to the police about the thousands, if not tens of thousands
of postcards that they are receiving.
Ms. Ruth May
Chief Executive
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Gayton Road, Kings Lynn
Norfolk, England
PE30 4ET
Now is the time to stand with Mr. Atkinson. They can't arrest you all.
Steven W. Mosher is President of the Population Research Institute.
PRI
P.O. Box 1559
Front Royal, Va. 22630
USA
Phone: (540) 622-5240 Fax: (540) 622-2728
E-mail: jad@pop.org
Media Contact: Joseph A. D'Agostino
(540) 622-5240, ext. 204
Website: www.pop.org
(c) 2006 Population Research Institute. Permission to reprint granted. Redistribute
widely. Credit required.
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to PRI, please go to http://pop.org/donate.cfm.
All donations (of any size) are welcomed and appreciated.
To subscribe to the Weekly Briefing, go to: http://pop.org/subscribe-weekly.cfm
or e-mail us at pri@pop.org and say
"Add me to your Weekly Briefing."
The pro-life Population Research Institute is dedicated to ending human rights
abuses committed in the name of "family planning," and to ending counter-productive
social and economic paradigms premised on the myth of "overpopulation."
8. Lifeissues.net Newsletter #274 - May 28, 2006
Greetings From LifeIssues.net (www.lifeissues.net)
Dear Friends for Life,
A major study in the Province of Quebec, Canada, has just been published, showing that unmarried couples have disadvantaged babies. The study was done by an impressive set of sponsors, including the Federal Statistics Bureau of the Government, McGill University, the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System and was funded by Health Canada. It compared babies born to unmarried couples to those born to married couples and found over an eight year period that the unmarried unions were fourteen percent more likely to give birth prematurely, eighteen percent more likely to be born small for stated age and twenty one percent more likely to have low birth weight. These babies had a seven percent greater chance of dying within a month after birth compared to the married ones and a twenty three percent greater chance of dying within a year of birth. Overall the risks to the babies' health were about twenty percent greater if the mother was not married as compared to if she was married.
These figures are extremely significant because at present the ratio of unmarried couples compared to those married in Quebec is approximately 50-50.
Another study in Britain shows that abortion causes premature deliveries. According to an April report in the British Journal of OB-GYN, women with a history of induced abortion have a higher risk of delivering very prematurely in subsequence pregnancies as compared to women who have never had an abortion. After examining almost 2,000 very pre-term infants in France, (i.e. delivered before 33 weeks) women with one prior abortion had a 50% higher risk of delivering very pre-term. Those with previous abortions had increased risk because of premature rupture of the membranes, and unexplained spontaneous pre-term labor and bleeding unassociated with maternal hypertension. This association has long been known but this new research report adds further confirmation.
Finally, good news from Russia - Abortions Decline. The Russian Demographic Center has released the latest abortion figures in that country. It stated that in 1990 there were 206 abortions for every 100 live births. The number has dropped to 122 for every 100 births. We note that the overall population of Russia has been dropping by about 1 million a year, due to the low birthrate. While reporting in Russia is not as accurate as it is in many other western countries, nevertheless this is very encouraging.
God Bless, Fr. Jerry, omi
This week we ask for your prayers for Fr. Anthony Zimmerman who left us on May 19th. He was a dear friend, a great priest, an enthusiastic promoter of Humanae Vitae and NFP, and a zealous teacher who worked right up to the end of his life. Fr. Zimmerman WAS and IS and always WILL BE a gift to the Church, leaving behind his writings and his missionary zeal. He was truly an NFP giant and had a tremendous love for the Church. He will be missed.
Lifeissues.net NEWSLETTER #274 - May 28, 2006
Table Of Contents:
1. Natural Family Planning Works
2. British Doctors Advise Women With Down Syndrome Babies To Have Abortion
3. UN Report Flags Up India Drug Use
4. China Orders Nationwide Inspection Drug Factories
5. Australians Don't Support Gay Marriage: Howard
6. Scotland Abortions Reach All-Time High New Government Figures Show
7. Named And Shamed
8. Behind The Birth Dearth (Population)
9. What Is Chastity & How Can I Be Chaste?
10. Britons Put Work And Fun Before Babies
11. Children Missing Out On HIV Drugs
12. Internal Hospital Memo Provides Evidence Of Sex-Selective Abortion In Canada
"New" Articles Posted Recently at: http://www.lifeissues.net
- A.I.R.V.S.C.: http://www.lifeissues.net/writer.php?ID=air
- Anthony Zimmerman: http://www.lifeissues.net/writer.php?ID=zim
- John B. Shea: http://www.lifeissues.net/writer.php?writerID=195
- Al Carino: http://www.lifeissues.net/writer.php?ID=car
- Angela Lanfranchi: http://www.lifeissues.net/writer.php?ID=mis
- Hank Mattimore: http://www.lifeissues.net/writer.php?ID=mat
Website: The American Family Association: http://www.afa.net/. The AFA represents and stands for traditional family values, focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media - including pornography - on our society.
Item #1. Natural Family Planning Works
Natural Family Planning is most often associated with avoiding or delaying pregnancy.
But local advocates say it also has the potential to strengthen marriage by
opening the lines of communication between husband and wife.
LeeAnn Kinderwater, a teacher, trainer and coordinator of the Billings Method for the Prairie provinces, says "NFP is the way to go for strong marriages. It's shared responsibility, it has no side-effects and is completely reversible. It strengthens marriages because for a couple to plan or postpone a pregnancy, they need to communicate with one another constantly," she observed.
"When a couple is working together month by month, cycle by cycle, to postpone a pregnancy they are constantly reassessing: Do we want to have a baby this month? So they are open to life; they have a whole aspect of life completely open to them without any side effects," Kinderwater said from her Stettler home.
She said periodic abstinence, which is part of the NFP process, builds self-control within the couple. Mutual abstinence becomes an expression of love and respect and encourages couples to communicate more effectively with each other. Husbands become more attentive to their wives' disposition on a daily basis.
View full text at WCR: http://www.wcr.ab.ca/news/2006/0515/marriage-natural051506.shtml
Item #2. British Doctors Advise Women With Down
Syndrome Babies To Have Abortion
Most British doctors who are treating pregnant women with unborn children diagnosed
with Down syndrome are telling their patients to have abortions. However, one
woman who was told at 35 weeks of pregnancy to have a dangerous late-term abortion
chose life for her son and has no regrets about her decision.
