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News and Views Table of Contents for This Page: Canada Finally Moves Age of Consent for Sex from 14 to 16 Rainbow Sash Movement Plots Papal Protest New 'Bully' video game raises teachers' concern [U.S.] CDC: 1 in 4 Teen Girls Has Sexually Transmitted Infection Abortionist Morgentaler Not on Order of Canada List
for 2008 Private member's bill would protect unborn crime victims Drug-resistant staph passed in gay sex -US study A News Release Regarding a New Website: ProWomanProLife.org Catholic Insight under 'human rights' attack Biased Abstinence Ed Report Draws Criticism Bella (an excerpt from a "Plugged In" Online review) "Social conservatives move on to next marriage debate" "[U.S.] Senate Passes Dangerous Hate-Crimes Amendment" GSAs: not as innocent as they may seem "Thousands cheer gay pride parade" U.S. Senate passes stem-cell funding bill Telus Drops Porn Service After Complaints Onslaught Appeals Court Rebuffs ACLU; Boy Scout Jamboree Will Go On
Renfrew
Stem Cells Discovered in Amniotic Fluid, Scientists Announce Landmark ruling allows children to have three parents Decision of Ontario Court of Appeal to Allow 3 Parent Families Court ruling allowing 3 parents for boy raises concerns for custody battles Same-Sex Marriage Setback in Massachusetts Madrid Restaurant fined for refusing to host gay wedding reception "Healing the Culture was a Great Conference" Speaker
Fr. Robert Spitzer Addresses Morality of Bill C-338 Anti-homosexuality brochure held up at Canada Post L.A.
billboards say AIDS a 'gay' disease California Court Upholds 'Gay Marriage' Ban "Schwarzenegger Vetoes Two Anti-Family School Bills" Chanting the Mantra of Harm Reduction Pope assails Canada's laws allowing same-sex marriage and abortion "How Britain is turning Christianity into a crime" Germany Uses Nazi Era Law to Imprison Mom for Homeschooling; Family Flees to Austria Christian Psychologist Suspended
by Police over Former Affiliation with Pro-Family Group Germany Drops Opposition to EU Embryo Research Funding Canada Unborn Victims
of Violence Bill Loses Appeal to be Declared Votable Pedophile's
sentence too harsh, court rules Canadian Victory for Christian Freedom: Bible = Hate Literature Ruling Reversed Canadian Supreme Court Nominee Says Judges Should Not Decide Policy Judge sets July 10 date for trial in homosexual activist lawsuit Nine Pro-Life Members of Parliament in New Canadian Government Cabinet Activist Supreme Court Chief Justice Lectures Canadian Prime Minister on Court Appointments MPs
vote against raising age of sexual consent [in
Canada] Swedish Pastor Acquitted of Inciting Hatred Against Homosexuals Canada Legalizes "Sex Clubs" -- "14 Year Olds Will be Exploited" One in nine has 'silent sex disease'
Mother No Longer Knows Best, High Court Told (in the
U.K.)
"Allstate on list of top 10 pro-'gay' firms" "Evangelist Proposes to Combat Homosexual Agenda in Public Education" Thoughts of a Social Conservative after the Montreal CPC Convention of March, 2005 [U.S.] Government Web site touts sexual abstinence "Conservative Caucus Backs Down on Controversial Measure to Stifle Debate at Convention" Group Expresses Concern in New Brunswick Over Nature of "Comprehensive Sex Education" Program. Canada Dumping Tens of Millions into Controversial United Nations Population Control Agency
US Supreme Court Rejects Massachusetts Gay "Marriage" Challenge "Supreme Court of Canada of Canada is a Political Toy" [REAL Women of Canada press release] "Judges Party with Homosexual Activists" New York Times: Many Homosexuals Don't Believe in Marriage Warning over sex health crisis [in the United Kingdom] Canadian Federal Government Uses Voucher System for Native Education Interim Article Charges "Incredible Media Bias During Election" Liberals Poll Ontarians on Opinion about Possibility of "Scary" Evangelical Christians in Government [May 4, 2004 article] Bill C-6 [Canadian Parliament] Supreme Court of Canada Hands Down Ruling on Spanking "Evidence Found for Effectiveness of Reorientation Therapy" In
British Columbia: Surrey
School Board Again Rejects the Three Pro-Homosexuality
Books as Teaching Resources Citizens' Rights Institute
Denied Intervener Status Supreme Court of Canada Rules Against Surrey in "Surrey Books Case." "The Persecution of Chris Kempling" "Homosexual Murderer Should be Charged with Hate Crime, Group Says" "Unions Stage Wall-Mart Protest" Human Rights Complaint Against Alberta Pastor Who Wrote Protest Letter Evidence Unnecessary, Guilt Obvious [article on Chris Kempling] Canadian Judge Fines Man $10,000 for Possession of Child Porn Another Family [in Ontario] Investigated for the Way Children are Disciplined BC Unity Leader Calls on Premier Campbell to Protect Marriage "Raise
age of sexual consent, Alberta says" [November, 2002 Report] Rock for Life Tells MTV "Stop Deceiving Our Generation." "Catholic Demonstrators Target Abortion Clinic" [Globe & Mail] Ontario Court
