PM Brown's Cabinet Implodes

"Ding, dong, the witch has gone..." Aren't I cruel?

For PM Gordon Brown and his cabinet, the proverbial has hit the fan. Hazel Blears and Jacqui Smith are the latest to fall upon their swords. The Labour Party, the Government and perhaps even the political stability of the UK is in free fall. There is no trust in the political system and the character of the MPs in Parliament. BNP and UKIP are waiting in the wings. These are dangerous times. Say a prayer to Our Lady of Walsingham for England.

Jackie Brown

Back to Quentin Tarantino for his 1997 crime opus Jackie Brown. Many critics and viewers have (both positively and negatively) claimed that this film is somehow a departure from his previous two films, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. I don't see this as being the case, however. Admittedly the film is less saturated in graphic violence, pop culture references and film buff moments than Tarantino's previous efforts, and a bit more focused on characterization. However, it still maintains the style, panache, deadpan dialogue and intricate plotting of his previous films, and if it's not quite as good as Pulp Fiction, it's considerably better than Reservoir Dogs.

Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) is a middle-aged, down-on-her-luck airline stewardess who runs money to Mexico for arms dealer Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson) on the side. Jackie is arrested by the Feds for a planted stash of cocaine, and she's quickly bailed out by Ordell, who is highly suspicious of her, to say the least. Desperate to get out of trouble, Jackie, with the help of bond officer Max Cherry (Robert Forster), launches an intricate scheme to get herself out of trouble with the law and get back at Ordell in the bargain. Also involved in the plot are Louis (Robert De Niro), an ex-con friend of Ordell's, and Melanie (Bridget Fonda), Ordell's loud-mouthed, dope-smoking girlfriend, who plan a scheme of their own to swindle both Jackie and Ordell.

Jackie Brown is not so much a departure from Tarantino's earlier films as it is a much more mature version of the same. The intricate, Swiss-watch plotting is just as skillfully done as Pulp Fiction, although the story is much more focused, and the characters are, for the most part, much better-drawn. Indeed, characterization is undoubtedly the film's strong-suit: Jackie and Max at least are sympathetic, flawed and complex characters, not criminals by nature but damaged people trying to get by - hardly cool tough guys like the color crooks or Vince and Jules. The movie makes a few nods to blaxsploitation pics of the '70s (and a soundtrack full of Motown favorites) but keeps its pop culture references mostly in check; Tarantino makes the story (adapted from an Elmore Leonard novel) his own, creating a rivetting crime epic in the process. The movie may run a bit long in the tooth at 155 minutes, but it's never boring and the vagaries of the plot and characters are more than enough to keep a viewer interested for the duration.

Tarantino's cast is somewhat scaled down compared to his previous efforts, but this hardly a bad thing. Former '70s blaxploitation star Pam Grier is a revelation in the title role. Still gorgeous at 48, Grier has a great screen presence, and brings a large degree of depth, strength and weariness to Jackie, giving a career-best performance. Robert Forster, another refugee from '70s B-movies (remember Alligator?), is equally solid as her initially reluctant accomplice Max. Samuel L. Jackson is good playing his usual foul-mouthed tough guy part, and Michael Keaton is well-cast as a duplicitious police officer. On the other hand, Robert De Niro and Bridget Fonda are underused and don't contribute much to the film (their roles are hardly "crucial" as Video Hound claims), and even in a very brief role Chris Tucker is horribly annoying (at least Tarantino has the good sense to pump him full of lead at the earliest opportunity).

Although not his best work, Jackie Brown is another solid entry in Tarantino's oeuvre and comes highly recommended. However, forgive me for hesitating in plunging into the Kill Bill films for the moment.

Rating: 8/10 - Highly Recommended

The Guardian Newspaper's Guide to Abortion

I found this on The Guardian website. It gives 'information' on abortion. What I found striking was that the language of the 'guide' is so flippant about the health risks of abortion, which it suggests is a course of action taken as a health-related matter. My comments in orange, bold obviously...It is long, but I think, worth a fisk.

This information tells you about an abortion to end a pregnancy. It explains the different types of abortion, how they work, what the risks are and what to expect afterwards. [Introductory para: There are risks to having an abortion. That's not a great start...].

The statistics we've included here are based on research studies. But some things, such as the chances of having complications, can vary from hospital to hospital. You may want to talk about this with the doctors and nurses treating you. [2nd paragraph: "There could be complications. But don't worry, it is pot luck on which hospital you go to. Hey, life's a lottery so just roll with it! It's nothing to do with the medical studies!"].

This information is about abortions for women who are less than 13 weeks [over 3 months] pregnant. More than 9 in 10 women have their abortion in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy.[1] However, in the UK, you can legally have an abortion at any time up to your 24th week [6 months] of pregnancy.

What is an abortion?

An abortion is a way of ending your pregnancy [There are other ways of ending your pregnancy. Abortion is one way. The other way is by giving birth to the child]. Abortions can be done with drugs or surgery .

