So it has been madness, just madness. This Order of Canada stuff is getting blown way out of proportion, as a small but vocal majority are shrieking their lungs out to have it revoked. I've done interviews for CTV, Global and CBC. It's worth noting that Global was the only one that got my name right.
Clinic this week was much like last week - the protesters didn't show up until later, and when they did, it was just a few of them. The glariest of them though. What fun they all must be in their personal lives.
Speaking of the protesters, I think the highlight of my week was seeing Peter Ryan on Global saying that Henry Morgentaler makes Paul Bernardo look like a saint. I mean, really. I sincerely hope none of the family members of Bernardo's victims saw that, because if I were in their shoes I would be...well, writing a strongly worded letter, at the very least. Can you imagine?
The anti-choicers are so weird. They paint this picture of Henry as this totally amoral, money-grubbing doctor who just loves to kill babies and then roll around in his money. I know I've been through this before, but it baffles and enrages me. And I hate to say it, but I think it's a bit anti-Semitic. I know that's a heavy accusation to throw around, and I don't mean it about any one person, really. I just think it's kind of embedded in our cultural psyche, this image of the rich Jewish doctor with no scruples, and I think it's easy for the anti-choicers to latch on to it and stick it to Henry, who they hate anyway. Him being Jewish makes it easier to dehumanize him. I know I'm going to be hearing about this.
I am so tired. I had one of those extremely stressful weeks where your whole world starts to revolve around the things you have to get done, and then something huge comes along to snap you out of it. For me it was kind of two huge things - first, a guy I graduated from high school with died in Afghanistan. Then, my sister broke her leg. So it's been nuts. I'm going away to a friend's wedding this weekend and on the one hand, I welcome the break, but on the other hand I think I would rather be here...looking after things. My life. Whatever, it could always be worse.
Sorry this blog is a bit personal. I will leave you with another little story from the clinic. I was working at reception and one of the patients came up with her completed forms and asked me if there were needles, because she was afraid of needles. I could sympathize, not being a big fan of needles myself. So I said well, there's just one, but you won't even see it. It goes in your cervix. Her eyes got so wide and she said "in my WHAT??". Hahaha. Ok maybe you had to be there.
Anyway rock on peeps. I will hopefully be feeling a lot more bubbly when I get home.
25 comments:
I'm totally just de-lurking now...I love your blog! I read it faithfully every week!
I love reading the funny stories about theantics that take place around the clinic. I must say I've been before... and I've always been sooo beyond thankful for the guides, you all make the girls coming in there feel welcomed and comfortable and assured. I wished I lived in Fredericton, I would love to volunteer and do what you get to do!
Anywho...can you believe what is being written about the Liet. Gov of New Brunswick wanting to give back his award because he doesn't want to be affiliated with it if Canada believes that Henry morgantaler deserves the acknowledgement. Ridiculous!! It's a shame really!
A Port City Reader
PS: Keep up the great writings and the great work you do for all the woman of New Brunswick and the Maritimes!
Been wondering where you were. Hope you're feeling better soon.
Hope you feel better and things go better soon.
I'll just repeat what my father said about the wingnuts who's returning their Orders: "If they want to stand up and proclaim that they think half of the population isn't human in their eyes and are only fit to be incubators, they don't deserve the award to begin with."
For what it's worth, I think the way the anti-choicers portray Henry is definitely awfully close to, if not actually, anti-Semitic. I studied hate groups some time back, and the image of the Jewish abortionist is one of their recurring Big Bads.
I am so happy to hear that Peter Ryan continues to be a terrible spokesman for the antis. That is, he actually reveals the lunacy of their views (i.e. "Paul Bernardo") instead of pretending that they are reasonable people.
Oh, Peter Ryan. You certainly are charming. Making ridiculous and hateful speeches comparing a medical professional performing a legal procedure with a hated killer to the television media is a wonderfully sane way to make your point.
As long as this man is a media representative, New Brunswick's anti-choice movement will continue to look like deranged zealots.
Mr. Ryan, you do far more harm to your cause than good, and I think that's awesome.
-E
Did Dr. Henry Morgentaler abortionist and recent recepient of Order of Canada assume identity of real survivor of Auschwitz Abraham Morgentaler???
Was Morgentaler ever at Auschwitz??? If not, did he lie to us about his medical education in Germany??? Did he become an abortionist in an effort to cover up his ignorance of medicine that was showing in his general "medical" practice????
The "tattooed" number 95077 that Morgentaler remembers so well seems to be way too low. He allegedly arrived at Auschwitz in 1944. Henryk Mandelbaum who arrived at Auschwitz on April 10, 1944 had number 181970.
http://www.freedominion.com.pa/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=101715&sid=ae93b47e979a338aba09671ed2751d7a
Hey, anon: I definitely think the best way to make a point, and certainly not look like a tinfoil-hatted troll is to link to an ultra-conservative forum's dead link.