Gives Mixed Message . . . [and] Christian Printer Decides BC Parents and Teachers for Life Lose Their "Founding Mother" Instructions for Shutting Down Pro-Life Display Given on a British Columbia "Pro-Choice" Website "Canadian Delegation Leanding Attack on Pro-Life Groups at the UN" "Gay teen takes Catholic school to court over prom date" Bishop and Federal Minister Take Opposite Sides on Homosexual Prom Date Hope for Use of Adult Stem Cells Pro-Homosexuality Activists Use Tragic Death to Attack Opponents Canadian Government and United Way Sponsor S & M Youth Workshop "Parents' Mass Campaign Against Sex Lessons" [in Scotland--Dec., 2001]
Links to Other Pages on This Website Canada Finally Moves Age of Consent for Sex from 14 to 16By Thaddeus M. Baklinski OTTAWA, March 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Canada's new age of sexual consent, raised to 16 from 14, was signed into law on Feb. 28 after passing in the Senate by a narrow 3 votes. As reported last December by LifeSiteNews.com, the Conservative Government's Bill C-2, the 'Tackling Violent Crime Act', passed the House of Commons on November 28, 2007. This bill included a provision to raise the age of consent for sexual activity from 14 to 16. At 14, Canada's age of consent was among the lowest of Western nations, where it typically varies between 16 and 18. Prime Minister Stephen Harper had threatened to call an election if Bill C-2 wasn't passed in the Senate by March 1, 2008. Even though the Liberal dominated senate complained there was not enough time to meet this deadline, the possibility of giving Harper an opportunity to launch an election over the issue pushed them into action. Nineteen senators voted for the bill, sixteen voted against, while thirty-one senators - all Liberals but one - abstained from the vote, and another twenty-seven didn't show up at all. In an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press, senior cabinet minister Vic Toews said it was satisfying to see Bill C-2 become law, and that his government's decision to pressure the Liberals to pass the bill or go to the electorate was the right one. "Most of the measures in the legislation had Liberal support during the last election campaign, and it should never have taken this long to get them into law," Mr. Toews said. Roz Prober, co-founder of the Winnipeg-based children's rights group Beyond Borders, told the Free Press, "Common sense has prevailed. Raising the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 is a huge protection for children. People were stunned to see Canada was so far behind the eight ball on the age of consent."
Rainbow
Sash Movement Plots Papal Protest By Michael Baggot
New 'Bully' video game raises teachers' concern Jennifer Moreau, Burnaby Now Published: Saturday, March 08, 2008 The B.C. Teachers' Federation is calling for parents to boycott a new video game that it says makes light of bullying and promotes violence. Bully: the Scholarship Edition is just one more reason the provincial government needs to regulate the gaming industry, said Irene Lanzinger, president of the provincewide teachers' union. "We try to teach kids how to treat each other with respect," Lanzinger said. "These games give kids the counter-message." Lanzinger said while academics debate whether violent games lead to violent actions, teachers see children acting out violent behaviour at school. "It is of no comfort to me that some experts say this doesn't have an impact on children. It is not a healthy psychological experience for a child to play a game that glorifies bullying and violence," she said. Released March 4, Bully: the Scholarship Edition shows scenes of violence, crude humour, sexual themes, tobacco and alcohol use and "animated blood." In the trailer, the game's hero is seen smacking another student. As part of the call for regulation, the teachers' federation pointed to comments that Burnaby-Willingdon MLA John Nuraney made a couple weeks ago in the Victoria legislature. "It may be of interest to this house to know that one of the top video games for boys in grades 3 to 6 is Grand Theft Auto. "While it is admirable that our children of today adapt very quickly to this technology, it is also alarming that without proper guidance and supervision, they can fall victims to the unscrupulous predators," Nuraney said. In an interview with the NOW, Nuraney said he "totally agrees" with the BCTF's position on Bully: The Scholarship Edition, but the issue of regulating the industry is still under discussion. "The dangers are known to all. I think it's a question of jurisdiction," he said, adding it's not clear if regulations would fall under provincial or federal government mandates. "The only thing it seems right now is to bring more awareness," he said, adding parents need to supervise the children's activities, including those on the Internet. Bully: The Scholarship Edition was released by Rockstar, which also produces Grand Theft Auto. Calls to Rockstar's Vancouver office were redirected to New York, and not returned by NOW deadlines. From Burnabynow From
citizenlink.com Feb. 11, 2008
[U.S.]