* Drugs cause your womb to cramp. The contents of your womb [the unborn baby] pass[es] out of your vagina like a heavy period [a very heavy period]

* Surgery involves gently stretching the entrance to your womb (cervix) until it is wide enough for the fetus to be removed with a suction tube [the unborn baby is hoovered out of your body and is then binned]

You can have either type of abortion at any stage of pregnancy, but it's safest to use drugs in very early pregnancy [there are risks very early and later]. Surgery isn't usually done before you are seven weeks pregnant. Before this, the fetus may be too small for the doctor to find ["So wait until the baby has grown more so the doctor can find it, because at the moment, the baby is too small. It is alive and growing, so wait a while"] [2]

You may not want to be pregnant because of circumstances at home or problems with your relationship [even though according to studies described later in this article, 1 in 4 women report relationship problems after an abortion]. Your health may be at risk, or there may be a chance that the baby will have a medical problem [even though this guide explicitly admits that abortion carries health risks to you and to your unborn child, should the abortion 'not work' and the baby survives, or it is botched and stays in your body]. This information can't help you make the decision to have an abortion [It can help you decide against it if you read the orange bold input!]. What it does is to tell you what will happen if you decide to go ahead [No it does not. It basically says that abortion is like lucky dip. Read on].

The decision to have an abortion is a very personal one. Whatever your reasons, no-one has to know about your abortion unless you want them to. Your usual doctor, partner or parents don't have to be informed, even if you are under 16 ["You don't have to tell mummy or daddy, or even the father or your trusted family GP..." Anyone would have thought abortion carries a certain stigma or taboo] [3] If you are under 16, most doctors will suggest you talk to your parents ['But you just said no-one has to know? How confusing!'].

Can I have an abortion?

The law says you can have an abortion if:

* You are less than 24 weeks [6 months] pregnant
* Two doctors agree that it would cause less damage to your physical or mental health than going on with the pregnancy [How is this decided?] This is a legal requirement, but in many cases it is just a formality. [Which is it? A legal requirement or just a formality!?] [3] You should be able to have an abortion if you choose to [regardless of the second signature or lack thereof?]. If your usual doctor is unwilling to refer you for an abortion, you are entitled to go to another doctor who will [I see, the second signature bit is easy to get around] Charities which offer abortion advice, such as the British Pregnancy Advisory Service [There is even a 'charity' set up to get you the elusive second signature] (http://www.bpas.org), can help with getting authorisation from two doctors. ["Leave the paperwork to us..."]

You can only have an abortion after 24 weeks if there are exceptional circumstances, such as a risk to your health [You can have an abortion after 24 weeks if you get two signatures from doctors. However, if you read on, you will discover that abortion is indeed a risk to your health. i.e it is far from 100% safe either mentally or physically. So how on earth is the judgment made?].

The doctor works out how many weeks pregnant you are by counting from the first day of your last period. The earlier in your pregnancy you have an abortion, the more likely it is to work and the safer it is.[2] [4] [5] [6]

Guidelines for doctors say that:[2]

* You shouldn't have to wait more than three weeks between asking for an abortion and your appointment
* You should be cared for separately from women who may be going ahead with a pregnancy
* You should be given the choice between an abortion using drugs or surgery. However, some hospitals don't offer both, so it's important to check this with your doctor.[1] [So...read on, you may be out of luck and have to have the doctor remove the baby by an even more barbaric method than you had thought]

More than 190,000 women have an abortion in England and Wales each year.[7] At least a third of British women will have had an abortion by the time they are 45.[1] There are more restrictions on abortion in Northern Ireland than there are in England, Wales and Scotland.

What happens during an abortion?

Preparing for an abortion:

Before the abortion, your doctors will give you a check-up and ask about your health.[2] You will have a blood test to make sure you have enough iron in your blood. You may have an ultrasound scan. This isn't essential, but it can tell you more precisely how many weeks pregnant you are.

If there's a risk that you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia, you may have tests to check. Having an STI can increase your risk of getting an infection after the abortion, so it's best to get it treated [but even if you do, you may still contract an infection and leave the clinic in a less healthy state than that in which you entered].

An abortion using drugs

An abortion using drugs is called a medical abortion. You might hear it called the abortion pill, but it doesn't just involve taking a pill. You need to take two different tablets, usually two days apart. You'll need to visit the clinic or hospital twice and have a check-up about a week later.

* On the first visit you take tablets called mifepristone. These block the hormone that makes the lining of your womb hold onto the fetus. You should wait at the clinic for half an hour or so to make sure the tablets are working properly.
* You can carry on as normal in the two days between appointments. You may get some bleeding or period-like pains.
* On the second visit, about two days later, you'll be given one of two drugs. These are called misoprostol and gemeprost. They contain a hormone called prostaglandin, which makes your womb push out the fetus. They are usually given as a tablet that you put into your vagina. You can also get misoprostol tablets that you swallow, but it works better and has fewer side effects when used in your vagina.[8]
* You may be given a choice between going home and staying in the clinic or hospital after taking the second drug. You don't have to lie in bed. You may feel more comfortable walking around or watching television.
* The drugs can sometimes make you feel sick, vomit or have diarrhoea. [The drugs have nasty side effects] The cramps in your womb will be painful, [this procedure will be painful] but the nurse can give you a strong painkiller to help [but hey we've got painkillers!]. The pain usually settles after the abortion.

