Category: Politics

Left Wing rants, Andrew Wilkie for Bennelong, Down with Dubbya.

A pig has the intelligence of a 3 year old child

More than 90% of pigs raised for Australia’s pork, bacon and ham products are confined in factory farms—a fact not advertised by the pork industry. Caring Australians are buying these products not realising that they are supporting animal cruelty.

In factory farms, painful surgical procedures are performed on pigs without pain relief and ‘sow stalls’ confine pregnant pigs in cages so tiny that they cannot even turn around. These cruel cages have been banned in Britain, Sweden and Switzerland, and are being phased out elsewhere. Yet last year, Australian politicians voted to continue to allow their use.

From Animals Australia

Shocking

I saw this video a few days ago, and it’s still haunting me.

Whether you are pro choice or not – you have to agree that there are some disturbing consequences of these laws. These things could happen in Australia if Fred Nile and his mates get their way – and anywhere that women don’t own the fight for equal rights.

Feminist is not a dirty word.

Breastfeeding Makes Kids Behave Better

According to a new study, referred to in this Washington Post article, breastfeeding has a positive influence on children’s behaviour, and it could be cumulative.

I know a few kids that were “full term” breast-fed that could challenge that theory – but maybe they might have been worse on formula 😉

And in other news, I also found an article that talks about PTSD in women after a traumatic birth experience.

I’m clearly doing much better now, but I think that PTSD (or something similar) is a much more fitting way of describing how I’ve been feeling for most of the last year than PND.

A dear friend had her 6 week checkup (something every woman has with a GP, 6 weeks after birth), and when her doctor asked how she felt, she said “it was awful, and I feel traumatised”. The doctor said “hmm”, and carried on with the exam. Take that sentence, and say it to a doctor in any other context, and I’d be stunned if there wasn’t some sort of medical follow up, at the very least a suggestion that the patient might want to talk to a mental health professional. But this doctor didn’t, maybe because it’s expected that women will be traumatised by their birth experience.

And that’s not OK. I wish I knew what to do about it.

Melissa Etheridge Finds a Silver Lining

If I’m not entitled to equal rights, you’re not entitled to my taxes.

P.S. I do feel a bit stupid banging on about same sex issues, when I am clearly hetero breeder from the suburbs. I know my attitude to these issues probably irritates some people, but I think it’s important that we stand up for people that are being oppressed – whether or not we are personally affected.

And I do feel personally affected. I can’t explain why, it doesn’t make much sense to me – but every time I hear of people celebrating their love, I feel that I share a little bit of their joy. And when I hear about injustice and bigotry, I take it very personally.

Republican Vs. Democrat

When McCain (graciously) mentioned Obama in his speech, his supporters booed.

When Obama mentioned McCain, his supporters cheered. It wasn’t a loud cheer, but it was a cheer. Though McCain seems to have extremely good manners, I can’t say the same for his supporters.

Which exactly reflects my experience with the more passionate members the more “right” of our major political parties.

It’s been my experience (though I’d happily be proved wrong) that people on the right tend to be a little more self interested, and people on the left tend to be a little more generous, caring, and kind.

On election day 2004, I helped a woman with a pram up some stairs at the polling booth. A man handing out how to votes for the Liberal party approached me and suggested that I shouldn’t help out in future. “She’ll tip the baby out of the pram, and sue you for damages, and then you’ll lose your house”, he said.

I believe that he was honestly trying to help me out, but suggesting that any mother would deliberately harm her child for financial gain is abhorrent to me, especially now that I am a mother.

Of course, back then I had nothing worth suing over, now I do, but I’ll still be helping anyone I see that needs a hand. And hopefully I’ll do it with *good manners.

*I tried to stand up for a shop assistant on Monday who was being harassed by a racist. Unfortunately I forgot my manners, and I don’t think I made a very good impression on the racist, and I was pretty ashamed of myself.

Maternity Services Review

The Federal government is undertaking a review of maternity services.

Now is our chance to put alternative models of service delivery on the table. The Health Minister has expressed interest in funding home birth and expanding midwifery led models of care so our submissions, as consumers, can make a real difference.

PLEASE:
Write a brief submission explaining what you valued your homebirth/midwifery led care OR why you would have liked it but were unable to access it.

Length – 1 page (or less if you don’t have time for more)

Due date: 31 October 2008

Send it in:

Email: Maternity.Services.Review@health.gov.au

Post:
The Secretariat
Maternity Services Review
MDP 94, GPO Box 9848
CANBERRA ACT 2600