CDC: 1 in 4 Teen Girls Has Sexually Transmitted Infection
'We’re missing a tremendous opportunity to talk to them about the benefits of
being abstinent until marriage.' One in four teen girls in the Among girls who admitted having
had sex, the rate was 40 percent, The Associated Press reported. Human papilloma
virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, is the most common STI in teen girls
ages 14 to 19, the CDC found. But the CDC conference in “With such high disease rates
in teenagers, we’re just missing a tremendous opportunity to talk to them
about the benefits of being abstinent until marriage," she told Family News
in Focus. "This is the time to teach kids about personal accountability and
abstinence education. As it looks from this conference, the CDC is not grabbing
that opportunity and taking it." Klepacki said not only is the
abstinence-until-marriage message left out of the discussion at these
conferences, the topic is often mocked by experts at the CDC.
Abortionist
Morgentaler Not on Order of Canada List for 2008 By Hilary White
Jean Chretien to Receive Order of Canada for His "Legacy" - "Same-Sex Unions" By John-Henry Westen
From: Canoe.ca
February 14, 2008 Private
member's bill would protect unborn crime victims By THE CANADIAN PRESS Epp says the Unborn Victims of Crime Act has nothing to do
with abortion but is meant to fill a major gap in the law. But critics say that's a backdoor effort to reopen the
abortion debate by sneaking a recognition of fetal rights into Canadian law. Epp cited several cases where the killers of pregnant women
were charged for the mother's murder - but not for the death of her fetus. That's because the law does not recognize the unborn as
human beings until they are born alive. Epp says his proposed act is supported by people of all
political stripes because it narrowly focuses on cases where a third party harms
or kills a fetus in a criminal attack.
He said the bill is constitutional and would not change the
Criminal Code in any way that might undermine a woman's legal access to
abortion. A spokeswoman for the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada
vehemently disagrees. Spokeswoman Joyce Arthur says the bill has been promoted
by right-to-life groups, and that it would create redundant protections. Judges
and parole boards can already take into account whether a convict has injured or
killed an unborn child, she said. The bill is to be voted on March 5, but would be derailed
if an early election is called
As ‘human rights’ tribunals act like thought police,
there is a simple solution:
The free-speech controversies currently swirling around Maclean’s magazine
and Alberta journalist Ezra Levant ultimately can be attributed to one
thing: the legislation that allows Canada’s human rights commissions to
act as censors. Amend the various human rights acts blanketing the country
and the problem vanishes.
Disturbingly, however, the issue does not seem to be on any government’s
radar, either in provincial capitals or on Parliament Hill.
The background to the cases in question is fairly well known by now.
Maclean’s and its writer, Mark Steyn, are the subjects of complaints filed
at the Canadian, Ontario and B.C. human rights commissions by the Canadian
Islamic Congress (CIC). The CIC is claiming that Steyn’s writings about
Muslims’ high birth rate “subjects Canadian Muslims to hatred and
contempt.” Levant, my former employer at the now-defunct Western Standard,
was taken to the Alberta Human Rights Commission by complainants upset with
the magazine’s publishing of the notorious Danish cartoons depicting the
prophet Muhammad.
What is legally significant here is that each commission is governed by its
own unique human rights act, and that those acts appear to give the
commissions varying degrees of power to censor journalists who might have
offended some of their readers. Of the above-named jurisdictions, B.C.’s
legislation appears to pose the greatest threat to free speech; Ontario’s
the least.