The abortion usually happens after the second visit [Second visit? You mean it isn't over?]. It will be like a very heavy period with clots of blood. It should be over within four hours to six hours. You will keep bleeding after this, but it will be much lighter. You'll need to wear sanitary towels to soak up the blood as you may get an infection with tampons.

Occasionally, the abortion takes longer than four hours to start [Sometimes the drugs don't work]. If this happens, you may be given another dose of the second drug you took [The does is increased]. Abortions can take longer to start in women who are more than nine weeks pregnant. You can be given up to four doses of the second drug, with a three-hour gap between doses, until the abortion happens [You could be in the clinic for up to 12 hours, while they dose you full of drugs to get rid of the fetus]. [2]

It's important that you take the second drug, even though it means a second visit to the clinic. There is lots of research to show that taking two drugs works far better than taking one.[8] [9] [Is it me or is this guide to medical abortion not filling you with confidence in the procedure? Some research says this, some research says that!]

Drugs used for abortion

The second drug you take will be either misoprostol or gemeprost. Misoprostol was originally used for treating stomach ulcers. Many doctors use misoprostol for abortions, and studies show that it works and is safe.[2] [8] But it hasn't been licensed for abortions by the government organisation that decides on the safety of drugs [Say what?! Let's run that one by, one more time. The drug used by many doctors for abortions has not been licensed by the government for use as an abortive drug?! Holy crap! This procedure is illegal!] It's common for drugs to be used outside their original license, so there's no need to worry about this [Oh really?! You mean like heroin, cocaine and morphine?].

Having a surgical abortion

The operation doctors usually use for an abortion is called suction aspiration or vacuum aspiration. This is because the contents of your womb [err...guys, that is the baby] are [is] gently sucked out with a tube and pump.

The operation takes about 10 minutes. You should expect to stay at the clinic for a few hours. You can usually go home the same day. You don't have to get fully undressed. You'll be asked to take off your pants shortly beforehand.

The entrance to your womb may be softened with a hormone called prostaglandin. This is done to make it easier for your doctor to open your cervix without damaging it. You or your doctor may put a prostaglandin tablet into your vagina three hours before surgery. Or you may be given tablets to take at home a day or two before your operation.

You can have a general anaesthetic, which makes you sleep, or a local anaesthetic, which numbs the area around the entrance to your womb. With a local anaesthetic you are awake and aware of what's happening, but you won't feel any pain. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you during surgery to make sure you're OK.

During a surgical abortion, the fetus is gently sucked out of your womb. The suction can be done with an electric pump or a syringe operated by hand. It doesn't involve any cutting. If you have an abortion using an electric pump, you will usually have a general anaesthetic.

Here's what happens.

* First, the doctor inserts a small instrument called a speculum into your vagina so he or she can see your cervix. Your cervix is cleaned with a swab.
* Your cervix is gently stretched and opened. A series of metal instruments called dilators are put into your cervix, starting with one that is 2 millimetres (1/12 of an inch) wide. Bigger ones are added until your cervix is open. How far open your cervix needs to be depends on how many weeks pregnant you are. If you are nine weeks pregnant, 9 millimetres (a third of an inch) should be enough.
* A thin plastic tube is put into your womb through the cervix. The contents of your womb are gently sucked into the tube using a pump.
* If you're awake during surgery, you'll probably feel strong, period-type pains.

If you're having an abortion with a hand-held syringe, your cervix will not need to be opened beforehand, as the tube used is very thin and bendy. You will have a local anaesthetic and the abortion will probably happen in a small treatment room rather than an operating theatre. It takes longer than suction using an electric pump.

After a rest and a check-up, most women can leave the clinic within three hours. Driving isn't recommended for 48 hours after a general anaesthetic. You may be given antibiotics to prevent infection.

How well do abortions work?

Abortions usually work [usually work?] and most women are no longer pregnant afterwards [most women?!] [8] [10] [11] But there is a small chance that you will still be pregnant after your abortion [So, there is a chance you will experience a botched abortion?].[3]

* Just over 2 in 1,000 women who have a surgical abortion are still pregnant afterwards.[2] [10] [Still pregnant?]
* Some studies show that as few as 2 in 1,000 women are still pregnant after a medical abortion. Other studies show that between 1 in 100 and 2 in 100 are still pregnant. [Which one's the right one? Do the clinics not keep records?] The results of studies vary because they looked at different drugs.[3] [11]

Before the seventh week of pregnancy, a medical abortion works better than a surgical abortion.[3] [8] [11]

Some women prefer surgery because they don't want the heavy blood loss you get after a medical abortion. Surgery is also quicker and happens in one go. Other women prefer to take drugs because they feel more in control, see it as more natural, or because they don't want the risks of surgery or an anaesthetic.

What if my abortion doesn't work? [There is a chance your abortion won't work]
An incomplete abortion means that part of the contents of your womb [the baby] is left behind. This is more common with a medical abortion than a surgical one. You'll usually need surgery to remove the contents of your womb. About 2 in 100 women who have a medical abortion need surgery afterwards.There's a very small chance that an abortion won't work [There is a 2% chance that the clinic will botch your abortion and you will still have parts of the baby in your womb].