Official figures show as many as 94 percent of women with babies with Down syndrome are having abortions.
The statistics show the number of abortions is also on the rise as more than 900 babies were aborted in 2004 while just 293 were killed before birth in 1989.
Women are also being told more frequently to have late-term abortions after the 24-week legal limit for most other abortions in Britain and 11 women had late-term abortions of Down syndrome babies last year alone.
View full text at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2292.html
Item #3. UN Report Flags Up India Drug Use
A new report has highlighted increasing concern over the rise in drug abuse
in northeastern India.
The prevalence of intravenous drug-taking has had a serious impact on the spread of HIV and Aids in the region, the report says.
It is also concerned by weak border controls with Burma which allow the easy trafficking of heroin into India.
The report was published by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Indian government.
India has long been recognized as a transit route for drug traffickers moving heroin from the opium producing areas of Afghanistan and Burma and on through India to the rest of the world.
Inevitably that has led to a rise in heroin addiction within India itself over the years.
But this new report highlights the growing concern over the abuse not just of opiates, but a range of pharmaceutical products.
View entire article at BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5010684.stm
Item #4. China Orders Nationwide Inspection Drug
Factories
China on Friday ordered safety inspections of all of its pharmaceutical factories
following five deaths blamed on a phony ingredient in a gallbladder drug, and
an official said it must improve regulatory supervision.
"Drug administrations should immediately launch comprehensive checks of raw materials purchased, management of materials and examination of finished products of pharmaceutical plants," the State Food and Drug Administration said in an order reported by the Xinhua News Agency.
China has hundreds of drug production lines run, by Chinese companies on their own or in joint ventures with foreign partners.
Also Friday, Premier Wen Jiabao sent officials to investigate the deaths caused by the gallbladder drug and promised that "anyone who broke the law will be punished," state television reported.
"We must further improve supervision and administration of drug production to ensure the safety of drugs and prevent such accidents from happening again," said an unidentified official of the drug agency quoted by Xinhua.
Read the complete article at The China Daily: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2006-05/20/content_595912.htm
Item #5. Australians Don't Support Gay Marriage: Howard
The Prime Minister John Howard has described people campaigning for gay marriage
as fundamentalists.
Mr. Howard says it is not discrimination to deny gay men and lesbians equal marriage status with heterosexual couples.
While facing student questions at a Dublin University in Ireland, Mr. Howard was challenged to defend what one student called his efforts to entrench homophobia in Australia.
Mr. Howard replied that his Government had remedied much of the financial discrimination, but said most Australians do not want gay couples to have equivalent status.
"I think it is a form of minority fundamentalism to say that you have to, in every aspect of one's institutions and one's arrangements in society, have technical equivalence," he said.
View full text at ABC News Online: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1644777.htm
Item #6. Scotland Abortions Reach All-Time High
New Government Figures Show
New government figures show that the number of abortions in Scotland are now
at an all-time high, which puts it at odds with the current trend of abortions
on the decline worldwide. Abortion was legalized there in 1967 and the new figures
show there were 12,603 abortions in 2005.
The new data comes from the NHS health board, which said Tayside and the Lothians had the highest abortion rates of any areas of Scotland. Argyll and Clyde, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles showed the lowest abortion figures.
According to a BBC report, the government health agency reported there were 142 more abortions last year than there were in 2004. Abortions on teens are on the rise as well.
The figures also showed that 3,304 abortions were done on girls under the age of 20 - 86 more than last year and 201 more than in 2003.
The BBC said the number of abortions done on teens under 16 also increased to a new record of 341 last year.
"It is disappointing that there has been a rise in abortions for girls under 16," Scotland's chief medical officer Dr. Harry Burns told the BBC.
View full article at LifeNews.com: http://www.lifenews.com/nat2300.html
Item #7. Named And Shamed
As accusations of scientific misconduct in China become rife, some fear persecution
reminiscent of that used in the Cultural Revolution. - by David Cyranoski
Chinese science risks being sliced up by a double-edged sword: rampant scientific misconduct on the one hand, and persecution based on false accusations on the other.
The lack of confidence in official mechanisms for properly investigating fraud has led to increased reliance on websites that challenge the records and publications of Chinese scientists. But many are concerned about the damage such untested allegations can cause; more than 100 Chinese scientists based in the United States have sent an open letter to the Chinese government, asking it to set up mechanisms to ensure that claims of scientific misconduct are investigated fairly.
China admits it faces a serious problem with scientific misconduct, including plagiarism, and the fabrication and falsification of data. The scale of the problem is unknown, but a recent spate of allegations has drawn attention to the issue.
In March, Hui Liu, the vice-dean of Tsinghua University medical school in Beijing, was fired, following claims that he had boosted his publication list with papers by another H. Liu (see Nature 440, 728; 2006). Liu has reportedly denied the charges and blamed the mix-up on a clerical error. In April, Sichuan University in Chengdu was criticized by the Chinese media for finding one of its professors innocent of fabricating a paper; the paper has been under attack since its publication in 2000. And two weeks ago, Jin Chen of Shanghai's Xi'an Jiaotong University, whose announcements of one of China's first digital signal-processing chips in 2003 stoked patriotic fervour, was condemned by his university for faking research and stealing designs from a foreign company.
In all three cases, a popular Chinese-language website known as New Threads (http://www.xys.org), which has a reputation for disclosing scientific fraud in China, played a key role in fuelling public outcry.
In the first two cases, postings of the accusations on New Threads led to the Chinese media picking up on the stories. And the website's owner, Shi-min Fang, a biochemist based in San Diego, California, claims he was the first to post the name of Chen's company which supposedly re-labelled foreign chips.
The power of the website to implicate scientists in the absence of adequate formal mechanisms of investigation has put it at the centre of concerns over claims of misconduct.
Xin-Yuan Fu, an immunologist at Indiana University in Indianapolis, says it was the Sichuan University case that drove him to write a letter to key science-policy officials, including China's science and technology minister and the head of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, asking them to take action. The letter struck a chord among his peers \ within five days of circulating it to other Chinese biologists based in the United States, Fu's letter had collected 120 signatures, including those of two researchers in China. "I was overwhelmed," says Fu.
