April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

Blogging

“In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly.”

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I see much of what is occurring lately to be a fear response.

Can’t raise minimum wage for fear that business will suffer.

Does business not suffer when people do not have money to spend?

This is the obvious first step on the journey to the decline of capitalism. First you create an underclass, give them just a little, instill them with fear of having nothing and make them fight each other for the pittance that barely allows them to keep body and soul together. [Read more…] about “In politics, what begins in fear usually ends in folly.”

And so it ends..

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notebook

I had a bad feeling about this year, and I was unfortunately right about that.

Personally I lost a mom, a cat, two jobs, and had two serious health scares.

Politically saw the election of Harper and crew, a renewed and emboldened attack on women’s rights and freedoms, the realization that though the wheel was invented, many still want to put corners on it and have a nuanced discussion over who should be using it, continued death and destruction by the powerful who stand to gain more.. upon the many who have nothing left to lose, and the death of a puppet who had turned on his masters. [Read more…] about And so it ends..

Problem Solved?

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I was thinking more of the interest lately some “progressives” have been showing in the disingenuous remarks made by Elizabeth May. The responses made to those who reject the notion that anyone has the right to take a “nuanced” approach to their reproductive rights has been interesting to say the least.

We have been accused of being Green bashers, dinosaurs, radical, reactionary, Stalinist, unable to see shades of grey ( I love that one. As if there are shades to human rights. )

These same defenders of Ms Mays’ right to call women frivolous, have no qualms about trying to shut down discussion when women — remember us guys? we’re the ones with the wombs — express their discomfort and displeasure with the fact that those so willing to score political points and street cred with their reputed support of feminism and feminists are unwilling to show actual support of so fundamental an idea as reproductive freedom.

This even as they claim that their voices are being silenced.

We are allowed to be feminists just as long as we are nice little feminists who listen when the boys tell us what feminism means, how feminists should act and what issues we should see as meaningful.

Our anger is being used against us in ways that must have even the nastiest of misogynists gaping.

As if anger is an inappropriate response when ones rights are seen as fodder for debate. As if anger is inappropriate when one is asked to repeat a tour of duty. As if anger is inappropriate when the speaker of the words cozies up to the friends of the people who do this.

Anger is neither inappropriate nor enough. It is not time for nuances nor debates.

It is time to choose up sides, you believe that women have the right to live as autonomous human beings or you do not. You believe our society is better served when all people are free and equal or you do not. You believe that women’s voices are important or you do not.

You believe the behaviour shown in the shirt above is an appropriate response to women defending what has been shown to be important not only to women’s health but also to society as a whole, or you do not.

“Why Canada needs the NDP”

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Taking up the challenge from Accidental Deliberations.

I have lately had some issues with the party, nevertheless, to highlight the good;

We need a party which believes that human rights are the fundamental building block of democracy and any functioning society.

We need a party with a strong commitment to women’s rights, up to and including the right to reproductive choice.

We need a party that recognizes that “gay rights” are “human rights” and that who you choose to share your bed with does not make a difference.

We need a party that believes that everyone has an equal right to education, healthcare, a liveable wage.

We need a party that believes that all children have the right to good quality daycare and are willing to put their budget where their beliefs are.

We need a party that doesn’t cause an 11 year old to ask such questions as, why does that party think they should say what I can do just because I’m a girl, or why does that party keep making promises but never keeps them or what does that party stand for?

A party which instead creates comments like, I can’t wait till I’m 12 so I can become a member, how come they are the only party that comes to our door? How come the other candidates won’t talk to me just because I’m a kid?

For all the things we need to change the NDP is still the only party that really represents the values Canadians time after time identify as being important to them.

Email hoax

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An email has been circulating claiming to come from Jennifer Bernier, President
Abitibi-Témiscamingue NDP, it basically calls for new leadership for the NDP.

I phoned and confirmed that this was indeed sent out without her knowledge.

As is confirmed in the email shown here

You can also view the original email there.

Someone must be feeling very threatened indeed to have perpetrated such a hoax.

Professionalism or control?

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Robert Cox wants to bring some professionalism to the blogosphere.

As president of the Media Bloggers Association, Cox is about to unveil new membership policies designed to help bloggers who see themselves more as journalists than freeform diarists.

The Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that about eight per cent of American adults keep web journals, most of them personal in nature even though the most high-profile ones may be about news, politics or technology. It’s the more serious efforts that Cox is courting.

Among the planned criteria: members would have to take an online course offered by the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, covering legal issues related to blogging.

Members also could seek credentialled status by undergoing training or demonstrating other work as professional journalists. They also must agree to the organization’s ethical standards and adopt formal editorial and corrections policies. Doing so could give them the backing they need to obtain review copies of books and access to newsmakers and events, Cox said.

Of course, having credentials from Cox’s organization won’t guarantee access. The question of whether to treat bloggers as journalists has come up repeatedly at major events such as the Olympics and national political conventions.

You have to take a course, pay for memberships, and a think tank decides what passes for acceptable journalism.

Isn’t this in part what the blogosphere was trying to get away from?

Wasn’t the idea to open up an avenue where those who couldn’t afford a journalism degree could still speak to the issues of the day.

Recognition of the personal being political.

Being able to shed light on things like the recent cuts the Harper government made that the “Professional Press” doesn’t deem noteworthy.

Thoughts?