Section 7 of B.C.’s human rights act makes it an offence for any person to
publish “any statement, publication, notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other
representation” that so much as “indicates discrimination or an
intention to discriminate” against a protected group, or “is likely to
expose a person or group or class of persons to hatred or contempt.” No
actual discrimination or hatred has to occur for an offence to occur. And,
as pointed out on these pages over the past few weeks, truth is not a
defence.
Alberta’s law is similar to B.C.’s, but adds an important caveat:
“Nothing in this section shall be deemed to interfere with the free
expression of opinion on any subject.” This would seem to give Levant, for
example, the ability to trump his critics. But the fact is that last
November, in a case involving a Christian pastor who was critical of
homosexuality, human rights panel chair Lori Andreachuk ignored this
protection and went so far as to rule that even the right of free speech
enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms “does not trump
the protection afforded [homosexuals] under the Alberta human rights
legislation.”
The human rights act of the last of the three provinces in question,
Ontario, contains no provisions similar to B.C. and Alberta’s limitations
of speech rights.
Section 12 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, on the other hand, makes it
unlawful to publish or display “any notice, sign, symbol, emblem or other
representation that (a) expresses or implies discrimination or an intention
to discriminate, or (b) incites or is calculated to incite others to
discriminate.”
Furthermore, Section 13 makes it an offence for anyone “to communicate
telephonically [a definition that includes the internet] … any matter that
is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt.”
Human rights proponents have argued that such restrictions are necessary to
protect minorities from language that will lead to their being discriminated
against or subjected to hatred and violence. But, as Alan Borovoy, general
counsel of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, famously observed last
year, censoring otherwise free speech was never the intention of activists,
like himself, who helped bring human rights laws into being in the first
place.
This may be true in most cases, but in my home province, for example, the
B.C. act’s infamous Section 7 was specifically enacted in 1993 by the NDP
government of the day to gag cantankerous right-wing columnist Doug Collins
(since deceased). In 1998, the NDP considered broadening the act even
further at the urging of the pro-choice lobby, which tried to persuade
then-attorney-general Ujjal Dosanjh to criminalize criticism of
abortionists.
Although the episode was virtually ignored by the mainstream media of the
day, I remember it quite well because of the growing threat it posed to free
speech. I especially recall that, in writing about the prochoicers’
demands, I interviewed an erudite and eloquent public-policy expert who
spoke passionately about this threat.
“Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our
fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society,” the
man said. “It is in fact totalitarianism. I find this very scary stuff.”
That person was the president of the National Citizens Coalition, a
politically astute fellow by the name of Stephen Harper, a man who, of
course, has now gone on to much bigger and better things.
I don’t think it would be too much to ask of Mr. Harper now that he put
his words into action, and move to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to
eliminate the commission’s censorious powers. Perhaps such a move would
inspire Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell to act
similarly.
All three leaders should realize that their governments’ human rights laws
are badly flawed, and that the longer they remain unamended, they are, in
effect, acting as a barrier separating all citizens from their fundamental
right to free speech.
In this light then, we should all exclaim: “Mr. Harper, Mr. Stelmach and
Mr. Campbell: Tear down this wall!”
Terry O’Neill is a Vancouver editor and writer.
Drug-resistant staph passed in gay sex -US studyBy Amanda Beck SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - A drug-resistant strain of potentially deadly bacteria has moved beyond the borders of U.S. hospitals and is being transmitted among gay men during sex, researchers said on Monday. They said methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is beginning to appear outside hospitals in San Francisco, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Sexually active gay men in San Francisco are 13 times more likely to be infected than their heterosexual neighbors, the researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. [Click here to read the whole article at Reuters online.] Senior at centre of life-support battle improvingBut Grace still seeking the right to pull plugSat Jan 12 2008 By Kevin Rollason TWO weeks after Samuel Golubchuk's family went to court to stop doctors from pulling him off life support last month because he had minimal brain activity, he showed signs he was improving neurologically. A week later, while doctors still argued to disconnect his ventilator and pull out his feeding tube, the 84-year-old Golubchuk was seen by medical staff to be "awake".
But on Friday in court, more than a month after the battle to keep him alive began, lawyers for the family and doctors were continuing to argue because the physicians say they still need to have control over deciding when to pull the plug. After court, the family's lawyer, Neil Kravetsky, said Golubchuk is alive today only because of the court's intervention. "He would be dead if the injunction had been off," Kravetsky said.