If your abortion hasn't worked at all, [the clinic cannot 100% guarantee they will not botch your abortion] you may decide to have another [another?] or go ahead with the pregnancy. It's important to know that if you had a medical abortion and it didn't work, it's possible that one of the drugs could have harmed the fetus. [You may have to have the child if the abortion failed and the abortion may have harmed the child for life as a result of the procedure] [12]

What are the risks of an abortion? [There are risks to having an abortion]

All medical procedures have risks. About 2 in 1,000 women who have an abortion get complications.[13] But the earlier in pregnancy you have an abortion, the safer it is.

You are more likely to get problems in the two weeks after the abortion than at the time.[2] Getting an infection is the biggest risk. [You could get an infection]

Problems at the time of the abortion

There is a risk of heavy bleeding (a haemorrhage) after an abortion [There is risk of haemorrhage after an abortion?]. This happens to less than 2 in 1,000 women.[13] About half of these women will need a blood transfusion.[3] You are more likely to have heavy bleeding after a medical abortion.

Other risks of a medical abortion are:[14]

* Pain, from cramps in your womb[15] [Pain]
* Stomach problems, such as sickness and diarrhoea. These are caused by the drug prostaglandin. [Rather horrible side effects of the drug]
* Fever and chills. These can be a side effect of prostaglandin.[12] But they don't usually last very long. [Rather horrible side effects of the drug]

If you have a surgical abortion, there's a higher risk of:

* Damage to your cervix. Some studies show this happens in up to 1 in 100 women who have a surgical abortion.[16] Other studies show the risk is less than 1 in 1,000.[17] The risk is lower for early abortions and if your surgeon is experienced[2] [There is a risk the abortion will damage your cervix. It depends on which study you read and whether you've got an experienced doctor or an inexperienced doctor. It's pot luck].
* Damage to your womb. It's possible for surgery to tear your womb. This happens in around 1 in 1,000 to 4 in 1,000 abortions.[2] [17] Again, the risk is lower for early abortions and if your surgeon is experienced.

Problems within two weeks of the abortion

* Up to 1 in 10 women will get an infection after an abortion.[2] An infection can lead to a more serious problem, called pelvic inflammatory disease. This needs to be treated quickly as it could stop you having a baby in the future [There is a risk you will not be able to have a baby in the future if you are one of the 10% of women who contract pelvic inflammatory disease through an abortion]. Taking antibiotics after your abortion reduces the risk of infection [but cannot eliminate it totally].
* Your abortion might not get rid of all the contents of your womb [Some of the baby may be still in your womb] This can cause pain, bleeding or an infection. You may need surgery and a further course of antibiotics [You could have a botched abortion and you'll have to come back to do it all over again].

Longer-term problems [There could be longer term problems]

There's no evidence that having an abortion will harm your health or affect your chances of getting pregnant again.[2] Most women who choose to can go on to have a healthy pregnancy [Hang on...most? There is a risk of becoming infertile forever?]

You are no more likely to have problems with future pregnancies than a woman who hasn't had an abortion. Problems with pregnancy include the fetus growing outside your womb (an ectopic pregnancy) or the placenta covering the entrance to your womb (placenta praevia). There's no good evidence that having an abortion increases your risk of either of these problems.[18] [2] [If there is no evidence why have they mentioned two problems with pregnancy described above?]

Some research suggests that women who have an abortion and become pregnant again are more likely to have a miscarriage or a baby that's born too early.[19] [20] [21] [22] However, other studies show no link between abortions and miscarriages or premature births.[23] [So, which study is the right one?]

Having an abortion doesn't increase your risk of breast cancer. Some studies have suggested that there might be a link between abortions and breast cancer. [Hang on, I thought you just said it doesn't?] [23] [24] But there's good-quality research to show this isn't true, and most experts say that having an abortion doesn't increase your risk.[25] [2] [26] [27] [But some studies still suggest this is true, right?] A recent study compared women who'd had an abortion with women who'd had a miscarriage. There was no increase in risk for women who'd had an abortion.[28]

What other options are there?

Another type of surgery, called dilation and evacuation, is available, but it's usually only used for women who are more than 15 weeks pregnant. It uses a combination of electric suction and cutting with forceps. You usually need a general anaesthetic. Only 5 in 100 abortions in England and Wales use this method.[13]

If you decide to go ahead with your pregnancy rather than having an abortion, there are still some choices available to you. You may decide to keep the baby. Or you may choose to have the baby looked after by foster parents or adopted.

For many women this is a very difficult decision. If you aren't sure about what to do, it may help to talk to someone. You may wish to contact the Family Planning Association on 0845 122 8690 or at http://www.fpa.org.uk.

What can I expect after the abortion?

After you leave the hospital or clinic, usually the same day, you will probably want to go home and rest. You can bath or shower normally. You can drive after a medical abortion, but you should get someone to give you a lift if you've had an anaesthetic.

Most women feel fit enough to return to work within a day or so, but you may prefer to wait a little longer.

You'll need to go for a check-up a week after a medical abortion, or two weeks after a surgical abortion.[2]

Bleeding

You will continue to bleed for a while after the abortion. Bleeding often lasts longer after a medical abortion than a surgical abortion.[29] You may see clots in the blood.

