April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

Search Results for: bill c 537

Farewell 2008

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2008 ends with
war still on–check
Countless thousands are losing their lives to wars and as of 28 Dec. 106 Canadian soldiers have perished in Afghanistan.

ongoing human rights infractions–check
Too many to write to as every country around the world is guilty of this including Canada

Lying Liars still Lying or How I Sold My Foetus On Ebay
2008 saw an attempt in Colorado to have eggs legally regarded as persons. This was rightly defeated. An attempt to make abortion illegal under essentially any condition including life of the mother in South Dakota. Again defeated.
And a number of bills proposed which would reopen the abortion debate in Canada, as well as make contraception and abortion more difficult to access. Bill C484, C537 And we find out there is a secret cabal plotting to take away women’s rights.

Women still to Blame
One of the rules of a journalist agreement signed in Argentina was

We will never look for justifications or “motives” (alcohol, drugs, arguments, jealousy, a couple’s separation, infidelity, and so on) that only distract attention from the central issue: violence. The cause of gender-based violence is the control and domination that certain men exercise over women.

Too bad media didn’t take that tact when reporting on the killing spree in the so called Santa Killer case. References are consistently made to how his wife leaving him triggered his violence as if it was her fault. This is not an isolated instance in fact it is a sickeningly common occurrence.

Conservatives™ hate Democracy
Harper decided to prorogue parliament rather than face a coalition which represented 62% of the Canadian 2008 election voters. He relied heavily on many Canadians lack of knowledge of how our system works to shift that blame to the coalition members. An Angus Reid poll had this question;
Which of these political systems do you think would be best for Canada?
Please select one response only.
A presidential system, with an executive branch that is separate from the legislature
The current parliamentary system, with the prime minister and cabinet exercising power
A semi-presidential system, with a president in charge of foreign policy and a prime minister in charge of domestic policy
Not sure
Why I can’t imagine who *cough* Harper *cough* would want to go to an American style of government.

Fundies Discover Feminism
Sarah Palin is chosen as the running mate for McCain. Every remark made about her from her clothing expenditures to her ability to answer simple questions like what newspapers do you read, is met with a refrain of that is sexist!
An ironic twist in a campaign that featured right wing talking heads making egregiously sexist remarks re Clinton and whose GOP fan base eschews feminism like reality.

Morgentaler receives the Order of Canada.
An award highly overdue. Fundie heads explode and calls for return of other awards are made. Interestingly they didn’t see the awards as being tainted by the likes of a paedophile priest. Oh well we all have our own moral compass.

Khadr Still Waits for Justice
You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting

Workers Rights
Ontario is finally doing the right thing and trying to correct some of the exploitation of workers through temp agencies.

Just a few of the highlights. There is always hope that 2009 will be better but it is unlikely.

To my readers I wish you peace, health, happiness and friendship in the coming year.

I’m supporting the Liberals!

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Ok well one of them at least. Brent St. Denis has an answer to Bill C-484, Bill C-543 which says; “This enactment amends paragraph 718.2(a) of the Criminal Code by adding pregnancy as an aggravating circumstance for the purpose of sentencing … evidence that the offender, in committing the offence, abused a person who he or she knew or ought to have known was pregnant.”

Brent St. Denis
Brent St. Denis

When queried about why he decided to do this, St. Denis said, “Mr. Epps’ bill traded off a dilemma — many pro-choice members of Parliament felt trapped. And, after all, it’s hard to say you are against something the way Epps set it up. This will give MPs an option. This trumps Mr. Epps’ bill and his hidden agenda.”

Something else pointed out to me by St. Denis was what is happening in the United States where fetal protection laws have been passed.

“In 37 states, fetal protection laws make it a crime to cause harm to the fetus, but it has been shown that pregnant women are more likely to be punished for other behaviours and conditions that are not criminalized for other people. Such as drug or alcohol abuse or mental illness.”

That doesn’t seem like something we would want to happen in Canada, but don’t fool yourselves — Epps bill will do just that.

{emphasis added} SOURCE

Contact your MP

and email the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to let them know there is a sensible alternative to the bill currently before them. One which recognizes that protecting women is the best way to protect fetuses. JUST@parl.gc.ca

And if you would like to send support to St. Denis;
Parliamentary Office:
584 Confederation Building
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Phone:
Fax:
Email: (613) 996-5376
(613) 995-6661
stdenb@parl.gc.ca
Constituency Office:
121 Barber Street
Espanola ON P5E 1S4
Phone:
Fax:
Toll Free: (705) 869-0059
(705) 869-5341
1-800-463-3335

I don’t fill prescriptions at your church, don’t preach in my pharmacy!

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Equivalent of abortion?
Equivalent of abortion?

The Bush administration in it’s continuing efforts to appease the crazies appeal to it’s base is drafting legislation which would

  • consider contraceptives abortifacts
  • require family planning clinics to hire staff opposed to family planning
  • allow any health care provider to refuse care based on their religious beliefs
  • consider fertilized eggs not implanted fetuses to be a pregnancy (even though there is no way to test for this )

Under the draft proposal, federally funded hospitals and clinics that provide family planning services would be required to promise in writing that they will turn a blind eye to health care providers’ views on abortion and certain kinds of birth control, such as emergency contraception.

The proposed rule defines abortion as “any of the various procedures–including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action–that results in the termination of the life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation.”

Organizations that do not comply would forfeit financial aid distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services.