"What does awake mean to you?" But lawyer Bill Olson, who represents Grace hospital, said even if Golubchuk has improved, he still isn't as well as he was when he entered the hospital's intensive care unit and his prognosis continues to be dim. Olson said even if the judge gives the doctors the green light to pull the plug, it might not happen because the doctors would re-evaluate Golubchuk's medical status to see if the action is still warranted. "All the court is ruling on is who has the right to make the judgment," he said. Olson said the medical system would bog down if final life decisions were taken from the hands of doctors and given to the courts. At the end of the hearing on Friday, Justice Perry Schulman of Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench said he would either render a decision on the matter or give the lawyers "directions" sometime next week. Golubchuk suffered a brain injury in June 2003 when he fell, but he could still communicate and understand. He was living at Deer Lodge Centre, but was admitted to Grace in October for pneumonia and pulmonary hypertension. But after Golubchuk's health continued to go downhill and doctors believed his situation to be hopeless, they told the family they were going to take him off life support on Nov. 30 of last year.
Schulman, who began hearing the precedent-setting civil case last month, is being asked to rule on whether Grace doctors have the right to take Golubchuk off life support against the wishes of his family. Golubchuk's family has been arguing the doctors would be violating his Orthodox Jewish religious beliefs and committing a sin if they hasten his death.
A News Release Regarding a New Website: [We are happy to pass on this news release.] ProWomanProLife.org Canada without abortion. By choice. —————————————————————————————— January 14, 2008 (Ottawa)— Today marks the launch of Canada’s first pro-woman pro-life group, ProWomanProLife, which can be found online at www.prowomanprolife.org ProWomanProLife celebrates women, life and freedom and is being launched to mark the Morgentaler decision of January 28, 1988, which removed all restrictions on abortion in Canada at any stage of a pregnancy. The founding director of ProWomanProLife, Andrea Mrozek, says it is time women took a non-partisan, non-religious stand against the idea that abortion is good for women and furthermore, not just a choice, but a “right.” “We have no hidden agenda here but a very open one: To eradicate abortion in Canada, not by legislation or force, but because that is what women choose. Women should band together to remove abortion from our cultural landscape,” she says. Mrozek is joined by a board of five professional women: Brigitte Pellerin in Ottawa, Raji Shankar in Toronto, Rebecca Walberg in Winnipeg and Dr. Sheryl Alger and psychologist Teresa Fraser in Calgary. Mrozek notes that abortion has become a pressing issue of freedom of speech. “Pro-lifers are told what they can and can’t say in politics, and pro-life clubs are currently being banned on our university campuses. No Canadian should be comfortable with this suppression of dialogue, irrespective of how they feel about abortion,” Mrozek said. To address the freedom of speech issue as well as the harm that abortion does to women, children and families, ProWomanProLife will blog with abandon. Our long-term goal is to become a charity that offers women better choices. But the first step is to raise our voices against the conventional, harmful wisdom that a willingness to kill her unborn child liberates a woman. -30- For further information please contact founding director Andrea Mrozek at 613-875-5888 or at andrea@prowomanprolife.org ProWomanProLife.org is the grassroots endeavor of the founding board, is not affiliated with any other organization and depends entirely on donations of time and money from individuals.
From CatholicInsight.com Features Catholic Insight has joined
a range of Canadian publications, groups and individuals who have become
targets of human rights-based legal attacks recently. Biased Abstinence Ed Report Draws Criticism
[From CitizenLink Nov. 9, 2007
Author works for company that produced condom-based sex ed curricula. Abstinence educators are crying foul over a report that claims their programs do not delay the initiation of sex, hasten the return to abstinence or reduce the number of sexual partners among teens. Douglas Kirby, author of the study, is a staff member of ETR, a company that specializes in condom-based sex education curricula. Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said that alone should cast doubt on the validity of the research. . . . . Klepacki [also] said that the biased study used a small sample of abstinence programs to make broad conclusions. And she added that it's certainly no accident the report was released just as Congress considered how much funding it will give to abstinence education. “And then these reports are reported as fact in
our liberal media.” [Click here to read the whole of the above article on the CitizenLink web page.]