Bleeding after a medical abortion usually lasts between 14 days and 17 days, then trails off.[12] But it can go on for several weeks. After surgery you probably won't bleed very much, but some women bleed for up to 14 days [You will experience a 2-week sustained period of bleeding. This could continue for several weeks].

The bleeding is usually no worse than a heavy period. You should see a doctor if the bleeding is worse than this. Your usual painkillers will help with any cramps. You may have spotting right up to your next period. Your next period should happen in about four to six weeks, although it may not start for eight weeks.

Infections [Say what?]

If you get heavy, continuous bleeding, pain that doesn't go away or a temperature, you should see a doctor straight away [You may experience heavy, continuous bleeding after an abortion]. You could have an infection. [You could have an infection because of your abortion]. An infection is usually easy to get rid of with antibiotics, but could affect your ability to get pregnant again if it's not treated [Because of your abortion and the possible infected area as a result, you may never be able to have children again, say, if it is treated too late, but we've said it so casually you'd hardly notice without the bold orange input].

Using sanitary towels instead of tampons until you stop bleeding can help prevent an infection.[30] If you can, wait until your check-up after the abortion before you have sex again. If you have sex before this time, it's best to use condoms.

Signs of pregnancy

If you have signs of pregnancy, such as morning sickness, these will gradually go away as your hormone levels return to normal. Breast tenderness is often the last sign of pregnancy to disappear.

But if you still have signs of pregnancy two weeks or three weeks after the abortion, you need to see your doctor. A pregnancy test can't tell you if you are still pregnant, because the hormone it measures can take up to a month to return to normal after an abortion [We cannot categorically rule out that they may have botched the abortion].

Contraception

You need to use contraception immediately after your abortion if you want to avoid becoming pregnant. This is because you are likely to produce another egg (ovulate) before your next period. So, you could become pregnant again before your next period is due [Theoretically speaking, you could be back at the abortion clinic the following month, if you are 'careless'].

It's safe to have a coil (also called an intrauterine device or IUD) fitted straight away.[31]

How will I feel afterwards?

Your feelings afterwards may depend on your reasons for having an abortion and how comfortable you are with your decision. You may feel sad and tearful after your abortion [You may feel you have lost your baby]. Some women say they feel relieved it's over [What is over?]. Other women feel guilty or have a sense of loss [You may feel you have lost your baby]. You may feel a mixture of different feelings after your abortion [But mostly you will feel that you have lost your baby].

Any anxiety or distress you feel will usually go away after the abortion. But up to 3 in 10 women may still have emotional problems a month later.[32] [Up to a month later 30% of women who have an abortion are still suffering emotional problems]

Some studies suggest that women who've had an abortion may be more likely to get depressed or harm themselves [Having an abortion has been reported by some studies to lead some women to depression and self-harm] [2] [23]. But there's no evidence that these problems are actually caused by the abortion [But it is plausible that they are]. [33] [34] Psychological problems may actually be more likely after childbirth than an abortion.[34]

You may not feel like having sex for a while. This is normal. Up to a third of women feel this way after an abortion. [1 in 3 women don't want to have sex after an abortion, 'for a while'. Read, having an abortion will probably ruin your sex life for a sustained period] [35] And a quarter of women may have problems in their relationships. [Having an abortion could destroy your relationship. 1 in 4 women verify this].

Having someone to talk to can help. If you have problems coping, ask your nurse or doctor about counselling [After an abortion you may have problems coping with what you have done].

In conclusion, there are on average 190,000 abortions a year:

Every year, on average, according to the Guardian guide and my calculations, of these abortions:

• Between 380 and 3800 women in the UK who have a surgical abortion are still pregnant afterwards.
• 380 women haemorrhage after an abortion.
• 160 of these women need blood transfusions.
• Between 190 and 1900 women experience damage to their cervix in abortion.
• Between 190 and 760 women experience tearing of the womb in abortion.
• 3800 required surgery after a botched abortion, whereby the baby or parts of the baby were left in the womb.
• 57,000 women suffer depression for a month or longer after an abortion.
• 47,500 women's relationships suffer as a result of abortion
• 19,000 women contract an infection from an abortion, which if not caught early could result in indefinite infertility.
• 9500 babies are aborted by the method of 'cutting with forceps'.
• 190,000 babies are killed by abortions in the England and Wales alone, every year.

There is so much going on in this 'guide'. I have fisked a lot of it, but there is so much more I could say. The Guardian are so flippant about the risks and show such little respect to the countless women who have had an abortion and then realised that something went seriously, seriously wrong, or that they now have long term health problems, or suffer depression or are suicidal or self-harm, or have seen their relationship destroyed by it, or regret it, or who have damaged their womb or cervix, or who have haemorrhaged, or who bled profusely for several weeks afterwards. By all means fisk through it yourself some. It's an horrendously misleading and dangerous guide. The Guardian should be ashamed because they have dressed up very serious health risks related to abortion and glossed over them at every stage.

Motherhood, the Family, Adoption, Abortion & the State

It was the State, under the reign of Herod, which had the monstrous task of hunting down and slaughtering the first born of every house in Bethlehem, such was Herod's paranoia about the birth of the Saviour, and the threat he perceived He would pose to his earthly power.