After noting the need to expose all types of misconduct, the letter focuses on the problem of unfounded allegations, particularly those that attack scientific claims without giving evidence of faulty laboratory procedures. It ends by condemning the tendency to make "personal attacks anonymously in public... in the absence of proper investigation".
Fu says the Sichuan University incident is a case in point. Yuquan Wei, vice-president of the university, published a paper in Nature Medicine in 2000 detailing the use of foreign endothelial cells as a vaccine to prevent tumour growth. The paper claimed success in mice and suggested the technique could work in humans (Nature Med. 6, 1160-1166; 2000).
But Lusheng Si, an immuno-pathologist at Xi'an Jiaotong University who first came across the paper when reviewing a grant proposal by Wei in 2001, suspected that it contained fabricated data. On 26 March this year, after hearing that Wei was using the paper to request a further large grant, Si attacked the paper on New Threads.
The letter led to a media fury in China and an investigation by Wei's university. Sichuan concluded that Wei had committed no offence, and that the dispute over Wei's research was simply a run-of-the-mill academic disagreement. The media in China has continued to criticize Wei and Sichuan University, but many scientists think Si's attack was irresponsible and based on unsound interpretation of scientific concepts and procedures.
Si contends, for example, that the mouse immune system should respond to all proteins in foreign cells, whereas Wei's paper suggests that immunized mice selectively respond to a few antigens. "This violates a fundamental law of immunology," Si says.
But Lieping Chen, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, and a signatory to Fu's letter, disagrees with Si. Chen says that a selective immune response to one or a few foreign proteins is an aspect of well-known phenomenon known as immuno-dominance.
Si also questions the number of mice Wei used, estimating this to be around 40,000. "This is too big to believe," he says. Wei, backed by Chen, says Si has miscalculated the number, and that less than 5,000 mice were actually used.
But even those who defend Wei admit that his response hasn't helped. For example, Si claims that Wei has so far refused to release his raw data, which most agree would settle the issue. Wei told Nature, "I did not say I cannot release raw data for inspection", but he has not clarified whether he will make his data available. He has denied all misconduct.
The university's investigation into the matter has failed to convince many that the truth won out, mainly because it lacked transparency. "The recent self-investigation into alleged fraud at Sichuan University is a total joke," says Mu-ming Poo, a neurobiologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and head of the Institute of Neurosciences in Shanghai. Nature's request for details on the university procedure and an introduction to members of the investigation committee was referred to Wei; as Nature went to press he had not provided any information about the investigation.
Poo believes the incident is indicative of the fact that most Chinese universities lack the capacity to investigate one of their own. "The outcome is likely to be influenced by the university's own interests, such as protecting its reputation," he says.
Fu's letter, sent on 8 May, calls for greater involvement of higher-level funding bodies such as the science ministry, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
These institutions already have investigatory bodies. The CAS established its ethics committee in 1997 and drafted guidelines in 2001. The NSFC committee, established in 1998, says it investigated 445 allegations of misconduct in its first five years (out of an estimated 30,000 projects that it funded during that time). In the most severe cases, the committee indefinitely blocks perpetrators from applying for funds.
But many scientists feel these committees are ineffective, and a lack of confidence in their ability to settle matters is driving those with grievances to publish them on the Internet. For example, Si says he considered sending his complaint to the CAS or to the science ministry, but he was unable to find contact details for either. So he posted his accusation on New Threads instead. Nature's attempts to contact the committees of the CAS and the NSFC were also unsuccessful.
"It is the [effective] absence of such formal mechanisms that makes New Threads important," says Fu. But Fu, a human-rights advocate, is worried that the media frenzy following irresponsible web-based accusations, particularly by those who don't identify themselves, hearkens back to China's 'big letter' posters or 'dazibao'.
These wall-mounted handwritten posters were used to persecute those considered enemies of the government during the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s. "Anyone could write anything, and people would read it and assume it was right," says Chen. "It would be a terrible thing to go through again, in academia."
Fang, who has been widely praised since setting up his website in 2001 for exposing bad science and trying to raise the profile of research ethics in China, defends his postings. He says he only accepts about 10% of submitted letters, and that he only publishes allegations from correspondents who identify themselves to him. He adds that he does some preliminary investigation and sometimes asks outside experts for their opinions.
But several scientists have written to Nature to express concern over how powerful Fang's website has become, saying they are afraid to be named for fear of becoming his enemy.
Ideally, Fu says he would like to see China establish a new agency staffed by experts trained in scientific misconduct that could investigate claims of fraud, akin to the US Office of Research Integrity. That would certainly be necessary to resolve the case of Si versus Wei, says Nature Medicine's editor-in-chief Juan-Carlos Lopez. "There's been enough of this 'he said, she said' nonsense," says Lopez. "It's time for the competent authorities to get involved."
How likely that is to happen is unclear. Fu and his co-signatories have yet to receive any response from the Chinese authorities.
Source: Nature (subscription) Published online: 24 May 2006; | doi:10.1038/441392a
Fair Use Notice: This may contain copyrighted (ý ) material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available for educational purposes, to advance understanding of human rights, democracy, scientific, moral, ethical, and social justice issues, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 107 of the US Copyright Law. This material is distributed without profit.
Item #8. Behind The Birth Dearth
Russian President Vladimir Putin has inadvertently spotlighted one of today's
momentous mysteries: collapsing birthrates in industrialized countries. Putin
proposed that Russia pay women to have children to remedy a "critical"
population outlook. Actually, he might have said "desperate." In 2000
Russia's population totaled almost 147 million; Putin says it's declining by
700,000 a year. With plausible assumptions, the U.S. Census Bureau projects
it at 111 million in 2050. The median age (half the population above, half below)
would be almost 50, up from 38 now. Could this Russia maintain a strong economy,
national optimism or a capable military?
Russia's case, though extreme, isn't isolated. There's no more population "explosion." In wealthier countries, motherhood is going out of style and plunging birthrates portend population loss. This is a hugely significant development, even if we don't fully understand the causes - 30 years ago experts didn't predict it - or the consequences. One way or another, the side effects will be massive for economics, politics and people's well-being. Indeed, they may already have started. Is it a coincidence that Germany and Italy, two countries on the edge of population decline, are so troubled?
