Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Harper Majority? Say Goodbye to Abortion Rights
Thanks to Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada for this article on the implications of a Harper majority on reproductive freedom in Canada. As always, please pass it on to those who aren't yet singing in this particular choir.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Harper is still not your friend, women (4)
In my ongoing series about why Mr. Harper is no friend to us women, I offer another set of links. Please send these to the unconvinced, uninformed and unconscious. Spread the word.
You probably already know about the viral phenom shitharperdid. Love their style - funny and fact based.
Here is a piece from the Toronto Star reminding us all that the religious right is still behind the conservative machine.
And here is another on the evangelical machine.
This is a great briefing by Peter (thanks Peter, whoever you are) of what Mr. Harper has done TO women, not FOR women.
Of course there are more and I urge you to look around and find out for yourself. Why, you might ask, am I so concerned on this blog about this election? Shouldn't I confine myself to abortion related issues? I am. Mr. Harper has it in for women. Let's make it personal, because it is. He has it in for me. He has it in for my daughter. His ideas, his policies, many of his colleagues and his evangelical base hates women. There is no secret agenda-it is as plain as day. Mr. Harper has already set women back a generation. He must be stopped.
You probably already know about the viral phenom shitharperdid. Love their style - funny and fact based.
Here is a piece from the Toronto Star reminding us all that the religious right is still behind the conservative machine.
And here is another on the evangelical machine.
This is a great briefing by Peter (thanks Peter, whoever you are) of what Mr. Harper has done TO women, not FOR women.
Of course there are more and I urge you to look around and find out for yourself. Why, you might ask, am I so concerned on this blog about this election? Shouldn't I confine myself to abortion related issues? I am. Mr. Harper has it in for women. Let's make it personal, because it is. He has it in for me. He has it in for my daughter. His ideas, his policies, many of his colleagues and his evangelical base hates women. There is no secret agenda-it is as plain as day. Mr. Harper has already set women back a generation. He must be stopped.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Questions for your candidates from ARCC
Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada has prepared a list of questions for you to ask your candidates so that you can gauge where they are on women's rights generally and abortion rights specifically. Have a look at them here. Thanks to ARCC for being on top of this, and while you are on their site, have a look at their full list of pro and anti-choice MPs.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Women, go find another guy - Harper is no friend to women (3)
Being a friend to women is a long term commitment, not just an election fuelled booty call, like some desperate drunk dial in the middle of the night.
Mr. Harper is the kind of guy we warn our friends and daughters about. You know him. He's the self-involved, entitled guy who cleans up okay and treats women decently enough while dating, but as soon as we let him move in, he becomes a slob on the couch, won't lift a finger to help around the house, and still expects dinner and sex.
The worst part is, we know this guy. We've already dated him. He's a loser. He's proven time and time again that he doesn't care about us, that he'll ditch our interests for his own every single time and then blame us when it happens. After the battering women have taken, after everything this guy has done to shut us up, we're supposed to believe that he will change.
All I can say is, this is unlikely. All we've got so far is a promise to income split, a promise that won't help many families and is a not-so-subtle way to use the tax system to reinforce a mythical vision of family from Father Knows Best. (See this article in the Globe and Mail on why income splitting won't help.)
If they really wanted to help women, the Conservatives and Harper would not infringe on our reproductive rights. They would respect reproductive rights as human rights. They would make certain New Brunswick complied with the rest of the country on abortion provision and would not allow the New Brunswick provincial government to violate the Charter rights of New Brunswick women. They would ensure that access is available throughout the country, in all provinces, including rural areas and in the north. They would create policy that assisted families regardless of whether they are two parent, single parent, single sex or something else, both working or one working, and those who can't work at all. They would know that children are poor when their families are poor, and tackle the social inequalities that create poverty. They would reinstate funding to Status of Women Canada, even increase it and strengthen their ability to influence policy that affects women. Then they would reinstate the Court Challenges Program and all other funding they have taken away from progressive groups they have tried to bury. They would reinstate the Long Form Census so that they had accurate social indicators on which to base policy. They would base policy on what is real, not on conservative fantasies or on some crime bogey man that they use to keep women and everyone else in a state of perpetual fear.
Women, go find another guy, maybe even look for a woman. You deserve better.
Mr. Harper is the kind of guy we warn our friends and daughters about. You know him. He's the self-involved, entitled guy who cleans up okay and treats women decently enough while dating, but as soon as we let him move in, he becomes a slob on the couch, won't lift a finger to help around the house, and still expects dinner and sex.
The worst part is, we know this guy. We've already dated him. He's a loser. He's proven time and time again that he doesn't care about us, that he'll ditch our interests for his own every single time and then blame us when it happens. After the battering women have taken, after everything this guy has done to shut us up, we're supposed to believe that he will change.