Divine Providence ensured that the Christ Child was kept safe from harm and prepared the way for the Holy Family's Flight into Egypt. For the Holy Family then, and for the countless families who had their children slaughtered in the Massacre of the Innocents, the right to live as a family was suspended on the whim of the State. The Blessed Virgin and her holy, chaste spouse, St Joseph then, know what it is like to be hounded by the State, to struggle to remain as a family and to be persecuted. That was over 2,000 years ago. Those were barbaric times, but times have changed, haven't they? Now, we have progressed?

Well, no. Not really. The Herodian reign of terror still exists for many who are denied the right to live as a family. And of course, the State also legislates for the continued massacre of the innocents in abortion legislation in Europe and the US. In China, the State actually enforces a 'one child policy', the effects of which have been demographically and socially disastrous. A great modern exception appears to be Russia who, upon realising that the country is facing a fertility crisis and a decreasing population, is set to award a special State honour to families with 7 children or more.

Today on the radio, I heard a story which has been reported in The Times.

A mother is taking her fight to the European Court of Human Rights after she was forbidden from seeing her three-year-old daughter because she is not “clever enough” to look after her.

The woman, who for legal reasons can be identified only by her first name, Rachel, has been told by a family court that her daughter will be placed with adoptive parents within the next three months, and she will then be barred from further contact.

The adoption is going ahead despite the declaration by a psychiatrist that Rachel, 24, has no learning difficulties and “good literacy and numeracy and [that] her general intellectual abilities appear to be within the normal range”.

Her daughter, 'K', was born prematurely and officials felt Rachel lacked the intelligence to cope with her complex medical needs 'Baby K' was released from hospital into care and is currently with a foster family. Her health has now improved to the point where she needs little or no day-to-day medical care.

Rachel said last night: “I have been totally let down by the system. All I want is to care for my daughter but the council and the court are determined not to let me. The court here has now ordered that my contact with my daughter must be reduced from every fortnight until in three months’ time it will all be over and I will never see her again.”

Now, I realise that there have been some pretty horrendous cases recently of ghastly physical abuse which have ratcheted up Social Services 'We've got to do something!' factor to 11. However, 'Rachel' is not alone in what appears to be a State-sponsored miscarriage of justice. The right to live as a family has been eroded consistently down the centuries, seen in the poor and work houses of the Victorian age and more recently the modern social services. Often it is the poor who suffer the consequences still.

We know there have been some condemnable and wicked abuses of children, physical, sexual and neglectful, which have rightly warranted the action of social services. The most high profile cases are the ones where social services made the wrong call and the child in question died. This is a great tragedy. But in this case and in an array of others, we are not talking about actual abuse - we are talking about a subjective court judgment on a mother based upon her 'intelligence'.

Furthermore, there is a glaring contradiction between Government policy on adoption and the removal of children of parents deemed 'unfit' by social services, who are removed 'in the best interests of the child', and abortion - an action which, no matter which side of the fence you position yourself, can never be argued to be 'in the best interest of the child' - for it is always the deprivation or ending of that child's life prior to birth.

So, bizarrely, the Government says that on the issue of abortion it is a mother's right to kill her child and the State will help a mother kill her unwanted baby. 'We'll do that for you', says the benevolent State. Does the baby have rights? 'No, it is the mother's free choice,' says the State. Then, when a mother brings a child to birth, but is deemed 'unfit' to parent a child, the child is removed, placed into care, adoption or fostered, severed from his or her parental roots and placed eventually with other parents, 'in the best interests of the child'. Furthermore, just to add salt into the wounds in the hearts of the birth mother, all contact with the child is severed until the age of 18.

Now, this doesn't make any sense does it? Why would the same State that condones child murder defend the removal of (mostly poor) children from (mostly poor) families to be placed with middle class parents with more 'intelligence' and wealth on the basis of the 'best interests of the child' and 'child protection', when the State is not prepared to offer child protection in the womb and act 'in the best interest of the child' in the womb?


‘Young, Single and Sterilized’ article advertises for Marie Stopes in 2008

Well, it only really makes any sense if you conclude that the State is knowingly or unknowingly endorsing eugenics and that the philosophies of Marie Stopes are alive and kicking in the heart of Government and local authorities. Marie Stopes was into both abortion and sterilisation - but, and this is crucial - not for all - only for the poor and 'unfit'. In other words, it wasn't that Marie Stopes just hated children and wanted children to die or not be born for the sake of it. She only wanted certain children to be aborted, or only the children of certain people not to be born. This is because she believed that the poor and 'unfit' should be taught not to breed so that the 'unfit' were stopped from breeding and in the end, the 'unfit' would no more trouble humanity. That's right - she was a rather nasty-eugenics-supporting-Hitler-adulating-super-bitch of the highest order.

The former Chief of Social Services was on the radio defending the SS by saying that it was courts that made the decision to place children into care or adoption. All the SS did was...err...gather the err...'evidence.' In this case, apparently, the 'evidence' was 'unfit' and a proper evaluation of 'Rachel's' parenting skills was denied when requested by her lawyers. The prejudices faced by the poor and supposedly 'unfit' are not negligible. These prejudices of course exist within Family Courts.

