Dear Tide letter

Sent to me by a coworker (can you tell my workplace talks about "the change" a lot?)

Dear Tide:

I am writing to say what an excellent product you have! I've used it all of my married life, as my Mom always told me it was the best. Now that I am in my fifties I find it even better! In fact, about a month ago, I spilled some red wine on my new white blouse. My inconsiderate and uncaring husband started to belittle me about how clumsy I was, and generally started becoming a pain in the neck. One thing led to another and somehow I ended up with his blood on my new white blouse! I grabbed my bottle of Tide with bleach alternative, to my surprise and satisfaction, all of the stains came out! In fact, the stains came out so well the detectives who came by yesterday told me that the DNA tests on my blouse were negative and then my attorney called and said that I was no longer considered a suspect in the disappearance of my husband.

What a relief! Going through menopause is bad enough without being a murder suspect! I thank you, once again, for having a great product.

Well, gotta go, have to write to the Hefty bag people.

Headless chickent

What would we do without the internet. For without it, I would never have known about Mike the Headless Chicken.

Conservative tax cuts

I took some time today to update myself on the campaigns for the upcoming federal election. I'm noticing a disturbing trend: virtually all the Conservative promises are in the form of tax cuts. These tend to sound good because people think, "Oh, we'll be paying less money! That's good!" But Canada is a country in which the rich are becoming richer and the poor are getting poorer. Tax cuts tend to make that problem worse. How? Picture 3 families:

Family A is average middle class. One of the new Conservative tax cuts apply to them in 2009 and they get some extra money back on their return. They're happy.

Family B is upper class. They apply for the same tax cut. But they get more money back than Family A. Why? Because they pay taxes at a higher rate for the top portion of their income, they actually get more money back than people who are poorer than them. Thus, the rich get richer and...

Family C gets poorer. Why? Family C is barely getting by on minimum wage jobs. They use up all their tax credits on personal exemptions alone. They get nothing back from the promised tax cut because they don't make enough money.

And then, because the rich are paying less and less taxes, the feds will have less money for health and social programs. I guarantee you that the Conservatives, if they get a majority, will cut needed programs. Who will suffer the most from these cuts? Family A and especially C.

Be wary of promises that are only about tax cuts. It will only weaken our country.

Sunday thoughts

1. I'm pleased to see his morning that my editorial appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. In it I point out that child welfare agencies are bound by the Child and Family Services Act and that the act outlines what is to be looked at when considering best interests of the child. Decisions made solely on the basis of culture do not meet the standards.

I am disappointed to see that no link was given to my other blog, which I started to give voice to this issue. I've asked for that to be ammended for the online version.

2. I've noticed that Conservative's election campaigning consists almost solely of slamming the Liberals. I will continue to hope for a day when campaigning adequately discusses policy, outcomes and research. But I suppose the Conservatives might have a hard time with that as research clearly demonstrates that their typical policies are more likely to produce a society where income inequities expand (the rich get richer, the poor get poorer), pollution continues unabated and people's overall health and well-being drops.

Also, despite some people's preference for right-wing parties due to the issue of abortion, it is the types of policies supported by Liberals and NDP (such as raising welfare rates) which are more likely to bring a reduction in the abortion rate. As pro-lifers, we must do more than oppose abortion - we must seriously consider what it takes to save the lives of more children.

3. In the states I have been fascinated by Sarah Palin. There didn't seem any way that the Republicans could bring some attention away from the media love-affair with Obama, but they certainly did it by choosing Palin. Liberals in the US are reacting more like Conservatives here, with a lot of name-callign and smear tactics.

In that rhetorical sea burst out a fairly balanced view of Camille Paglia. She spoke of Palin being a step forward for feminism and admitted that "the pro-life position, whether or not it is based on religious orthodoxy, is more ethically highly evolved than my own tenet of unconstrained access to abortion on demand."

Editorial about CFS

I wrote up an editorial and submitted it to the Free Press. It calls for an examination of all the elements of best interests of the child rather than CFS agencies making decisions that only take culture and heritage into account. It was accepted (with some editing which I agreed to) and set for today and then got bumped to Sunday. I started a new blog called Best Interests of the Child and the address is to be posted along with my bio. I'm looking forward to and am apprehensive of the discussion that will follow.

rhetoric and contradictions

I came across an online discussion on abortion. I find some of the things said by pro-choice people to be interesting - and often devoid of logical thinking or seeing the contradictions in their own statements. Examples:

1. They believe a woman should have control over her own body but they don't support abortion in the later stages of pregnancy, often after viability. Well, if you don't support abortion in all stages, then you think there is a stage in which a woman should not have complete control over her own body, there is some stage at which she should have a responsibility towards the person inside her. There seems no logical reason as to how and when to draw that line.