First, some facts. On average, women must have two children for a society to replace itself. The number of children per woman is called the "total fertility rate," or TFR. Here are the estimated 2005 TFRs for some major countries: Germany, 1.4; Greece, 1.3; Italy, 1.3; Japan, 1.4; Spain, 1.3; and Russia, 1.3.
View full text at washingtonpost.com: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/23/AR2006052301529.html
Item #9. What Is Chastity & How Can I Be Chaste?
Strongly rooted in Catholic tradition, Sex, Love and You promotes the value
of chastity and tell you how your life will be better if you refrain from sexual
activity until marriage.
View full text at CERC: http://catholiceducation.org/articles/sexuality/se0128.htm
Item #10. Britons Put Work And Fun Before Babies
Britain's low birthrate is being driven by a generation of potential parents
who would rather get rich and have fun than start a family, according to a Guardian/ICM
poll published today.
It also shows that while people still think it is best to have children while young, they are being forced to delay family life by career pressures and the growing difficulty of finding a partner.
The findings shed light on the changes in social attitudes behind a major demographic shift in countries across Europe. According to the Office of National Statistics, about 20% of British women reaching the end of their fertile life are childless, compared with 10% in the 1940s. In 2004 the UK fertility rate was 1.77 children per woman, considerably lower than the 1960s peak of 2.95 children, although up on the 1.63 record low in 2001.
Both men and women, according to the poll, believe it is more important for women to enjoy themselves than to have children - with 64% of men and 51% of women agreeing. A majority also thinks that doing well at work and earning money count for more than bringing up children. Just 36% of women believe that people put children ahead of their career.
View full text at The Guardian: http://society.guardian.co.uk/children/story/0,,1765568,00.html
Item #11. Children Missing Out On HIV Drugs
Only one HIV-positive child in 20 in developing countries receives the treatment
they need, a report by children's campaigners has found.
Coming together as the Global Movement for Children, they said the international community must urgently address the problem.
Group chairman Dean Hirsch, said the lack of treatment amounted to a death sentence for millions of children.
He warned most of HIV-positive children die before their fifth birthday.
The report has been compiled by Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children, Unicef, World Vision ENDA Tiers Monde, the Latin America and the Caribbean Network for Children.
It says too few drugs are available in formulations that are affordable and able to be administered to children, while the development of new drugs continues to focus mainly on adults.
More than 90% of children with HIV live in sub-Saharan Africa - they have the least access to treatment, the report said.
It continues the "profit-driven climate of drug development" means there is little incentive to develop child-specific formulations of anti-retroviral drugs for children, and that therefore child-appropriate treatment is "practically non-existent".
View full text at BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5016424.stm
Item #12. Internal Hospital Memo Provides Evidence
Of Sex-Selective Abortion In Canada
(LifeSiteNews.com) - Western Standard magazine, one of the few conservative
publications in Canada, has acquired an internal document from Women's Hospital
in Vancouver which shows that abortions are carried out at taxpayer expense
when the reason is merely that the parents are not satisfied with the sex of
the child. The cover story of the June issue of the magazine, which is arriving
in mailboxes this week and is set to hit newsstands next week, reports moreover
that similar to countries where sex-selective abortions are rampant, the birth
ratio in certain communities in Canada with large Indian and Chinese populations
is becoming increasingly skewed against girls.
The Western Standard's Andrea Mrozek and Sean Ollech have put together a piece of investigative journalism that is sure to rock the foundations of feminist ideology in Canada.
The memo indicates that a clinic at the hospital held a presentation on February 9 dealing with sex selection, providing a rationale for acceptance of the practice. The one example offered was the case of "Mary" who already has four boys and wants a girl. The memo states, "during her routine 18 week ultrasound was told she is carrying another boy. She would like to terminate the pregnancy and try one more time for a girl."
Western Standard also quotes a doctor who while in medical school was the student of abortionist Vancouver abortionist Garson Romalis, who says that Romalis admitted to performing sex selective abortions.
Joyce Arthur one of Canada's most vociferous pro-abortion activists supports abortion regardless of the reason. A position paper on sex selective abortion by Arthur's Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada states "Being pro-choice means supporting a woman's right to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy for whatever reason, even if one personally does not agree with her reason."
In her article, Mrozek points out that while hard-core pro-abortion activists such as Romalis and Arthur may harbour no breach in the pro-abortion phalanx, the Canadian public is overwhelmingly opposed to sex selective abortion. She notes that the new law on Assisted Reproduction forbids - with large penalties - sex selection to be used for in vitro fertilization or similar artificial procreation procedures, except in the case of sex-linked disorders.
"Once the resultant fetus is a few weeks old, however, sex selection becomes entirely legal and the couple is free to abort if it doesn't like the gender," adds Mrozek.
For more information on the Western Standard or to subscribe to their magazine visit: http://www.westernstandard.ca
Action:
1. Pray that all may have the courage to be God's presence
in society and support those who have been deemed "unworthy of life".
2. Stay informed at Lifeissues.net website: http://www.lifeissues.net.
3. Consider participating with a small financial donation
to help cut office expenses. Thank you: Donation may be sent directly to: Fr.
Jerry Novotny OMI, LifeIssues.net, Editor, Akebono-cho 1-15-9, Kochi City, Japan,
780-8072.
4. All past issues of LifeIssues.net Newsletter available online. Click here:
http://lifeissues.net/newsletters/mojo.cgi?flavor=archive&list=lifenews&start=0.
(These newsletters are an extension of the Website.)
Contact Editor:
Jerry Novotny OMI, Akebono-cho 1-15-9, Kochi City, Japan, 780-8072
Tel/Fax: 088-843-0406
E-Mail: jerry@lifeissues.net
Websites by Editor:
English site: http://www.lifeissues.net,
Japanese site: http://www.japan-lifeissues.net,
OMI site: http://www.omijapankorea.net/index.html
9. Marriage Vote Action Alert - June 6, 2006
I heard an MP today tell me he received no emails or faxes or anything on terrorism today, but he got about 300 emails on marriage, all telling him to leave it alone and not revisit the issue. The SSM forces are mobilized. Are we going to be running just to catch up again? - Tim B.