__________
Bella The name Bella means beautiful. And it's a word that does not in any way apply to Jose or his life when we first meet him. Scruffy and forlorn, Jose hasn't been the same since a tragic accident ended his promising soccer career. Now he's the head chef at his brother's fancy restaurant. People worry about Jose. Working at that same restaurant is a young, unmarried woman named Nina who does not want to be pregnant. But she is. And her morning sickness and late arrivals get her fired. No one worries about Nina—except Jose. Jose is drawn to the troubled woman and offers his help. She's suspicious of his intentions at first, but her situation and his quiet persistence motivate her to accept the proffered friendship. Still, she brushes off his gentle encouragement to let her baby live. Nina has come to the conclusion that if her life is ever going to be normal again she must abort her little girl. This artistically low-key yet emotionally complex and compelling story focuses on two friends—one damaged by the past and the other afraid of the future—who help each other make a pair of life-changing choices. [To read the whole "Plugged In" review, click here.] Social
conservatives move on to next marriage debate Nearly a year after Parliament shelved the same-sex marriage debate, Canada's socially conservative thinkers are shifting gears and pushing government to promote and support the traditional family unit. There was nary a mention of same-sex marriage at a policy conference Thursday of the Institute for Marriage and Family Canada. Instead, speakers that included economists and writers emphasized the benefits of marriage to the social fabric and the economy. With Prime Minister Stephen Harper announcing a $13.5-billion surplus would ultimately translate into tax reductions, the notion of income-splitting was a popular topic. Right now married Canadians are taxed as individuals, but allowing them to split the total family income would be especially advantageous in situations where one spouse stays at home. "If we have high taxation, people also appear to have fewer children," said David Quist, executive director of the institute. "The two go hand in glove and that's a large part of what today is, to talk about strong family and strong society. If we have a weak family, we will in turn have a weak society as well." Said Douglas Cryer of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada: "There's things to consider, such as income splitting and other measures the government can do to strengthen marriage. Ultimately, it's a cultural as well as a government issue. We can't ask government to solve the problem of marriage. All of us need to work on it together." Most alarming to many participants was a Statistics Canada study released earlier this month that suggested fewer Canadians are getting married and more are in common-law relationships. Still, a married couple remained at the centre of 70% of families. American economist Jennifer Roback Morse, a research fellow at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, said her own research has shown that marriage is a much healthier proposition than co-habitation. She said women and their children who lived with boyfriends were more likely to face violence. She too suggested legislators should be encouraging marriage through their policies and regulations. "They should be looking at not treating cohabitation as equivalent to marriage," said Roback Morse. "Living together for one year is not equivalent to marriage, and it's not good policy to say it is. Taxing people as individuals is a mistake, it's better to treat marriage as a real functioning unit." All speakers emphasized the welfare of children as central to supporting traditional marriages. Fellow economist Doug Allen, of Simon Fraser University, suggested the government could help by revising its position on child support. He argued the guidelines for payments result in some custodial parents - mostly women - getting too much money. He said the system acted as an incentive to divorce for some. "For me the main goal is to have a greater proportion of children living with two married parents," said Allen. But is the Conservative government listening? Income splitting
is still being actively discussed in Harper's circles, and modest steps were
taken in the last budget to remove any unequal treatment between singles and
married couples. His government did away with the concept of a national
child-care program, but introduced a $100 per month taxable payment for every
child a family has under the age of 6. Jason Kenney, one of the party's leading
social conservatives and secretary of state for multiculturalism, attended most
of Thursday's conference. Quist is optimistic the message is getting through.
"The family advocates are having the best hearing that they've had with this
government for many, many years...," Quist said. "I find that encouraging. There
are people who are willing to listen to some of the discussions that are going
on today or similar discussions in the public sphere.
CitizenLink, September 27, 2
TV commercials plug it, the FDA approved it, news highlights tout it, but there
are serious concerns about the new vaccine Gardasil® from Merck. Medical
Accountability Network Executive Director Dr. Moira Dolan has reviewed the
information made generally available to physicians and outlines here the
essential components of informed consent for what is being billed as a miracle
anti-cancer
vaccine.
"Gardasil® vaccine is Merck's first big drug development since the Vioxx®
disaster. The basis for many Vioxx® lawsuits is that Merck withheld information
that clearly showed the dangers of the drug. The company's record does not
inspire trust.
"The
Vioxx® situation revealed a more treacherous problem existing within the FDA
itself. FDA insiders exposed how the agency deliberately ignored abundant test
information showing that Vioxx® was dangerous to cardiac patients. The systemic
failure of the FDA to weigh the risks and protect the public without undue
influence of the manufacturers was brought to light by Vioxx® but it has not yet
led to any meaningful changes at the agency. In spite of thousands of Vioxx®
product liability suits still unresolved, Gardasil® has gotten fast track FDA
approval, soon to be followed by Glaxo's Cervarix®.