2. They wouldn't have an abortion themselves but they support the right of others to do so. Well, why wouldn't you? If there is nothing wrong with abortion, why not have one yourself? and if you find something morally objectionable, perhaps that moral should be applied to others as well.

3. They support abortion but they don't think people should use it as birth control. Why not? If abortion is so safe, and there is nothing morally wrong with it, then why not use it as birth control? Hesitation at using it lightly indicates that maybe it is more than just removing a clump of cells and at some level, they realize it.

in the hood

The other day I was returning to my office from an appointment and came across a little girl crying. It's rarely apparent if kids around there have a caregiver around, so I stopped and asked where her Mom and Dad are. She told me, "My dad went drinking." So young to have to deal with that reality. She was okay, her Mom was within eyeshot. But I am sad at what so many children must face.

Being

I was reading lately, before I realized I don't want to read much, a perspective on negative experiences and how we face them. The author talked about how we try to escape from experiences, when we need to learn how to just be in them. He gave the example of someone who felt lonely, and how in the time of lonliness she found herself being especially productive. She talked to someone about not wanting to be lonely anymore, and his reply was to the effect of "It won't kill you. Just be."

I'm finding a similar state in my being. While I don't have much room for intake (I don't feel like reading, for example) I seem to have more energy than output, and have started on some written communications I've been wanting to do for quite some time. In just being willing to be in this state of being somewhat down and unmotivated in some ways, I am motivated in others. And it isn't killing me.

So in everything there is a season. Turn turn turn. Blah blah blah.

(Just for you, Sharona).

Waiting

I am in a weird mood. It first became apparent when I realized that I really didn't want to read any books. I'd pick up a book and couldn't focus, so I'd just put it down again. Then I realized that I have no desire to try to get my kids to do anything besides watch TV. In fact, TV is good because they're out of my hair. I'm usually in uber-guilt mode if my kids are not doing something at least partially educational and non screen related for 95% of the day.

What is it? The first pangs of autumn signalling change? My closest friend in Winnipeg moving to Calgary? Nothing new on the horizon to solve my problems of spiritual nebulousness? Lack of resources to pursue my dreams? Bit of all I suppose.

Overall, I feel like I'm waiting, and I have no idea what I'm waiting for.

My 911 experience

This is a picture from out my office window. We are considered a "community program" and are located in a couple of units in a housing development in one of the poorer parts of the city.

Last week I glanced out my window and saw, on that building, a kid, roughly 3 or 4 years old, hanging onto the outside of a second story window. Just beneath the windows there is a very narrow ledge - not enough for a foot, but enough for a toe hold. He was clinging to the top of the window frame.

I yelled to my coworker that there was a kid clinging to the side of the building and ran out. I approached him and said, "Hey Buddy, how about you go back inside?" He said, "I can't. I'm scared." There was a sidewalk beneath him, and if he fell it was a crap shoot if he'd hit concrete or soil. So rather than risk going over to the door and trying to get help from within, I stayed beneath him ready to break his fall and called 911. Just as the call was going through he got up the nerve, moved along the ledge and went in through a broken screen. I tried to hang up but being 911 they called me back. When I explained why I called, the dispatcher decided to send someone anyhow. The little boy talked to me somemore and tried to show me something on the bottom of his feet. I encouraged him to get off whatever he was standing on and go onto the floor.

The police came. They knocked on the door for a long time before another kid answered. I talked to them later and they said there was a dad at work and an older teenage brother who was to look after the children but was fast asleep. He didn't appear to be under any influences.

10 years ago, if this had happened, I'd probably be thinking what lousy parents this kid must have. Now I think, what kind of circumstances has this dad found himself in. Did the mother leave? Die? He's probably doing the best he can tring to support a family with income while maintaining their safety. And he probably has to rely on his oldest son because our society does not value childcare and refuses to provide it in any kind of comprehensive systematic way. Incidents like this make me all the more sure we have to quit having the attitude that families should just pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and start providing what children need to be healthy and safe. We provide a basic education for all children no matter how "deserving" their parents are. Why not provide care for children, too?