And the use of multiple question marks is definitely also a sign of "authority to be taken seriously".
Morgentaler is an ethnic Jew, not a real Jew. Real Jews don't perform abortions, and follow the Torah. Anybody can be born of the Covenant, not everyone keeps it.
"Anywho...can you believe what is being written about the Liet. Gov of New Brunswick wanting to give back his award because he doesn't want to be affiliated with it if Canada believes that Henry morgantaler deserves the acknowledgement. Ridiculous!! It's a shame really!"
Way to go Liet. Govenor! Canada needs more people like this man. The only thing that is ridiculous is that Henry Morgantaler is still alive after all of the lives he has put to death. As a good friend of mine, the Pedgehog once said "If it isn't life, what is it?"
What's your point? He IS an ethnic Jew, therefore he can be targeted by anti-Semitism. Just because he identifies spiritually as a Humanist does not make him any less Semitic.
"What's your point? He IS an ethnic Jew,"
My point is that he is not a real Jew. If a Jew converts to Islam, is he still a Jew? By blood, yes, but not by action. To be a Jew, you must also, ironically, be a Jew! Jews are a covenantal people. We follow the covenant made with our ancestors. Henry Morgentaler has renounced that covenant by his actions. Morgentaler is not a Jew. Being a Jew means more than just being born of an ethnic group. To remain a Jew, you must follow the Torah. It's a shame that Morgentaler is associated with our people. Our people are a proud people with a rich heritage.....it's unfortunate that this man was born in our bloodline.
Yes, we've established that Dr. M. is not religiously Jewish. Is there a point you were making by bringing this up yet again?
"Yes, we've established that Dr. M. is not religiously Jewish. Is there a point you were making by bringing this up yet again?"
And this is the problem - you somehow think that you can be an ethnic Jew, but be something else religion wise. Nadda. Being born a Jew, and practicing Judaism go hand in hand. If you do not practice Judaism, you are no longer a real Jew. You may have been born in a Jewish family, but you are no longer a Jew. Judaism can not be seperated from Jewish ethnicity. If a Gentile converts to Judaism, then that person is a Jew regardless of his ethnic birth, while a person born Jewish by blood can cease being Jewish when he ceases to observe the Torah.
Religion =/= ethnicity. If someone is an ethnic Jew, but not a religious Jew, what are they ethnicially? You can change your religion, you can't change your ethnicity. Being a religious Jew and being an ethnic Jew are not the same things, but they are both Jews.
"Semite
noun
Etymology: French sémite, from Sem Shem, from Late Latin, from Greek Sēm, from Hebrew Shēm
Date: 1848
1 a: a member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs b: a descendant of these peoples"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semite
"You can change your religion, you can't change your ethnicity. Being a religious Jew and being an ethnic Jew are not the same things, but they are both Jews."
I can't believe that a non-Jew will try to tell a Jew what makes a person Jewish. Yes, I agree that Henry Morgentaler was born of Jewish blood. But to say that he is a Jew, is wrong. To be a Jew, you must follow Judaism. Hence, Morgentaler is not Jewish. Yes, I know, he was born from Jewish blood.....but he relinquished being Jewish by ceasing to follow Judaism. In the same way, I could be born in Canada, to Canadian parents, but if I lose my Canadian citizenship, I am no longer Canadian. We Jews keep our "Jewish citizenship" by following Judaism. Morgentaler does not follow Judaism. He is not a Jew.
What you are talking about is religious Judaism. Once again, ethnicity and religion are NOT THE SAME. Dr. M. was born an ethnic Jew. Ethnicity DOES NOT CHANGE. He is ethnically semitic. Thus, a Jew.
To continue with your analogy, I am a white Canadian. If I relinquish my Canadian citizenship, I am no longer Canadian. However, I am still white, because (say it with me now) ETHNICITY DOES NOT CHANGE.
But-but-but Abramowicz doesn't have anything to say other than attacking a secularist because he doesn't practice the same religion he does. Who are we to deprive this poor, poor troll of a chance to continue to bleat the same statement over and over?
Dr. M is an ethnic Jew, and anti-Semitics don't tend to make that much of a difference between practice or not. Which is obvious in the number of anti-Semitic attacks made against him.
None of which has anything to do with anything. Dr M.'s relationship or lack thereof with G-d has no bearing on the fact that he is a truly great person who has finally gotten an award he deserves. Let the misogynists hide behind their deities (funny that they just take shelter behind a point that's so unproveable), let the abusers and woman haters return their awards in protest. Congratulations to Morgentaler.