Prime Minister Harper has confirmed that Parliament will be asked to deal with
the marriage definition and the impact of Bill C 38 "same-sex" marriage
in the fall 2006 session. A free vote will be held, asking MPs if they want
to re-visit this issue.
Some MPs are already using the excuse that they have not heard any complaints
from constituents about the marriage issue, which must mean that nobody cares
and it should be left alone. Other MPs are saying they are getting many emails
asking them to leave the marriage issue alone. If that is true, then it seems
the advocates for homosexual marriage are active and vocal. We know that last
time the issue was raised, some MPs received thousands of emails - many from
people who were not their constituents and many from people living in other
nations, lobbying in favour of homosexual marriage. In all likelihood, this
is what is happening again. It proves how e-mail communication can be abused
by some activists.
Now is the time for advocates of the one-man one-woman definition of marriage
to let their voice be heard. Summer is an excellent time to visit your MP, since
they are in their home constituencies. I encourage you to make an appointment,
keep them busy over the summer, go in pairs if necessary, and let YOUR
VOICE be heard on marriage. Please be respectful and polite whenever
communicating with your MP, and clearly and concisely state your views. This
one call to action is perhaps all you need
to do this summer.
Let us not allow anti-family MPs to create excuses for voting against revisiting
the marriage issue.
However, even if Parliament votes against revisiting the marriage issues -
the marriage issue is NOT dead. There will be another Parliament and another
time. And until the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman
is restored to its proper significance and honour, we will not give up the battle.
The results of how Parliament deals with the marriage issue this fall will also
influence future nomination meetings, and the next election.
CFAC's Call to Action - A,
B, C
A) Call your MP and request
a meeting. To obtain MP contact information, visit www.familyaction.org
click - YOUR MP. MPs of every party must allow their constituents to meet
with them. Your MP must be held accountable for representing the position of
his/her constituents, not that of their party, their leader, nor their conscience.
If an MP is anti-marriage and anti-family, one might question what kind of conscience
they have. Your MP must be committed to finding out what the constituents want,
and represent the constituents. A visit is worth more than e-mails.
CFAC is also calling for a full and comprehensive investigation/study into the impact that changing the legal definition of marriage is having on children, taxation, education and even health care issues. Please ask your MP to call for a study on this matter in preparation for new future legislation. A French white paper has very revealing evidence that was recommended to the French government http://familyaction.org/Articles/issues/family/marriage/marriage-for-childrens- sake.htm
B) Email your own MP. E-mails may serve limited purpose as a result of the abuse in the last round of the marriage debate, but email your MP anyway. Ensure you note that you live in their riding and you do vote, and your vote in the next election will be influenced by how the MP votes on marriage.
C) Ask others in your riding
to take these actions also. Many Canadians are very concerned about
the negative impacts that same sex "marriage" has already had on the
social structure, health care and benefits, children, and public education.
Inform them and ask them to let their position be known to their MP.
We know summer should be a time of enjoyment, and I hope you get some rest and
enjoy time with family and friends. But please keep in mind the crucial importance
of the institution of marriage and its impact on our culture. The social and
national legacy we leave to our children and future generations will in part
depend on what this generation of voters does to preserve traditional marriage.
Please - take a few minutes this summer to invest into Building
the Future for Canada.
Dr. Brian Rushfeldt, Executive Director
Canada Family Action Coalition
Leading citizen action making a difference
P.S. a new high quality bumper sticker is now available at $5. Order via phone
or mail with payment. Look at www.familyaction.org
- see what is new.
10. PM Adviser Sees 'Have Nots' As The New 'Haves' In Court System - By Tonda MacCharles
The Toronto Star - May 13, 2006
Most Canadians probably don't know or don't care about Ian Brodie's view of the country's top court. He is not an MP. He is a political scientist, a tenured one at that. But his opinions are far from academic. In fact, they may warrant more attention than any of the musings of MP Maurice Vellacott or others seen as on the fringe of this new Conservative party. Because Ian Brodie is right at the centre. He is on leave from academia, and is chief of staff and top adviser to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
In writings before he took leave from the University of Western Ontario - he organized the Draft Harper campaign to replace Stockwell Day as Canadian Alliance leader - Brodie showed he is a tough-minded observer not just of the Supreme Court of Canada, but also of the way "traditionally disadvantaged groups - official language minorities, feminists and homosexual rights advocates" - have gotten their way when they appear before it. In a 2003 paper, Brodie wrote with Ted Morton that those "have-nots" are the new "haves" in Canadian society. The two argue that official language minorities, feminist groups and gay rights activists are the ones who acquired the money (courtesy of federal funding) and the political clout to advance their cause. And they say central governments, from Pierre Trudeau on, helped the courts become political actors when it furthered their own political prospects.
Sound familiar? It's not put as indelicately as Harper did when he said Liberal governments pushed gay marriage rights "through back channels" by appointing judges to do it for them. Brodie doesn't say the courts are stacked. But he argues the odds are. And those odds don't favour socially conservative groups or those who dispute liberal interpretations of rights in the Constitution, and its Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
It is a view shared by other political scientists and law professors who think judges go too far, are too "activist" in drawing on principles underlying the law that are not explicitly written in legislation, and using those unwritten principles to overturn or invalidate democratically enacted laws. It is a view popular among the "Calgary School" of conservative academics who mentored Brodie and Harper at the University of Calgary. (It is, however, a view disputed by many who argue that Charter rights litigants are losing far more challenges to government legislation than they win.)
But it's a view Brodie has developed in several publications. In Political Dispute and Judicial Review, a 2000 compendium of essays, Brodie writes that before Trudeau gave the Supreme Court more control over its docket, appointed reform-minded law deans to the bench, and brought in the Charter, "Canadian Supreme Court judges did not think of their role as 'creative.' They did not make new law. They thus avoided having to decide whether government policies were advisable, since they could accept the law as it was established by legislatures or other courts." In the Canadian Journal of Political Science in 2001, Brodie argued Trudeau consciously set about enlisting the courts as allies in his fight to institute bilingualism at a provincial level. In a piece for the Fraser Forum in 2002, Brodie wrote "Pro-life and traditional family groups ... have been consistently denied (federal) funds" to take their arguments before the Supreme Court, calling it "strange" and "unfair."
