Just time, if you are quick

The Welsh Government's Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill is due to have its
Stage 3 debate on final amendments on July 2nd.

The closing date for Government amendments is the 21st June but that for amendments from Assembly members is 25th June.

While we do not yet know which amendments may be available on July 2nd,
there are several amendments that those who oppose the principle of deemed
consent may support, in good conscience, because they will ameliorate the
effects of the Bill.

Please email this letter to Suzy Davies AM (before close of play June 25th):

Dear Ms. Davies,

                               The Welsh Government is due to discuss the Stage 3 amendments on July 2^nd. I hope that you will be willing to support amendments which may ameliorate this unnecessary Bill.

                          The donation figures published on 11^thApril 2013 showed that all the other U.K. countries had achieved the target of 50% increase in donation rates set by the U.K. Organ Donation Task Force; only Wales failed miserably, and this in spite of leading the way in earlier years. The

recommendations of the UK ODTF as to how improvement could come about were working well and Wales achieved a 49% increase in 2011/12. This year, the figures slumped to 15.6% although organ donation was widely publicised as a result of the consultations and debates on the Human Transplantation Bill. This is very disappointing when N. Ireland, for example, achieved an increase of over 80%.

                     I noted your speech in the Assembly during the debate at Stage1  and I  note that you were especially concerned that there was no family veto on the face of the Bill. Even Spain, the best country in the world for donor rates, always asks the family and never takes organs without the family’s consent; if Wales wants to follow the example of Spain, it will always ask for the family’s permission. Moreover, the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, on the 10^th May 2010 told the Observer "We have decided on soft presumed consent, where relatives can veto organ donation, because we want to make it as easy as possible," he said. "At the moment, if people are not carrying donor cards then it is presumed they didn't want to be a donor. If we presume everyone does – unless certain conditions are met–we don't want to be in a position where we are taking organs against the wishes of the family. There  is no question of that."

                 

                         I hope you will remind the First Minister of his promise. Will he keep his word and put this veto on the face of the Bill? Perhaps, Darren Millar, as Shadow Health Minister, will propose this amendment with your support.

                            Yours sincerely,

Here is her email address:           suzy.davies@wales.gov.uk

Smacking to become illegal in Wales - but go ahead and have an abortion

Is it a giant magic mushroom?
Or a nuclear explosion?
No, it's the Welsh Assembly version of
The Houses of Parliament!

Today's latest nonsense from the Welsh Assembly Government is a vote to introduce a law banning the smacking of children in Wales.
This follows on closely from yesterday's move to make it illegal to have body piercings below the age of sixteen whilst abortions may be carried out virtually regardless of age.

Now I am not advocating smacking one's child but I do believe that this sort of decision should be left in the hands of the parents rather than a bunch of, well you know what they are!
Equally, I abhor body piercings but, again, do not believe that legislation is a means of effective action. Lawmaking should be done with regard to public safety, national security, protection of goods and property and so on.

It should not involve itself with the colour of a woman's lipstick or the side a man parts his hair - that must be determined by the individual.

The hypocrisy is, of course, that young girls are being influenced and counselled into having abortions whilst the Assembly worries about how many piercings they have or whether they were smacked last night.

The people of Wales deserve much better than their current government. Much better.

You can have an abortion but no ear studs!

The good old Welsh Assembly is poised to commit yet another classical piece of hypocrisy as it starts to move towards making it illegal for under 16s to have body piercings. But, of course, you may have the ultimate body piercing of a baby removed from your womb - no problem! no laws broken, except for Almighty God's and who these days cares about that?

So,  we in Great Britain (and especially Wales) can congratulate ourselves that we have modelled a society that makes it illegal to buy fireworks, cigarettes and alcohol below the age of 18 and to have body piercings below the age of 16 but...wait for it.......you can get an abortion under the age of 16!

I guess not many people will have watched the Welsh Assembly in action on television......but, should you switch on at such a moment let me assure you that it is more dynamic and inspirational to watch stones move.

Welcome to Wales! Land of the free.......

......Abortion!

Yes, as of today it will be easier for a 13 year old girl to obtain a "morning after" abortion than it would be for her to buy a packet of Smarties. This is a first for Wales as, elsewhere in Great Britain, a medical consultation and payment (excluding Scotland) is required.

No parental approval is required, all a child has to do is present herself at the local chemist shop and make the request. The pills will be handed over, free and without any check from the child's medical practitioner.

Which is the easiest to obtain - these abortion pills?

Or these? - it's the pills actually!

