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.
It is probable that the Liberals will win the next election and it is unlikely that any cuts made will be reinstated. I predict it will be much like Dalton in Ontario, much on promise little on delivery.
There may be some gains made environmentally, however those darn “women’s issues” will continue to be “studied” and little else.
Societies in which women have full and equal access to justice, employment and reproductive choice have been shown to be less violent, more affluent, more creative, and healthier.
Yet the forced pregnancy crowd continue with their sentimentalizing of motherhood. While at the same time supporting governments which cut programs those mothers and children will need to survive.
Unfortunately many otherwise intelligent people get drawn into discussions of ensoulment, and philosophy forgetting that similar “religious arguments” have been used to support all manner of things including slavery. These arguments serve only to encourage the slavery of women.
The sanctity of life has been given short shrift after birth however, as war continues to be waged the world over.
Acts too horrific to contemplate committed upon humans by humans daily.
A few random acts of violence have instilled fear and hatred into the hearts and minds of many in the west, yet we have no sympathy, no understanding, no mercy for those for whom our sanctions, our bombs, our liberation has brought nothing but death.
We have been lucky that war has not come to us. It is not luck for others though. Perhaps if we knew the reality of war we would be less apathetic about bringing it too others. Perhaps we might even have a new rallying cry “Support Humanity”
The death of Saddam is a warning. There is no honour among thieves. Power does not distinguish between friend and foe, it only takes what it wants, it feeds insistently and cares nothing for the corpses it leaves behind.
As you celebrate the coming of the New Year take note of what you have around you. A home, friends, comfort, stability a society not yet stripped of all it’s social programs, take note and resolve to protect them and to do whatever is in your power to increase the number of people worldwide who can take the same inventory next New Year.
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