I Wish the Whole World Could See

"...I wish the whole World could see abortion the way this naive 17yr old saw abortion" - Jason Jones

Jones yesterday launched a new campaign, IAmWholeLife.com with spokesperson Eduardo Verastegui (from the movie Bella), responding to the anti-life sentiments of US politicians who are supporting the Health Care Bill. The bill, without the Stupak/Nelson language will lead to the largest expansion of abortion in the States since Roe vs. Wade.

hat tip: Jill Stanek

Phil Goff on Abortion

Phil Goff, Forum on the Family 2009

In September I attended the Forum on the Family. Here two questions were asked of Phil Goff relating to abortion in New Zealand (video here). I asked, "Currently young girls can have their pre-born baby aborted without their parents' knowledge or consent - what will your party do about this?", however Phil ignored the specificity of the question and spoke about abortion in general. A couple of interesting statements from his response,

"I have a deep unease about the taking of life - even at a foetal stage"

And yet throughout 9 years of a Labour Government, nothing was done to reduce the increasing number of abortions in New Zealand. If you're "uneasy" about the taking of foetal life, why don't you reconsider your position on abortion. Most of us are uneasy about the taking of infant life, and we take action on this and (supposedly) punish perpetrators of infanticide.

"It's better to prevent the conception of an unwanted child than to abort that child afterwards"

Well there you have it, Phil states that a foetus is a child - he's dead right and good on him. The second question to the leader of the opposition on abortion was from president of Voice for Life, Catherine Gillies who asked "what would your government do to ensure that women were able to make a truly informed decision?". Phil said that he would support a greater level of objective, neutral information being made available to women. He also said that he wanted to see a hell of a lot more done to,

"prevent unwanted pregnancies that may result in abortion or result in the bringing into this World of kiddies who were never wanted and are destined to have miserable lives right from the start".

Firstly, it is not true that all unwanted children that are born are destined to life of misery. Secondly, following this logic, it would be acceptable to kill an infant if it was decided that that infant was destined to a life of misery.

Watch David Tua Destroy Shane Cameron

Tua knocks out Cameron

I will update this post later with details of the fight, however for now, below is the only link you need to watch the fight. Youtube keeps deleting copies of the video but users keep uploading new versions, so checking the search-results page will probably get you a version of the fight you can watch before Youtube yanks it down!

Watch the Tua vs. Cameron fight

Voluntary Student Union Membership on the Cards

Had my second TV interview on Monday. The first was with TV3 just prior to election '08, about Jacket-gate. TV3's reporter, Sia Aston covered the issue of voluntary student union membership today, with Roger Douglas's reform bill set to go to its first reading with Government support on Wednesday. She googled "compulsory + student + union", clicked through to my article about the corruption at VUSA, followed it through to my Facebook page and messaged me, asking for an interview.

The interview went well, however Sia took just one of my comments, focusing instead on a confused NZUSA rep, and UCSA president Steve Jukes verbosely defending the current fascist structure of student politics. While I acknowledge that many student associations and their respective execs, (my own at Canterbury included), do a great deal of work on behalf of students, it is clear that there is an unacceptable level of corruption going on, among a list of other undesirable outcomes of having compulsory unions. As I said to the reporter Lachlan,

"Look at the UCSA for example. At the recent student union elections candidates were called upont to submit a photo and a summary of what they stood for, for the student mag CANTA. One candidate didn't even submit anything but still got elected onto the exec. Or the AGM which took place shortly before the election, CANTA advertised "Free hamburgers, sausage sizzle and $5 jugs of beer" for those who attended the meeting. It was held in the casual setting of an outdoor amphitheatre, adjacent to the student pub, with a quorum of 200 students from a student membership of over 15,000. And no surprises as to what was on the agenda: a move to increase the salaries of those on the exec, with the president on well over $40,000 pa. - money taken forcefully from thousands of other students who probably didn't even know this was going on."

I will say more about the University of Canterbury Students Association in the future, but the above is a sumamry to give you an idea of why I and so many others throughout New Zealand are glad to see the VSM bill before Parliament, and to see the all-too-often anti-democratic National government pledging to support the bill to it's first reading and the select committee process.