Now that Brodie is in a position of power, will his theory - about how central governments use the courts or federal funding to advance a political agenda - be put into practice, in this case to advance a conservative one? Brodie declined a request for an interview for this article.
No surprise after last week's furor over the views expressed by Vellacott.
On the political left, Vellacott's comments re-awakened suspicions that the
Conservative government has its sights on eroding the independence of what it
sees as a too-activist, too-liberal judiciary. Vellacott denounced the "God-like
powers" judges take upon themselves, attributing the description to Chief
Justice Beverley McLachlin - wrongly, as it turned out. He called for "judicial
restraint." The federal Liberal party says there's a trend. "The Prime
Minister himself has expressed similar disdain for the Supreme Court,"
MP Anita Neville said in a news release. But in an interview with the Star's
Bruce Campion-Smith yesterday, Harper denied having an agenda for the role of
the courts beyond the recent introduction of parliamentary scrutiny for judicial
appointments.
11. Pro-Life Boot Camp Equips Teens and Young Adults for Activism
LOS ANGELES, May 26 /Christian Newswire/ - Soon young people from across the
nation will travel to Southern California for what is best described as the
Pro-Life Boot Camp. Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust, a pro-life youth organization,
will hold their 9th annual Leadership Training Camp, featured in such magazines
as Jane and Teen People. This high-energy, ten day camp beginning June 26th
is for high school and college age young people who want to be trained to be
effective and courageous in their pro-life efforts.
"I have always felt that abortion is wrong," says 14- year-old Angelique
Guaraneri, who will be attending the camp for the second time this year. "But
until I attended the camp last year, I didn't feel like I could articulate why."
"Survivors have helped me to see that my age is not an obstacle to my
voice being heard on critical issues such as abortion. Instead I feel that my
age is an asset. Who better to speak about abortion than someone who had a 1
in 3 chance of being a victim themselves? Because of Survivors Camp, I now feel
confident enough to speak to anyone about this controversial issue. Whether
it's to a professor at Harvard or a passerby on the street, the truth about
abortion remains the same and I am ready to share it with them."
The Survivors utilize the first few days of camp to equip themselves with the
tools they will need for effective activism. Students complete basic and advanced
training from nationally recognized pro-life advocates, engaging in challenging
seminars and skill- building exercises.
The extensive training includes learning the basics of the scientific issues
behind the question of when life begins, how to speak to women who find themselves
in a crisis pregnancy, using the media to get out your message, planning and
executing a successful activist event, and knowing your rights in the public
square.
James Conrad, a Survivor veteran and current camp leader, speaks about its
unique purpose, "Survivors camp is not your average nature hike, water
balloon games, hotdogs and fireside songs camp experience. The purpose is to
take 50 young people and give them the training and tools needed to go back
to their communities and take an active stand against the worst evil of our
day, the slaughter of innocent children through abortion."
The second part of the camp is the hands-on portion of the learning experience.
With the encouragement of experienced advisors, the Survivors are placed in
leadership positions at camp activism events. All Survivors are given opportunities
to practice their skills, whether as event leader or media spokesperson. The
goal is to prepare the Survivors for their own events and activities back at
home.
"We believe that it is not enough to know that abortion is wrong, but
we are called to expose the horrific truth to the world," said Cheryl Conrad,
Director of Survivors. "The Survivors ministry was founded to educate and
equip young people who have a heart for the pre-born and are willing to be used
by God to defend those unjustly sentenced to death."
Christian
Newswire & Forward
this press release to another reporter or news producer.
To: National Desk
Contact: Arianna Grumbine, Public Relations Coordinator for Survivors of the
Abortion Holocaust, 909-744-7283, arianna@survivors.la
Survivors
of the Abortion Holocaust
12. The Pope's Warning - By Roy Clancy, Calgary Sun - May 24, 2006
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Clancy_Roy/2006/05/24/1594675.html
The Calgary Sun - May 24, 2006 - By Roy Clancy
Some Canadians' noses are out of joint after Pope Benedict had the audacity to criticize our nation in front of the world.
The pontiff's beef?
Our low birthrate, which Benedict attributes to the absence of religion in our lives. His words have been met so far with little more than a chorus of grumbles and cries to "mind your own business."
The Pope blames our woes on our "secular" status, which simply means Canada's population is turning away from organized religion.
How far? Just look at the reaction to Prime Minister Stephen Harper closing a speech with the words: "God bless Canada."
It's hard to believe that could offend anyone. After all, he's not beseeching any particular religion's god to bestow good fortune upon our country.
But, judging from the negative reaction these days to the words God, religion and church, you'd think he was uttering an obscenity.
According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians who practice no religion sat at about 19% in 2004, compared to 12% in 1985. Fair enough. We live in a free country, where no one is forced to believe anything they don't wish to believe. No one could argue against that.
The drawback is that organized religion once provided a foundation for our moral standards and a model for good behaviour. As its impact on our society wanes, it is replaced by an ambiguous set of rules.
Personal gratification moves toward the top of the list. The '60s slogan "if it feels good, do it," has become the mantra for an entire society. Many politicians, even if they hold deep religious convictions themselves, are reluctant to place themselves in the line of fire by suggesting a nation's success runs far deeper than the employment rate or income levels.
Fortunately, Pope Benedict is bound by no such constraints. In fact, stirring things up is part of his job description.
That's what he was doing when he urged Canada's Roman Catholic bishops to preach "with passion."
Like the man he claims as his Saviour, Benedict is obviously on a mission. He recently suggested a lack of true love was behind an increase in failed marriages and a decrease in birthrates across the developed world. It's a message our politically correct society might not want to hear, but it is one that bears closer scrutiny.
At first glance, our diminishing birthrate appears just another manifestation of modern life, which offers us choices and benefits unknown to previous generations.
The trouble is, if our birthrate continues to diminish, or even remains steady at close to record low levels, it will begin to threaten our nation's survival.
Even immigration isn't filling the void - despite the fact we welcome more newcomers than just about any nation.
The foundation of our society will crumble around us without enough fresh blood to replenish our population.