So...Have we moved on from the time of Herod? The answer is a resounding, 'No!' Is society 'progressing'? The answer is a resounding, 'No!' It is only viewed as 'progress' by those who are fearful of the Saviour, the Christ Child, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary in poverty in Bethlehem, Brother and Friend of the poor, the misunderstood, the condemned, persecuted, despised and rejected of society. It is not 'child protection' which lies at the core of Government policy - it is the eradication of the poor by a two-fold method of abortion and eventually, sterilisation. For once you have had your third child taken into care - believe me because I know people who know, it is much more likely that you will consider it...

How Not to Meet Your Bishop

Your Diocesan Bishop is approaching you with your parish priest. He is dressed as an ordinary priest. You know that he is largely informal with Priests and Laity. So what do you do?

Step 1: You remove your sunglasses and your hat. Good work! For deference, reverence for his holy office and respect in general - top marks! You are doing well.

Step 2: He moves to shake your hand politely and says, 'Nice to meet you.' Overwhelmed by his humility and your profound eagerness to show respect for his office, you near refuse his handshake and bend over to kiss a hand, the wrong hand, while he quickly tries to get his Bishop's ring out of his pocket, because he's realised you think you are 'doing the right thing'. You don't give him time to put it on and you kiss his hand anyway. He is embarrassed. You are even more so.

Step 3: In a painful attempt at reverence, respect for holy tradition and protocol you have made a t*t out of yourself. Still, don't worry, there is time to recover a sense of dignity and a modicum self-respect. So you say, "It is nice to meet you, Your Grace!" Great recovery...Except for the fact that later on you are told by another Priest he is not an Archbishop and his title and the title which is his as Bishop, should be, 'My Lord', for he is known as 'His Lordship'.

Yes. That happened today. Mental note for future reference. When you meet someone in authority in the Church, be yourself and don't force reverential traditional gestures to those who do not wish for it. So...What do I do when I meet the Holy Father again? Advice in comments box please, because one day, you never know, I might just need it.

The Wild Bunch

Let's start June out with a bang, shall we?

Pike Bishop (William Holden) is the aging leader of a motley collection of outlaws (Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Edmond O'Brien, Jaime Sanchez, Bo Hopkins) who try to pull off one last score in 1913 Texas. But a robbery goes horribly wrong when bounty hunters led by railroad detective Harrigan (Albert Dekker) ambush them, leading to a bloody massacre. The Bunch flees into Mexico, pursued by a posse led by Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan), Pike's ex-partner. The Bunch finds themselves working for bloodthirsty Federale Mapache (Emilio Fernandez), who is trying to suppress Pancho Villa's revolutionaries - but their loyalty is conflicted when Angel (Sanchez) turns out to be a member of an Indian tribe oppressed by Mapache. After robbing a US Army arms shipment, the Bunch allows Angel to take some guns for his tribe - but Angel is captured by Mapache and brutally tortured. Finally, Pike, "tired of being hunted" and sick of himself, leads the gang in a desperate last stand.

The Wild Bunch is an American masterpiece. Best-known for revolutionizing big-screen violence, Sam Peckinpah's magnum opus is far more than just a blood-soaked splatter-fest. It's the distillation of Peckinpah's world-view - corruption, moral ambiguity, changing times and men, the horror and glamor of violence, and the complex nature of honor and loyalty. Any misguided critic who views Westerns as outdated popular entertainment needs to watch this film; it has enough character, narrative and thematic depth to put many novels to shame, a combination of Shakespearean tragedy, Hemingway's musings on masculinity and destruction, and Conrad's mediation on guilt and heroism.

Indeed, The Wild Bunch is a cinematic novel. It portrays the theme of doomed men struggling to outlive their time, and the inherent impossibility of doing so. Men like Pike, Dutch, the Gorch Brothers, and Deke Thornton are products of their time - men who are clever and cunning but not particularly intelligent, who live by a Code, and who see violence as a way of life. In this new era, honor and loyalty are irrelevant; Harrigan and his scruffy bounty hunters are concerned only with personal profit, which, as Pike himself admits, "cuts an awful lot of family ties". Even the Bunch's unity is questionable: the surly Gorch Brothers dispute Pike's every move; grouchy old Sykes is a grumbling, cackling liability; and the idealistic Angel traps the Bunch into an unwitting death. Only Dutch remains unremittingly loyal to Pike, but ultimately, they HAVE to stick together in order to stay alive - they simply have no other choice.

Pike Bishop is a fascinating creation, a tragic hero of Shakespearean proportions. He is a man trapped by his own sense of loyalty and honor - "When you side with a man, you stick with him" - but he repeatedly fails to live up to it. He leaves Crazy Lee to die, similarly betrays Sykes, lets Angel be captured by Mapache, and, we later learn, is responsible for Thornton's arrest. In spite of his bluster, he's really a selfish, petty man who's only happy when he's in control (see the train robbery, where Pike is able, albeit briefly, to recapture his youth). He has too many scars, too many betrayals and failures to simply move on; he's a haunted man who knows his time is up, and his attempts to "modernize" his gang are laughable. Ultimately, sick of himself, Pike makes a stand - and ultimately, by sacrificing his gang for Angel, he finally lives up to his code.