"Does the vaccine work?
"What
is the effect of the vaccine on HPV infection?
"What is the effect of the
vaccine on cervical cancer?
"Is the HPV vaccine safe?
"How
does the HPV vaccine affect fertility? Birth defects? Risk of cancers? Breast
milk?
"Who would benefit from the vaccine?
GSAs: not as innocent as they may seemGay Straight Alliance promotes sex-toy workshop for youth. untabi[From the California Catholic Daily online, June 25, 2007]The Gay
Straight Alliance, which has clubs for homosexual and lesbian students on
college, high school, and, now middle school campuses, this month promoted a
“Pleasure Physiology and Sex Toys” workshop in its internet publication, GSA
Network News.
Jun 24,
2007 07:01 PM
[Note the enthusiasm expressed by the writer in this article.] . . . . "It's good for the people to express themselves, what their preferences are," Figueroa said of the parade. Figueroa had brought her daughter to the event in order to expose her to gay culture. "(She) won't see something like this as something forbidden, or as something that is not right," she said. "Hopefully in the future, (she) will see this like something normal." Several politicians also joined in the march, including Toronto Mayor David Miller, Ontario Progressive Conservative leader John Tory and Liberal MP Michael Ignatieff. [boldface by editor of BCPTL website] The event brings in an estimated $80 million to the local economy.
Toronto Sun online
June 30, 2007
Playing fast, looseBy MICHAEL COREN
Now that the downmarket bacchanalia of the Gay Pride parade in Canada's
largest city has ended we really should pose some of the serious questions
that mainstream media seemed terrified to ask last week. Questions that apply
to any such event in Canada or elsewhere in the world.
First is the basic issue of truth. The media constantly claimed that at least
a million people attended the Toronto event. Which would indicate enormous
approval of and support for homosexuality. The million myth was given again
and again until it became, as it were, a self-evident truth.
Problem is, it's almost impossible to accept. The average person takes up two
square feet of space, meaning that the parade last weekend would have extended
for at least 20 km. This is only if both sides of the street were packed
solid.
In fact there was plenty of space between the onlookers and the event took up
perhaps two km. There may have been 250,000 people present, maybe more or
maybe less. But anyone who has seen a photograph of a million strong crowd
knows that such a mass of humanity could never fit into the core of a city.
. . . . The police have a sophisticated grid system that indicates the size of a crowd. Odd, then, that they have said nothing when we hear of the magic million. Just as odd as their failure to arrest people over the years who take off their clothes during the Pride march.
There is ample photographic evidence of the nudity and of officers standing
by, grinning and doing nothing. For a community that claims only to want
equality, one wonders why the law does not apply to all when it is broken.
Which bring us to question of whether it is abusive to take a small child to a
parade where a significant minority of people are semi-naked, simulate sexual
activity, bump and grind and even whip each other for some bizarre form of
titillation.
There were many parents who took their small children to Gay Pride. Yet if,
for example, a parent sat a five or six-year-old down in front of a television
and showed a DVD of people pretending to have sex and taking their clothes
off, would we regard them as loving and responsible moms and dads or would we
call the Children's Aid Society?
Taking vulnerable and powerless little children to Pride, however, has become a badge for those who boast how progressive they are. Proving that broad-minded often means empty-headed. Gay men and women deserve respect and dignity and have the same right to
march as any other group. Difficult to see what was dignified about what went
on a few days ago and hard to understand why so many people are so reluctant
to state the obvious.
Story Highlights• 63 votes in favor will not be enough to override promised veto• Bush resists funding research that destroys living human embryos • Stem cells hold promise for treatment of variety of conditions WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate approved a measure that would roll back President Bush's 2001 limits on embryonic stem-cell research Wednesday afternoon, but the margin was short of the two-thirds needed to override a promised veto. Bush used the only veto of his presidency to date to kill a 2006 effort to loosen his policy on stem-cell research, which bars the use of federal funding for work that would destroy human embryos. In a statement issued after Wednesday's 63-34 vote, he said he would veto the new bill as well, saying it "crosses a moral line that I and many others find troubling." "I believe this will encourage taxpayer money to be spent on the destruction or endangerment of living human embryos -- raising serious moral concerns for millions of Americans," he said. But the president said he would sign a Republican alternative that would encourage other forms of stem-cell research without changing his 2001 policy. That measure passed by a 70-28 vote. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Republican bill was aimed at providing "cover" for lawmakers who wanted to vote against a popular issue. "Americans, by a huge majority, favor stem-cell research because they see the suffering of their own friends and relatives and neighbors. ... They put their faith in science," said Reid, D-Nevada. The measure passed Wednesday would allow researchers to obtain stem cells from embryos created for in vitro fertilization that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. The House of Representatives passed a similar bill in January, but it also fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. One of the Senate bill's principal sponsors, Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, said the bill had the support of three senators who did not vote Wednesday, meaning supporters were just one vote shy of the 67 needed to override a veto. [Click here to read the whole story on CNN online.]
