Words do have meaning...

The thought strikes me that we no longer reverence language. Certainly many appreciate the marvelous way in which masters such as a Shakespeare can give new life to ordinary words, or how a poet such as a Dickinson, Browning or Yeats in their poetry can elevate language to the level of art. Nevertheless, it appears that we are all too ready to sit by as words are co-opted and contorted to express concepts that are counter to their actual meaning.
Witness how supporters describe the "ella drug" which was recently approved by the FDA. Supporters choose to describe this drug as contraceptive when in actuality the drug begins working days after conception. This is the "morning after" pill designed to be taken up to 120 hours (five days) after intercourse. The very description of the effects of this drug make it evident that it is an abortifacient, not a contraceptive. But the creative use of language makes it appear much more benign. (information here)
Perhaps we will get to the point that we allow infanticide to be termed "post-natal contraception."

A case of impaired vision

As if the United States wasn't crazy enough, Zenit reports this case out of Poland. The lady claimed her pregnancy affected her eyesight, perhaps as in blinding her to the humanity of her child.

Polish Catholic Paper Punished for Abortion View

Loses Appeal in What's Seen as Freedom of Speech Battle

ROME, MARCH 9, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic weekly published by the Archdiocese of Katovice has lost an appeal and is being obliged to pay compensation and apologize to a woman who has become a symbolic figure for the pro-abortion campaign in Poland.

A statement from the "Gosc Niedzielny" reacted to the Friday decision confirming that "we consider this sentence unjust and limiting of the freedom of speech. Once again 'Gosc Niedzielny' must ask for pardon for words it has never written."

The newspaper said the appeals court decision is a "dangerous precedent" by which courts can interpret the context and general message of newspaper articles.

"This implies not only a serious limitation of the freedom of speech, but also a serious limitation of the right of Catholics to take part in the public debate," it added.

The case regards the situation of Alicja Tysiac, a mother of three who sought to abort her third child on the grounds that the pregnancy affected her eyesight.

In Poland, abortion is illegal except for cases in which the mother's life is in danger, the baby is seriously malformed, or the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest.

Tysiac was unable to get approval to abort her child (who was born in 2000) and took the case to the European Court of Human Rights. The court found in her favor in 2007, obliging the Polish government to pay €25,000 (now about $34,000) in damages.

This led the "Gosc Niedzielny" to lament that "we are living in a world where a mother is granted an award for the fact that she very much wanted to kill her child, but was forbidden to do so."

The editorial also compares abortion to the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps.

Monsignor Jozef Kloch, spokesman of the Polish episcopate, commented on the appeals court ruling, saying: "This verdict makes us see how the pro-abortion lobby intends to stealthily introduce in Poland abortion by request."

Does this make sense to you?

Consider this, Illinois is facing an almost $13 billion budget shortfall next year. The total budget is about $56 billion, but half of that is earmarked for federal programs, dedicated road funds and other things that can't be touched. The state's regular working budget is about $26 billion — which means that, without major new revenue, about half of it would have to be cut to get it in balance.

Against that backdrop Illinois legislators who are part of the pro-abortion lobby are resurrecting the "Reproductive Health and Access Act" (HB6205), which is essentially the same FOCA bill rejected a year ago, in an effort to make sure the state makes funds available to kill the unborn. (OK, so my choice of language may be a bit polemical, but I grow angry at those who sit back and, under the innocent sounding description "choice" try to ingrain the right of one person to choose that another person should die.) At a time when the state's working budget exceeds revenue to fund it by 100%, this bill's sponsors want to not only fund abortions but also in vitro fertilization for those who are on Medicaid.

Even if I were not revolted by the thought that some people are so quick to designate some lives as undeserving of life, when I can't meet half of my existing bills, I would not be in a rush to pay for services that go to fund organizations such as Planned Parenthood which profit from the business of death especially while targeting specific racial and economic groups. But then, that's just me.

The Bishops step up to the plate

Last week for the first time in my memory, the Catholic Bishops of the United States stood up to be counted and effectively mobilized millions of Catholics to demand that the healthcare reform proposal include safeguards against public funding for the murder of the unborn.
I'm tired of using euphemisms such as "termination of unplanned pregnancies" or even "abortion", and I absolutely refuse to refer to these barbaric practices as part of "reproductive health care". Abortion is no more about health care than the showers at Birkenau were about hygiene.
Under pressure from the bishops and much of the Catholic electorate, legislators included the Stupak amendment at the last minute. For once the bishops effectively exercised their moral authority and had an impact on pending legislation. So now I am not surprised to hear the cry of "UNFAIR!" arise from many quarters -- particularly from those who formerly had been successful in forwarding their private agendas.
I am amazed however at the extent of the duplicity among these organizations. Those who loudly denounce the actions of the bishops as a violation of church and state fail to comment on religious organizations such as; the Rabbinical Assembly, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, Episcopal Church, Society for Humanistic Judaism, Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, Union for Reform Judaism, Central Conference of American Rabbis, North American Federation of Temple Youth, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist, Presbyterian Church (USA), Women of Reform Judaism, Society for Humanistic Judaism, Church of the Brethren Women’s Caucus, Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Lutheran Women’s Caucus, Christian Lesbians Out, YWCA, all of which support abortion coverage in the health care bill.
The loudest voices seem to be those such as Planned Parenthood, for whom the slaughter of innocents represents a major source of profit.
The battle is far from over. Indeed, I believe we are merely celebrating the the battle has finally been engaged.