SOURCE

While it goes without saying that women have the right to choose to reproduce or not.  I wonder if they have considered that many women are on the pill for reasons other than reproductive control. Other medically indicated reasons include;

  • acne control
  • Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
  • irregular or absent menstrual periods
  • severe cramps
  • endometriosis
  • hormone replacement therapy
  • estrogen replacement due to such causes as anorexia nervosa, damage to the ovaries from radiation or chemotherapy
  • anemia from heavy periods

from the draft pdf available here

Ambulance Firm Faces Bias Suit; Worker Fired After Refusing to go to Abortion Clinic, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, May 9, 2004 at C3 (“An ambulance worker who was fired after she refused to transport a woman to an abortion clinic filed a religious-discrimination lawsuit against her employer Friday…‘I just felt really strongly it was something that I couldn’t do,’ said Adamson, a devout Christian who is adamantly anti-abortion. ‘It would be against everything that I believe in and everything that I support.’”);

This is used an example of bias against people’s religious values. Now what if a gay man requires transport to the hospital is it ok for him to have to wait until an ambulance with a human being non religious person arrives? What about a JW refusing to do a life saving blood transfusion? How about as an atheist or non christian your caregiver declines to contact your priest for last rites because it doesn’t jive with their beliefs? Yes this is a can of worms for choice but also for religious war. And if churches are deciding laws and politics is it not time that their tax exempt status was revoked?

An IRC Section 501(c)(3) organization may not engage in carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities. Whether an organization has attempted to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities is determined based upon all relevant facts and circumstances. However, most IRC Section 501(c)(3) organizations may use Form 5768, Election/Revocation of Election by an Eligible Section 501(c)(3) Organization to Make Expenditures to Influence Legislation, to make an election under IRC Section 501(h) to be subject to an objectively measured expenditure test with respect to lobbying activities rather than the less precise “substantial activity” test. Electing organizations are subject to tax on lobbying activities that exceed a specified percentage of their exempt function expenditures. For further information regarding lobbying activities by charities, download Lobbying Issues.

For purposes of IRC Section 501(c)(3), legislative activities and political activities are two different things, and are subject to two different sets of rules. The latter is an absolute bar. An IRC Section 501(c)(3) organization may not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office. Whether an organization is engaging in prohibited political campaign activity depends upon all the facts and circumstances in each case. For example, organizations may sponsor debates or forums to educate voters. But if the forum or debate shows a preference for or against a certain candidate, it becomes a prohibited activity. The motivation of an organization is not relevant in determining whether the political campaign prohibition has been violated. Activities that encourage people to vote for or against a particular candidate, even on the basis of non-partisan criteria, violate the political campaign prohibition of IRC Section 501(c)(3).

SOURCE

It is said that there is no such thing as being a little bit pregnant, it is obvious that there can be no such thing as being a little bit pro-choice. American women need to come out in droves and support pro-choice candidates. Not just for themselves but for their daughters and granddaughters and sisters. There is a war on American soil. It is the war of religion against reason, lies against science, and a war for control of your body. Don’t let the Bush administration, as did the Nazi’s, as did the Ceausescu regime, make your body property of the state.

And to Canadian readers, this is why we cannot as Ms. May insists have ‘dialogue’ with the anti-choicers. It only emboldens them. Bills C-484, C-537 and Bill C-338 are all bills designed with the purpose of creating a climate where women’s choices are defined for them by others beliefs.

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If you take away my rights, can I take away yours?

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The anti-choice factions have been frothing at the mouth as of late emboldened by such things as Bill C-484, Bill C-537, and Bill C-338.

Prime Minister Harper promised that a Conservative government would not legislate on abortion, but this is exactly what is happening, not just with Bill C-484, but with two other Conservative private member bills introduced last fall. Bill C-338 would re-criminalize abortion by prohibiting abortions after 20 weeks gestation. Bill C-537 would guarantee the “right” of medical personnel to refuse to provide medical care for religious reasons, which would mostly restrict women’s ability to access contraception and abortion care.

Bill C-484 is a radical bill because it positions the fetus as a woman’s co-equal. By focussing on fetuses, not injured pregnant women, the bill is offensive to the full humanity of all women, not just pregnant women. The not-so-hidden agenda of the bill is to recognize the “rights of the unborn” so that abortion can be restricted in the future. Indeed, fetal personhood is a long-standing objective of the anti-abortion movement.

It is their view that nothing trumps the right of their god and men to force women to be brood mares the fetus. Regardless of how the pregnancy came into being, the age of the mother to be, or the health and emotional well being of the mother each little egg must be hatched.

These people feel they have a god given right to force their views and lifestyle choice upon others up to and including laws to make any deviation from their extremism a criminal act. This extremism includes the teaching of hate to those formerly precious eggs, now children. Hatred of gays, feminists, leftists, atheists and so on. I have blogged previously that although I believe such acts to be child abuse, I don’t believe the state has a place in ensuring “proper thoughts”. Perhaps though I was hasty. You see I know that were these sorts to ever come to power they, as other despots afore them, would not bat an eye if my children were wrenched from their home to brainwashed educated into their hatred religious beliefs. Therefore, I propose a private citizens bill. Bill C-404* [*404 on the net indicates an error. This is appropriate as we try to show the egg fanciers the error of their ways.] this bill would create the right to remove from any home children being taught hatred contrary to the laws of the land and the laws of the Jesus. To whit hatred against but not excluding others leftists, atheists, feminists and gays.

Remember;

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Children will also be removed from homes who believe in the parenting techniques of religious subversives such as Dr. Dobson;

In Chapter 4 Dobson goes into more detail about corporal punishment, recommending using objects (not the hand) to hit and whip children, starting as young as 15-18 months old for “defiance.”

A child’s right to a life free from the teachings of hatred and the results of such teaching far surpass those of anyone to practice religion. Look I have pictures of what happens when abuse is allowed unchecked…here, here and here.

Help protect our little ones, support Bill C-404.

Graphics available here