Telus Drops Porn Service
After Complaints Onslaught By Gudrun Schultz CitizenLink.com
April 5, 2007 Appeals Court Rebuffs ACLU; Boy Scout Jamboree Will Go Onby Jennifer Mesko, associate editor Challengers claimed military aid for event was unconstitutional. The 2010
National Scout Jamboree is moving "full-speed ahead." A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S.
Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that plaintiff taxpayers from Chicago
— represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) — had no standing
in a case that accuses the military of violating the U.S. Constitution by
allowing the Boy Scouts of America to use its facilities. The ACLU sued the Department of Defense
in 1999 over its support of the National Scout Jamboree, because Scouting has a
"duty to God" requirement. "We are very gratified that the
7th Circuit found as it did that the ACLU had no standing to bring this lawsuit
in the first place," said Bob Bork, spokesman for the Scouts. "This is
very exciting news. It's full-speed ahead." The Boy Scouts have held the National
Scout Jamboree every four years at Fort A.P. Hill near Fredericksburg, Va. Seven
presidents have attended the Jamboree, and an estimated 300,000 visitors
attended in 2005, along with 43,000 Scouts and their leaders. The 2010 Jamboree
will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. In another case — this one in San
Diego — the 9th Circuit has ruled the ACLU and its plaintiffs have standing to
sue the Scouts over use of a public park. The Scouts have asked the court to
rehear their appeal. That case and the Jamboree case could reach the Supreme
Court at the same time. Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for
Focus on the Family Action, said the 7th Circuit correctly rejected the notion
that any taxpayer with a generalized grievance over the federal government's
support of Scouting can use the federal courts as a personal veto tool. "This national obsession by atheists, secularists and homosexual activists with the Boy Scouts over the years has been disgraceful," he said, "in light of the contributions that organization has made to our national life since its inception here in 1910."
2006
If nothing else, 2006 was the beginning of awareness, that parents, could
no longer ‘sit on the fence’ with social issues in In
In
July/06, the BC Parents and Teachers for Life asked 3 simple questions; 2.
Specifically, are minors subjected to abortions without any requirement for
parental consent? 3.
To what extent are students subjected to
pro-homosexuality propaganda in the schools, and if they are subjected to such
propaganda, is this with In
August/06 the Renfrew County Family Action Council sent the questions to the
public school administration and subsequently to our local MPP. Neither has
given a definitive answer but we can be . . . sure they all know their salary
and benefits to the penny. We
really don’t know the education system until we test it. We do know that these
3 matters leave our education system open to health risks, large litigation
settlements and abuse by people who clearly have no mandate from the parents. The
Ken
O’Day, chairman, Renfrew
County Family Action Council Eganville,
Ont.
Stem Cells Discovered in Amniotic Fluid, Scientists Announce January 8, 2007 The cells appear to rival embryonic cells in their ability to give The report by Anthony Atala and colleagues appears in yesterday's The finding raises new hope for advances in tissue repair and organ Such objections arise because embryonic stem cells must be harvested In contrast, amniotic stem cells can be collected during a routine In a teleconference Friday, Atala said that while it is too soon to "I don't think these cells are going to replace [human embryonic
Atala said the cells his group isolated are unique in their ability
Landmark ruling allows children to have three parents
Peter Brieger, CanWest News Service Published: Wednesday, January 03, 2007
TORONTO -- Ontario's highest court has ruled a child can have three parents,
in a landmark case experts say rewrites the definition of a family. Calling it an "important and novel case," the Ontario Court of
Appeal overturned an earlier judgment that denied a woman status as the legal
guardian of a boy she has been raising with her female partner. "This is the first time in Canada that three parents will be recognized on a birth certificate," said Karen Busby, University of Manitoba law profes |