Kill every fucking one of those babies. There's not a damn thing you can do about it. Abortion 4 ever!!!! LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Um yeah, then you get that.
As for Abramowicz...
When has it been decided that Jews are of a "different race"? I'm not racist if I say I don't like Jewish people. If I become a Jew, does that change my race?
You say Jews = the Semite people, and being anti-Jew means being anti-Semitic. Well, what about my Arab friend Hakim? he's from Saudi Arabia, and from what I understand, that makes him a member of the Semitic "race".
But this is all beside the point. Morgentaler does not view himself as a Jew. Does this mean that you, as a Jew, must look at him and feel embarrassed on behalf of your ouwn Jewishness? That for a man to be born a Jew, he's less of a Jew for not identifying as a Jew? And what does this all have to do with the price of tea in China?
Bottom line - attack the man for his stance on abortion, I respect that. But don't attack the man personally on account of some misplaced guilt.
Ha!
I'm really digging the idea that abramowicz gets to decide who gets to be a Jew and who doesn't. It kinda goes along with the genius idea that Peter Ryan gets to decide which medical procedures that people have access to in Canada.
I guess if we can all just arbitrarily choose active control over other peoples' decisions, I call dibbs on who gets to breathe or not. First off the list of people with access to oxygen, judgemental, holier than thou Jews. Peter Ryan can keep the oxygen, any sort of brain damage to that man has clearly been done a long time ago.
ps. here's a link to back up anything I say (for abramowicz):
http://www.anyidiotcanstartawebsite.com/
anythingisayistrue.html
" Well, what about my Arab friend Hakim? he's from Saudi Arabia, and from what I understand, that makes him a member of the Semitic "race"."
Is he a Jew? I didn't think so.
"But this is all beside the point. Morgentaler does not view himself as a Jew. "
Thank G-d.
"Does this mean that you, as a Jew, must look at him and feel embarrassed on behalf of your ouwn Jewishness? "
I'm embarassed that he's of Jewish blood. Yes.
"That for a man to be born a Jew, he's less of a Jew for not identifying as a Jew?"
If he doesn't identify as a Jew, then no he's not a Jew. To be a Jew, ironically, you must be a Jew. It's not a hard concept to understand. Being a Jew means following Judaism.
I
Okay, so if being a Jew means being a Jew, then a person of Semitic origin who is of the Jewish faith is a Jew. Now let's take this person (let's call him "Henry" for example) and assume that he wishes to renounce his religion and take up the cause of oh, say Secular Humanism. I believe that even you would admit that at this point, "Henry" is NOT a Jew.
Now let's get some Jew with a guilty conscience (let's call him "Abram"). He's got a problem with people who used to be Jews doing things that make him embarrassed to be Jewish, and since "Henry" was born a Jew, this must mean that "Abram" must question his own Judaism because "Jews don't do things like that, so "Henry" must not be a real Jew," notwithstanding that at no time has "Henry" ever dragged his former Judaism in the picture.
Using your example, since I was born a Christian (though I no longer claim myself as one), I'm embarrassed for myself, because Paul Bernardo was born a Christian, and thus has "Christian blood".
I think I speak for everyone here when I say "get off your religious high horse because you're playing the victim in a debate that has nothing to do with you." Your arguments are flawed. Shut up about Judaism because it's not germane to any argument on this page. You're a troll, go cry in your yarmulke somewhere else.
From jewfaq.org:
"It is important to note that being a Jew has nothing to do with what you believe or what you do. A person born to non-Jewish parents who has not undergone the formal process of conversion but who believes everything that Orthodox Jews believe and observes every law and custom of Judaism is still a non-Jew, even in the eyes of the most liberal movements of Judaism, and a person born to a Jewish mother who is an atheist and never practices the Jewish religion is still a Jew, even in the eyes of the ultra-Orthodox."
I presume the people who write for jewfaq.org are Jewish.
Anyway, I do think the attacks on Morgentaler have antisemitic elements. There's an echo of the blood libel in it as well as the money-grubbing Jew stereotype.
"The "tattooed" number 95077 that Morgentaler remembers so well seems to be way too low."
The one Auschwitz survivor's tattoo that I have seen in person had four or five digits beginning with a 9. I think this accusation is sketchy, in more than one sense of the word.
trivia: It's estimated that about 20 percent of all Spaniards and Portuguese have at least some Jewish ancestry, and roughly 12 percent also have Arabic/Berber ancestry as well.
This is because many of them chose to convert to Catholicism after 1492, and many others were forced too, while many also left Iberia.
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