Deke Thornton is Pike's mirror image. Thornton was Pike's partner whom he left to be captured. Offered a choice between continued imprisonment and hunting down his old gang ("30 Days to get Pike, or 30 Days back to Yuma"), Thornton chooses the latter; he knows the old days are over, and unlike Pike is willing to change. He, too, is trapped by his own sense of honor; he loathes the greedy, incompetent bounty hunters and longs to join his gang, but he gave Harrigan his word, and cannot break it. This is an agonizing compromise, often explored by Peckinpah; it's interesting to compare Thornton to Captain Tyreen from Major Dundee, or more pertinently Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid which plays as The Wild Bunch told by Deke Thornton.

One would be remiss if they discussed the film without mentioning the violence. The movie features three scenes of horrifically graphic violence, with squibs and fake blood, rapid parallel editing, and slow motion. The violence isn't nearly as graphic as the spate of action and horror films since, and yet is infinitely more effective; if not actually realistic, its sheer visceral impact makes up for artificiality. Accused by ignorants of glamorizing violence, Peckinpah simply shows violence as it is; repulsive and horrific, but perversely thrilling. If this weren't the case, then why would violent Westerns and action movies be so popular? It's not exactly a subtle statement, but one of immense power; the violence is not gratuitous, but necessary to show a world where violence has become not only commonplace, but impersonal, cold, and acceptable.

The movie features arguably the finest cast assembled for a Western. William Holden gives one of his best performances, using his own persona as a fading star to accentuate Pike's character. Ernest Borgnine's endlessly loyal Dutch and Robert Ryan's compromised Thornton complement Holden perfectly. Albert Dekker and Emilio Fernandez are both hiss-able villains who make it easier to sympathize with our protagonists. The supporting cast includes Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones as bounty hunters, Dub Taylor as a Bible-thumping preacher (was R.G. Armstrong unavailable?), and Bo Hopkins in a memorable bit as Crazy Lee. Only Edmond O'Brien's scenery-chewing as Sykes and Jaime Sanchez's theatrically "mannered" Angel are weak points, but neither is actively bad.

This isn't to mention Lucien Ballard's gorgeous cinematography, or Jerry Fielding's beautiful, poignant score, or the subtle symbolism and supporting characters. The Wild Bunch is, simply put, a masterpiece, and one of the greatest films of all time.

Rating: 10/10 - Must-See

'Pro-Life' Murder

Courtesy of BBC News

George Tiller, the US late term abortionist has been shot dead at a Lutheran church in Wichita. Not only can a moral good never be achieved through an evil action, but this news will doubtless be a gigantic set back for the pro-life movement in the US, which may henceforth be painted as a dangerous, near deadly fringe movement, when, in fact, 99.9% of its advocates are just not into murder, full stop. I believe Tiller's clinic in the US was under investigation by the civil authorities. Sadly, an individual has taken matters into his own hands.

Secondly, this senseless murder will create out of a man with an horrendous string of 'late-term abortions' under his belt, a martyr for the abortion cause and industry. If the murderer thought he was doing good, he is sadly mistaken. Not only has a man been killed but I expect the long term result will be an intensification of the Obama administration's 'war on the unborn' and a liberal media backlash against the pro-life movement. Obama's honeyed words of 'reasonable dialogue' [otherwise known as, 'I'll keep them busy talking while you guys kill the babies'] will sound sensible against the backdrop of the pre-meditated homicide of an abortionist. When it comes to abortion, the doctor is the guy doing the 'dirty work'. There is a whole chain of command in the abhorrent abortion industry which takes in politicians, lobby groups, abortion organisations, doctors, nurses - and of course - mothers - for without the consent of mothers no abortions would be taking place.

The suspect is being held by police for questioning. It is not up to us mortals to intervene by taking life through vigilantism. Our Lord's words on the Cross should resonate with us when it comes to the evils of child murder and homicide. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Our Lord encouraged us to pray for our enemies, for those who hate us and persecute us - That is therefore, what we should do - for our friends, our enemies, the living and the dead, so that none of us should give into the spirit of fratricide and hatred. We must implore God's mercy always, as the Lord did upon the Cross. Holy Mother Church encourages Catholics to pray for the conversion of abortionists so that the bloodshed may end and life may be treated with dignity and respect from conception to death. May God grant the victim of this crime rest, comfort his family and grant repentance to his killer.

See Creative Minority Report for accurate and sensitive reporting of this crime. To that small minority who might seek to justify the perpetrator's crime by defending it on the 'If someone had killed Hitler' school of thought, I would say this. Che Guevara sent his disciples out with guns, ammunition and a revoluntionary zeal for Cuba. Many, many died at their hands. Our Blessed Lord sent His Disciples out preaching Christ Crucified to the people of Israel and beyond, with nothing but the clothes they stood in. Many, many of His Disciples died at the hands of others. Following Che Guevara ended up in killing all who stood in the way of the cause. For the Apostles, following Christ ended up in being killed. We are not called to be God's hit men.