All I can say is, this is unlikely. All we've got so far is a promise to income split, a promise that won't help many families and is a not-so-subtle way to use the tax system to reinforce a mythical vision of family from Father Knows Best. (See this article in the Globe and Mail on why income splitting won't help.)
If they really wanted to help women, the Conservatives and Harper would not infringe on our reproductive rights. They would respect reproductive rights as human rights. They would make certain New Brunswick complied with the rest of the country on abortion provision and would not allow the New Brunswick provincial government to violate the Charter rights of New Brunswick women. They would ensure that access is available throughout the country, in all provinces, including rural areas and in the north. They would create policy that assisted families regardless of whether they are two parent, single parent, single sex or something else, both working or one working, and those who can't work at all. They would know that children are poor when their families are poor, and tackle the social inequalities that create poverty. They would reinstate funding to Status of Women Canada, even increase it and strengthen their ability to influence policy that affects women. Then they would reinstate the Court Challenges Program and all other funding they have taken away from progressive groups they have tried to bury. They would reinstate the Long Form Census so that they had accurate social indicators on which to base policy. They would base policy on what is real, not on conservative fantasies or on some crime bogey man that they use to keep women and everyone else in a state of perpetual fear.
Women, go find another guy, maybe even look for a woman. You deserve better.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Harper is no Friend to Women (2)
A theme is developing. Hopefully a meme is developing. Read Heather Mallick in the Star. Spread the word.
Lovely piece. Brave, as always, Ms. Mallick.
Lovely piece. Brave, as always, Ms. Mallick.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Harper is no friend to women
According to the Globe and Mail, Mr. Harper will court women in this election and try to convince us he is our friend. I almost spit my coffee out through my nose when I read that one.
But he needs us to win, apparently, so I'd say that puts the ball in our court. Spread the word to your women friends, post things on Facebook, do whatever it is you do best, and let the women know there is a pattern to his behaviour that is anti-woman.
For a complete run down on all Mr. Harper has done to roll back women's rights, I will advise you again to read Jill Arkles paper, The War on Women. Also have a look at the facebook page Canadians United Against Stephen Harper, which has a staggeringly long list of his various attacks on progressive thought and action that goes well beyond women and includes attacks on democracy itself. Sorry to be so blatantly partisan. But you already knew that.
If you're having trouble keeping up on the war on women in the United States, have a look at Mother Jones'
recent update. It gives you the most significant things to keep an eye on. Also, it's a good look at the kind of legislation that is in our future if Mr. Harper gets a majority.
Now someone needs to do the same article for what's going on in Canada. Again, I send it out there to the blogosphere and hope someone picks it up.
But he needs us to win, apparently, so I'd say that puts the ball in our court. Spread the word to your women friends, post things on Facebook, do whatever it is you do best, and let the women know there is a pattern to his behaviour that is anti-woman.
For a complete run down on all Mr. Harper has done to roll back women's rights, I will advise you again to read Jill Arkles paper, The War on Women. Also have a look at the facebook page Canadians United Against Stephen Harper, which has a staggeringly long list of his various attacks on progressive thought and action that goes well beyond women and includes attacks on democracy itself. Sorry to be so blatantly partisan. But you already knew that.
If you're having trouble keeping up on the war on women in the United States, have a look at Mother Jones'
recent update. It gives you the most significant things to keep an eye on. Also, it's a good look at the kind of legislation that is in our future if Mr. Harper gets a majority.
Now someone needs to do the same article for what's going on in Canada. Again, I send it out there to the blogosphere and hope someone picks it up.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Guest blog on Abortion Gang
Cheery news today. Please, go visit my guest blog on Abortion Gang. Abortion Gang is part of a terrific network of blogs and pro-choice activist sites that provide news and perspectives rarely seen in the mainstream press. I know that sometimes I feel bogged down thinking nothing is changing. Sites like this remind me in a second that there is a new energy out there that is really going to change the world. They are a breath of fresh air. I have just a few sources listed on this blog, but if you want a really comprehensive list, check out Pegdehog's list on Anti choice is anti awesome. Also don't forget twitter. I signed up to follow quite a long list of twitter feeds that are feminist. It was easy and the links to other related news have helped me find things I wouldn't have seen otherwise. While I'm at it, I'll plug two of my fav magazines, Bitch, which is a feminist response to pop culture and Shameless, a progressive magazine for girls. There are alternatives to celebrity gossip and articles that teach young women to be conformist and less than what they are. Those of you with teenage girls, these will help them open their eyes. Happy Reading.
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