It's interesting so much debate is devoted to the potential impact of global warming, while this more fundamental threat goes virtually ignored. The mainstream argument runs that everyone is free - there's that word again - to make their own choices about parenthood.
The larger question is why our society as a whole has come to place so little value on children when they mean so much to the continuation of our nation's viability.
It's not simply a matter of making it easier for parents to afford the cost of raising children - even though that would be a good start. Benedict and other religious leaders can only try to change our society's attitude that places a higher value on luxury cars, estate homes and sun destination vacations than on a noisy house full of energetic, laughing children.
If they don't succeed, the eventual economic repercussions may do the job for them.
New figures by Statistics Canada project there'll be more seniors over age 65 than children under 15 by 2015. By 2031, the number of seniors could be double the number of children.
When that happens, who'll take up the jobs needed to keep our economy going to support this mob of oldsters?
Where will the health-care providers come from needed to keep these masses of seniors healthy and happy?
Sadly, perhaps that's what it will take for our self-centered, cynical society
to finally heed the true significance of Benedict's warning.
13. United Mothers, Fathers & Friends Newsletter - June 2, 2006
PLEASE PRINT or FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER ALONG TO OTHERS
I) Universal Child Care Benefit
II) How Does It Differ from the $5 Billion Liberal Plan?
III) 1 Click Action Item: Pro-Family Legislation
IV) Recent Research on Daycare and Parental Preferences in Care Giving
V) Kid's First Parent's Association of Canada
VI) Correction: New Brunswick Right to Life President
"Strong families ensure a bright future for Canada. The most important
investment we can make as a country is to help families raise their children."
- Speech from the Throne April 4, 2006 -
(http://www.parl.gc.ca/39/1/parlbus/chambus/house/debates/002_2006-04-04/HAN002-E.htm#SOB-1498346)
I) Universal Child Care Benefit
Dear friends,
What a refreshing change!
The federal government is starting to remember that its role is to support and strengthen the family, not replace it.
After years of increasing governmental usurpation of parents' rights to determine the best interests of their child, moms and dads are being given not only a pat on the back for their efforts, but a modestly padded pay cheque as well.
On May 10, just in time for Mothers and Fathers Day, the federal government's budget passed allowing the Conservatives to deliver on their campaign promise to help fund parental choice in child care. Under the plan parents will receive $100 per month, per child under age 6 ($1,200/year, taxable) to help defray the cost of care giving.
It is not intended to be a national daycare program, but rather a help to all parents, not just those who use daycare.
$2.1 Billion per year has been allocated for the program which will directly support 1.5 million families and more than 2 million children.
(Read the Federal budget summary here: http://www.fin.gc.ca/budget06/pamph/pahelpe.htm)
In addition, beginning in 2007-2008, the budget will set aside $250 million per year in tax credits for businesses and non-profit groups to create 125,000 new child care spaces within the next five years.
Send your 1 click letter in support of "Parental Choice in Childcare"
http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/index.php?affid=216
II) How Does It Differ from the $5 Billion Liberal
Plan?
In the 1993, 1997, 2000, and 2004 federal elections the Liberals promised to
implement a national daycare plan.
They never did.
Just prior to falling from power, they arranged for a money transfer to the provinces. It was not a "national day care program."
In a series of one-on-one deals with the provinces, the Liberals promised to transfer $5 billion over 5 years to the provinces for daycare related programs. (In Quebec there was no guarantee that any of the money would actually be spent on daycare.)
Unlike the Liberal plan, the Universal Child Care Benefit requires no federal-provincial negotiations, provides no funding for academics, researchers or special interest groups, and cuts out the bureaucratic middleman. (An additional $100 million was allocated in the 2005 budget for daycare research and accountability. For a list or daycare lobby groups receiving government funding see "Tax Funded Lobby" Item 7: http://kidsfirstcanada.org/condensed-links.pdf)
This new program provides tax incentives to businesses and non-profit groups to create new daycare spaces and gives the child care subsidy directly to parents to defray their care giving costs, irregardless of whether that choice is daycare, neighbourhood child care, relative care, or helping one parent stay home with the children.
United Mothers, Fathers and Friends recognizes, honours and celebrates the quintessential role of mothers and fathers in nurturing their children.
We delight that this legislation recognizes the many full-time homemakers who up until now have not been recognized by the government for their profound contribution to childcare.
We know they aren't going to blow it on "beer and popcorn."
(http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2005/12/11/daycare051211.html)
III) 1 CLICK ACTION ITEM:
When was the last time you recall the federal government passing pro-family
legislation?
Politicians respond well to gratitude.
If we want to see more legislation supportive of parental rights, we had better let them know we appreciate it!
Take 5 Minutes to send a short personal note to your MP, the finance minister and the prime minister thanking them for supporting parental choice in childcare.
Send your support for "Parental Choice in Childcare" by using our special 1 Click advocacy tool: http://www.1clicklobbyist.ca/index.php?affid=216
All it takes is 5 minutes to make a difference!
IV) Recent Research on Daycare and Parental Preferences
in Care Giving from Statistics Canada and the Vanier Institute of the Family
What's the most popular form of childcare? Parents!
· 46.4% of Canadian children between 6 months and 5 years are cared
for by a parent in the home.
Of the remaining 53.6%, what form of childcare are they receiving?
· 33.9% someone else's home by a non-relative
· 31.5% cared for by a relative (17.1% Someone else's home by a relative;
14.4% Child's home by a relative.)
· 25.0% Daycare Centre *
· 09.5% Child's home by a non-relative
(*Thus, in Canada less than 15 % of children between 6 months and 5 years are in institutional daycare - the only group that would benefit under the defeated Liberal government's five year, $5-billion daycare promise.) http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/050207/d050207b.htm
· Vanier Institute of The Family indicates that 90 percent of Canadians rank daycare centres as their fifth choice in child-care options. (From most to least popular were: parent, grandparent, another relative, home daycare, dayc! are centre, friends, and lastly a sitter.) http://www.vifamily.ca/newsroom/press_feb_10_05_c.html#endnote
· Quebec's $7 per day childcare costs taxpayers 1.5 billion annually.
(National Post March 22,2006)
(Quebec parents pay $7/day, the province pays $47.50 more, thus the actual
cost is $54.50 per day. Annual Cost of childcare in Quebec is $14,224 per
child ($12, 397 province & Parent $1,827.)
