Harper Conservatives vs. Canadian Women

Remember how Stephen Harper promised that his government would never re-open the issue of abortion in Canada? Don't be so certain of that.

While Harper's supporters would like us to forget it, his core base includes the so-called Christian Right (ie. groups like Focus on the Family, the Canadian Family Action Coalition, the Institute for Marriage and the Family, and the other politely-labeled hate groups). And that core base turned out in Ottawa today, to demand that Emperor Harper ban abortion. It's even being Tweeted, that about 65 Conservative Meat Puppets will table a private member's bill to do just that (which is an extremely sleazy way for Harper to claim that he personally never re-opened this Pandora's Box).

Now, before we get into this rant, let me make something clear. I personally am very dodgy about abortion; I have a very big problem with it being treated like just another kind of birth control, and I have no sympathy for women who get them simply because they couldn't be bothered to make sure their partners wore rubbers. However, I have an even bigger problem with any group -- or government -- telling a group of complete strangers that they have no right to control their own bodies (especially in a case like rape or incest).

Am I the only one to find it a little odd, that the same people who claim to hate big and intrusive government, want to intrude on a woman's private parts? And that they claim to not want to control people's lives, but that is EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO?

Of course, there's also that tiny little issue of how these groups claim to be "pro-life", yet they often hate public health care, hate welfare, hate day care, hate public schools, hate gun control, and are totally fine with pre-emptive wars and the death penalty (and often act like vegetarians are freaks of nature). George Carlin put it a hell of a lot better than I ever could, but it is pretty obvious that these zealots don't really give a shit about preserving life.

Finally, I know that social conservatives hate facts (as well as a lot of other things), but here are some big ones they need to respect: the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that forbidding a woman from getting an abortion is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Whatever else your thoughts are on abortion, it's easy to see why: telling someone that they have no ownership of their own body, is essentially slavery. Furthermore, the majority of Canadians are pro-choice. By trying to force this agenda on us, you are directly saying that the voices of the majority do not matter -- I know that you don't think that this is important, but it would cost Harper big time in the next election (if he decides to allow one).

Oh, and while we're speaking of holes in your philosophy, can you please try to remember "judge not lest ye be judged", "forgive thy enemies", and "render unto Caesar, that which is Casesar's"? Thank you.

February's Morons of the Month

• The Republican Party, for their MANY attacks on women. Specifically, under the guise of restricting what kinds of abortion are funded by any health insurance, they attempted to re-define rape (essentially turning a blind eye to statutory and date rape). Then they tried to pass a bill that would have let pregnant women with LETHAL complications die, rather than be given an emergency abortion. Then, they tried to sneak in a law that would have made it legal to murder abortion doctors. And finally, at least one Republican is wanting to form "uterus police" that would have the power to arrest women for having miscarriages.

Thankfully, most (if not all) of these measures, DID NOT pass.

• "Reverend" Doctor Charles McVety, for filing a totally groundless lawsuit against former employer Crossroads Television (a conservative Christian TV station in Canada), for supposed political persecution. He was, in fact, fired for REPEATEDLY lying on the air, about homosexuals -- which got the station in trouble with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council. Since this can make them lose their license, they -- quite rightly -- told McVety to cut it out, and he refused. In other words, he's suing his ex-bosses, for disciplining him when he didn't do what he was told to do.

I'll remind you, he's one of those blowhards who think that gay people, liberals, and non-Christians, lack any morals.

He also claims to be defending Canadian families, against said immorality.

• The Tea Party Terrorist Group (and Republican Representative Paul Broun), for (respectively) threatening to shoot Barack Obama, and taking it very lightly. I've already passed this on to the FBI, in Broun's home state of Georgia. If anyone reading this, can contact the Secret Service, please pass this along.

And these guys claim they are loyal Americans, and never EVER get violent? Please.

• Oh, and let's not forget the Tea Party-led government of Wisconsin, for grossly attacking unionized workers (apparently forgetting that they are officially in power to save the working-class American). This is especially rich, given that the Fox News gestapo who (quel suprise) are calling the unionists, communists and traitors, are THEMSELVES IN UNIONS.

• Emperor Stephen Harper and Minister of International Co-Operation Bev Oda, for thinking that's perfectly fine to forge a document that revokes a church group's funding (after it's been approved), and then lying to Parliament and the Canadian people about it. So much for all of that accountability, and law-and-order, that Harper promised when he was running for Prime Minister.

Finally, while I don't think it's very nice to attack imploding celebrities who have addictions, it's very hard to overlook Lindsay Lohan and Charlie Sheen's recent antics -- one is facing the very real possibility of going to jail (apparently not getting the message), and the other's career is probably destroyed because he insulted his boss on the radio. Get better, guys -- but thanks for coming out.

Even More Harper Bullshit

Harper the Fake Feminist

So Emperor Harper, no doubt in a desperate bid to keep power, has announced to the world stage that his new priority is the welfare of women and children. He exclaims that that should be the top goal of the G8 and G20 conferences this year, encouraging and "enlightened" policy from all.

In case you're wondering, the other world leaders aren't buying it, and neither are most Canadians. This is for a very simple reason: Harper standing up for womens' rights, is like Fred Phelps standing up for a gay pride parade.

This is not only the same man, whose party is supported by ultra-conservative religious groups, bound and determined to keep women in the home; this is not only the same person whose party has repeatedly condemned single mothers and the lower-class in general; this is not only the same person whose government has slashed funding to several women's programs and widened the gender salary gap...

This is the same man who, just last year, personally referred to women as "a left-wing fringe group". In plain English, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, have complete and utter contempt for women. Therefore, the only reason that Harper is suddenly applauding the fairer sex, must be for the same reason he suddenly acknowledged we were in a recession, or suddenly announced stimulus spending, or EI reform: he's trying to save his own ass.

Nevermind that this shows absolutely no sincerity on Harper's part, but based on past experience you can bet that his supposed "enlightenment" will either be very limited, or totally forgotten about in the next couple of months. Hopefully Canadian voters now have longer attention spans than that, and won't fall for it.