Essay Writing

Click here to read the accompanying How to Prepare for an Exam guide.

Imagine the Potential

Those Catholics keep producing these excellent and subtle pro-life adverts. Here is their first one - and below their latest which commemerates 40 years since man first set foot on the moon.

What Did You Say Phil?

The entire collection of Vote NO videos is here.

What Did You Say?

The latest two videos...

You're Great!

Validation is an independent short film (15 minutes) which has won a number of awards. This evening, why not boil the jug, make some hot drinks, press the fullscreen button on Youtube, switch off the lights and grab a seat on the couch with the whānau and take in this film.

The film employs a number of clever techniques and shots to portray a situation that takes place over an extended period of time, within fifteen short minutes. In black and white, and making use of some talented actors who come across as "normal people" - as opposed to the usual glamour of the mainstream films, the viewer is transported into another corner of the world they know; this is happening just down the street from you...

:)

You

Here's a long-time favourite song by Switchfoot. They sing about their relationship with God; He is their hope... "Not in me, but in You"

There's always something / In the way / There's always something / Getting through / But it's not me / it's You
Sometime's ignorance / Rings true / But hope is not in / What I know / Not in me / It's in You
It's all I know
And I find peace / When I'm confused / I find hope when / I'm let down / Not in me / But in You
I hope to lose myself / For good / I hope to find it in the end / Not in me / It's You / It's all I know

Abortions: Best Value, Lowest Prices

Stand-up comedian and social/political commentator Steven Crowder attacks Planned Parenthood's marketing of their abortion services using taxpayer dollars.  I saw this video a few weeks back and was hesitant to post it, as it uses humour to discuss a subject which is the furtherest thing from funny this side of the black stump.  However it's a short message well worth watching, whether you're pro-life or pro-death.

Steven has a number of other good videos dealing with such subjects as gun control and the Quaran

How Much Do You Have to Hate Someone...

...to not share the gospel with them - if you really believe it yourself? - asks atheist, Penn Jillette

Kutless

I bought a Kutless CD Hearts of the Innocent a few months back, as I had a gift-voucher I was given over a year ago on my 21st. I didn't have high expectations for the band, but from pretty much the first play, I've been captivated by the great lyrics and the music's good too. Here's the music video of one of their best songs from the album, Shut Me Out...

And two other favourites, Smile and Hearts of the Innocent. Here's the lyrics for Hearts of the Innocent which I really love...

I’m looking down into the eyes of hopelessness
They’re crying out to me
I see the pain
It’s so much more than youth should know
It tears me apart
What can I do to change what I see
This vicious cycle must come to an end

Can’t you see
We’re crushing the hearts of the innocent
We’re teaching them to fail
And how it breaks me to see how we’re living
And punishing the ones that need us to care
To see them hurting
Feels like knuckles to the back of my head

Where have the days gone
That a promise was forever
Families stuck together
We wonder why their generation struggles to get by
There’s no one to help
What can I do to change what I see
This vicious cycle must come to an end

Girl, 12yrs speaks on Abortion

Watch this (highly popular) 5 minute speech where a bright young twelve-year-old girl speaks out against abortion - her own opinion, and very well expressed. She covers a wide range of topics and arguments surrounding the issue - and sure, she's had a bit of help from her mum and dad - but what children don't get a hand when they're preparing a speech for school?

5/5 stars for this up-and-coming pro-life advocate!

Imagine the Potential

Another excellent video advert from Catholic Vote . This unoffensive and non-judgmental advert was scheduled to air during the Super Bowl on NBC, however they refused to show it because they claimed that they didn't want to air political or issue advocacy advertisements.

Prolife Christmas Video

The latest video from Prolife NZ

Inspiration on Wheels

Sixteen-year-old Aaron has invented a sport that he calls "hardcore sitting" - using a wheelchair to perform moves more often seen done on skateboards or BMX bikes. - Telegraph

January 1973

And another excellent video from Abort73.com...

A Lecture on the Brain

Si showed me this short piece of brilliance from John Cleese on his iPhone.

She's a Rebel, She's a Saint...

...she's the one that they call her Sarah Palin.