This has all occurred as a result of the machinations of the Welsh Assembly Government. Anyone who has ever seen a televised debate from the WAG proceedings will know that we are not dealing with cutting edge politics here; in fact, the level of dialogue has been of such dire depths that it has added a certain charm to the practice of watching paint dry. Members address each other by their Christian names and the whole exercise takes on the character of a street residents' association discussing the latest scheme involving grass verge maintenance.

The effects of what the 'experts' and the media are quaintly calling "Emergency contraception" will undoubtedly be a rapid increase in the number of abortions (although this will not be seen on the statistical reports as, of course, there will be no recording or monitoring involved).
The morning after pills are on the verge of becoming the next teenage "must haves" along with iphones and vodka eyewashes.

The whirlwind will be reaped in the years ahead when parents, teachers and the health services will have to cope with the psychologically disturbed who have availed themselves of this service.
Our Lady of the Taper, Pray for Wales!

NB - I have only just seen Catholic and Welsh's excellent take on the subject

Should your Bishop tell you how to vote?

I have always believed that the Church should play a part in politics but only so far as issues concerning faith and morals are concerned; abortion, euthanasia, IVF, these are all valid issues that our pastors should stand up and lead us on in our stance as to where we place our particular "cross".

But I am not so sure about a general sweeping directive as to which political party we should support. In fact, I am very unsure about such a move. I remember back in the 1980s when I still put myself and my family through the pain of NO Sunday Mass celebrated by a rather pompous curate who gave sermons on the teachings of Ghandi and whom, rather spectacularly, one Sunday, told us that, as Catholics, it was our duty to vote for Labour. I tackled him on this subject (among many others) but got absolutely nowhere, but in those days, I tried so very hard to make allowances for such nitwittery. Now I don't bother, age has its compensations.

But now, the Bishops of Wales, bless them, have put their oar in the water with regard to today's electoral vote as to whether the Welsh Assembly should have law giving powers or whether it should remain subject to the Whitehall rubber stamp.

"After me now - all vote YES!"

Now let me say that I do understand the frustration of my Welsh friends who feel that all that they do has to be approved of by English men and women. But then, in England, we also have Welsh MPs who vote and debate on subjects of intense Englishness. Fairness? What has fairness got to do with anything?

Let us put on one side for a minute, this notion of partisanship, of England versus Wales or, vice versa! What I am concerned with is the right of a Bishop to advise his flock as to how they should vote. Forgive me, but Bishops have been remarkably silent over things such as Homosexual Adoption (they have let go the Catholic Adoption Agencies lest they or someone very close to them might be had up before the beak on charges relating to sticking up for one's faith). The Bishops have been somehat invisible when it comes to prayer groups outside abortuaries, of leading petitions regarding euthanasia or allowing the elderly and infirm to die for lack of hydration in hospital. But they are pretty good at joining pop stars and B list celebs at their partying in Switzerland or St Trop or wherever (that is rather snide of me but it is true).
So I do get a little peeved when I hear things like the Bishops of Wales (Regan of Wrexham who is long past his sell by date and Burns of Menevia) together with Mgr Bob Reardon who is sitting on the pyre that is the Cardiff Archdiocese who have, apparently issued a statement that was read out at Masses in Wales last Sunday, telling us mindless morons, that it is our duty to vote for law giving powers for the Assembly - pause for deep breath!

I have some knowledge of the internal workings of the Assembly - it is not for the faint hearted or for those who are in the process of digesting a meal. I recall (pre Assembly days) when the Welsh Development Agency was in full swing, of meeting their top honcho in Japan. He had no concept of the geography of West Wales and even less knowledge of the economic situation. That evening, at a VIP party given in our honour in Tokyo, he fell off his chair (next to me) totally inebriated. A few months later the Western Mail exposed him as being the highest paid member of the WDA staff ( c. £250,000 pa) with an expense account of £25,000 per quarter to boot. That is a sort of metaphor as to how I see today's Welsh Assembly - a gross waste of money and not fully compos mentis as to where it is going. So why give it more power? It's not as if it was a good democratic decision in the first place. It slipped into being like a phantom pregancy that, in the ninth month suddenly came to fruition to the surpise and astonishment of all.
Is half way through Mass an appropriate time and place to give advice as to where one should place one's cross? Is it the role of the Bishop (or Monsignor) to tell us where we should give our loyalty?
No, of course it isn't but, apparently, the Catholic masses (as opposed to the Masses) are brainless numbskulls who very much depend on pastoral letters to tell them what to do.
If only Monty Python was still running they would find such rich material here!