· given those figures for Quebec, it has been estimated that a national
daycare program could cost Canadian taxpayers $10 billion per year. http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Goldstein_Lorrie/2006/04/09/1526404.html
· 90% of Canadians feel that, in two-parent situations, ideally, one
parent! should stay home and take primary responsibility for raising pre-schoolers.
http://www.vifamily.ca/newsroom/press_feb_10_05_c.html#endnote
V) Kid's First Parent's Association of Canada
www.kidsfirstcanada.org
Special Report by Helen Ward, President of Kid's First: "DAYCARE FACT & FICTION, IDEOLOGY & AGENDAS"
Full report: http://www.kidsfirstcanada.org/daycarerecommendations.pdf
3 Page Summary of Report: http://kidsfirstcanada.org/condensed-links.pdf
VI) Correction New Brunswick Right to Life President
In our previous newsletter, Peter Ryan was incorrectly identified as the President
of New Brunswick Right to Life. He is in fact the Executive Director.
Mrs. Susan Leger is the President of New Brunswick Right to Life. Our sincere apologies for the error.
VII) SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS
If you appreciate our efforts, newsletter and technology please support us as
we work to defend family, faith and freedom!
To become a quarterly donor of $25, $50, or $100 every 3 months, or to make a one-time donation using our secure server, please visit http://www.unitedmothers.ca/donate.php
If you prefer to make your donation by cheque please mail it to:
United Mothers Inc
P.O. Box 234
339 10th Avenue S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
T2G 0W2
Michele Dow, United Mothers, Fathers & Friends
14. Woman Surgeon Stresses Abortion & Breast Cancer Link at Ottawa Press
Conference - By Gudrun Schultz
OTTAWA, May 16, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - An expert in the field of breast
cancer presented strong evidence linking breast cancer to abortion, in a press
conference held by members of the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus last Thursday.
Dr. Angela Lanfranchi is clinical assistant professor of surgery at Robert
Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey and co-founder of the Breast Cancer
Prevention Institute.
"The link between abortion and breast cancer is simply the result of a
woman's biology," said Dr. Lanfranchi, citing multiple scientific studies
that link induced abortion with a significant increase in breast cancer rates.
Breast cancer rates have increased by 40% over the 30 years since abortion was
legalized.
"It's the women of the Roe v. Wade generation that account for most of
this increase. Dramatic lifestyle changes brought about by the sexual revolution
and the women's liberation movement are largely responsible for the rampant
breast cancer we see today," she said, reported the Globe and Mail.
Liberal MP Paul Steckle and Conservative MP Maurice Vellacott invited Dr. Lanfranchi
to speak in an effort to raise awareness of the dangerous effects of abortion
on women's health.
"Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women, according
to the Canadian Cancer Society, yet that organization is not telling women about
a well-documented preventable risk-factor," said Mr. Vellacott, Conservative
co-chair of the PPLC, in a press release. "Women have a right to be told
about this increased risk."
Since 1957, over 40 studies worldwide have shown a link between induced abortion
and breast cancer. A 1996 meta-analysis conducted by Dr. Joel Brind, professor
of endocrinology at Baruch College, City University of New York, established
abortion as a significant independent risk factor for developing breast cancer.
(See Dr. Brind's review of studies conducted over the last 9 years at: http://www.jpands.org/vol10no4/brind.pdf)
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 102 Canadian women will die of breast
cancer every week. "Withholding from women information about this preventable
risk factor could literally be a matter of life and death," said Steckle.
"This is an important women's health issue," said MP Paul Steckle,
Liberal co-chair of the PPLC. "We are doing women a disservice by ignoring
the epidemiological and biological evidence that shows women who have had abortions
are at an increased risk for developing breast cancer."
Despite mounting well-documented evidence, leading cancer research centres
such as the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, the Canadian
Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Network, (along with their U.S.
counterparts), have refused to acknowledge a connection between the effects
of abortion on women's bodies and their subsequent development of breast cancer.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
U.S. Breast Cancer Foundation Funding Abortion Provider Planned Parenthood:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/feb/05022203.html
Canadian MP says Cancer Society Withholding Pill/Cancer Link: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/mar/06031707.html
15. MPAA Places Christianity In Same Category As Sex, Violence, Profanity
Be sure to forward this to your friends and family!
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is now warning parents of movies which contain a reference to the Christian faith, equating Christianity as being on the same level of sex, violence and profanity when it comes to objectionable material.
The MPAA is controlled by Hollywood moguls known for their bitter opposition to Christianity.
A new family film featuring miracles and a pro-God theme has earned the PG rating because it would offend non-believers. The MPAA refuses to give movies which promote the homosexual lifestyle a similar warning. In other words, MPAA warns parents if a movie has Christianity presented in a positive manner but refuses to warn them if homosexuality is presented in a positive manner.
Facing the Giants is the story of a Christian high school football coach who uses his undying faith to battle the giants of fear and failure. Due to the Christian content, the MPAA rated it PG, placing it in the same offensive category as sex, violence and profanity.
Click
Here to read a good Scripps Howard News Service article about this issue.
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=RELIGION-FAITH-06-07-06
The plot includes several prayers being answered, a medical miracle, and a mystic who delivers a message from God. The scene which MPAA found most offensive was a discussion between the football coach and a boy named Matt. The coach says the boy needs to stop bad-mouthing his father and get right with God.
The boy replies: "You really believe in all that honoring God and following
Jesus stuff? Well, I ain't trying to be disrespectful, but not everybody believes
in that."
The coach responds: "Matt, nobody's forcing anything on you. Following Jesus Christ is the decision that you're going to have to make for yourself. You may not want to accept it, because it will change your life. You will never be the same."
That, says the MPAA, is very objectionable and parents need to be warned.
Take Action
Send an e-mail to the MPAA asking them to stop their anti-Christian bigotry.
Click
Here to E-mail the MPAA Now!
Or paste this link to your browser: https://secure.afa.net/afa/afapetition/takeaction.asp?id=201
If you think our efforts are worthy, would you please support us with a small gift? Thank you for caring enough to get involved.
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Please be patient with me while I complete the Newsletter for the First, Second and Third Quarter of 2006 which should have been completed by now.
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