Abortion row set for autumn
Back in May there was a lot of talk about a possible amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill which would extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. At the time the Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris told me it was not a subject he was dealing with. However now Dr Harris has put his name, alongside Diane Abbott and four other MPs, to an amendment which would end the ban on abortion here.
Given the ill feeling felt by some English MPs towards the DUP over its support for the 42 day detention of terror suspects and reports that the argument over extending abortion to Northern Ireland has led to rifts at the highest levels of the Labour party it will be fascinating to watch how this unfolds in the Commons in the autumn. Both the DUP and the SDLP have already made it clear they will oppose the amendment.
Shaun Woodward and Gordon Brown have assured the leaders of the four main parties that the government will not back the move, but as Diane Abbott told the BBC's "Talkback" programme it will be a matter for MPs' consciences. Jeffrey Donaldson told the same programme that if MPs imposed abortion on NI over the heads of the local parties it would call the purpose of the Stormont assembly into question. However if the local parties had hurried up and agreed the devolution of justice then they might not have found themselves in this situation as it's my understanding that legislation on abortion would then pass to Stormont.
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WHO NEEDS THE MLAS?
Diane Abbott MP and her parliamentary colleagues are to be congratulated on their proposed amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland. It is long overdue that the women here are given the equality of opportunity of personal choice in deciding on the matter of termination as may arise.
The amendment should be supported by all eighteen Northern Ireland MPs, including my own constituency MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon.
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I agree with Pad-dora. I have long been disgusted at the abortion laws in Northern Ireland and also feel that the Unionist Parties who oppose giving Northern Irish women the same rights as English and Scottish while at the same time supporting the union was a hypocritical disgrace.
As for the people of Northern Ireland being anti-abortion, I don't remember ever being asked my opinion in the 24 years I lived there
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I hope this ammendment is defeated
I do not want to see us included in the mass slaughter of innocent children every year like we see in England Scotland and Wales
We already have adequet abortion laws in Northern Ireland which allows it if the womans life is at risk. The only justifiable reason for considering for having one in my opinion
last year alone there was over 200,000 abortions in england and wales. absolutely shocking figure. I would bet only about 5% of these abortion (if that) are due to the woman being at risk of losing her life by having the child
over 6 million. yes SIX million since the act was introduced.
I for one do not want to see my country par-take in this mass slaughter
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Is it 'unfair' not to be given "the equality of opportunity of personal choice in deciding" to kill another innocent human being, esp. babies who we should protect? What a perversion of morality!
We can't just invent rights. No one can give me the right to deal with my problems through murder. We can call it a right, but it is wrong.
The Nazi government could give their soldiers the right to 'solve' their problems through the eradication of the Jews, but that didn't make it right.
Without God there is no right or wrong, only what those who have power label 'right' or 'wrong'.
Who is more powerless than a baby to defend itself? But isn't it just a bag of chemicals that has evolved, and aren't we just the same?
If that's all we are, then why not knife your neighbour to 'solve' your problems and frustrations?
This is the real cause of knife crime. We have always had knives, but what has changed is our attitude toward God, what a human being is, and the foundation of what is right and wrong.
Atheism and evolution produced Hitler, Stalin and Mao (and millions of deaths), and the decline in modern society. All false systems of belief have dire consequences, including false 'Christianity'.
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In response to Jean:
Jean I find it offensive that you have decided to blame all the troubles of the 20th Century plus Knife Crime on Athiests. A little simplistic don't you think? Maybe New Orleans was destroyed due to all that jazz?
You have off course conveniently forgotten the role of your loving faith in our own history. Maybe I should mention a number of Islamic extremists carrying out untold carnage in the name of faith...or maybe Jean your faith is the only true faith? As such maybe we should all go out and commit untold atrocities in the name of the one true God furthering his cause? surely this would make him happy?
Jean as you well know the many problems humanity faced since we acquired the ability to think critically were never caused by Politics or Religion. However those that will do harm will co-opt these institutions in order to achieve their own ends, be that wealth, power etc. Religious groups are no excpetion to this rule. A good example of this co-option is the tacit support of the American Evangelical Movement for the Neo-Cons and their war in Iraq. 1 million civillians dead and counting Jean.
When I say 1 million civillians I mean individuals, conscious beings with self awareness, not a bundle of cells. You are quite obviously ignorant of the science and reality. I suggest you use your internet connection, educate yourself and stop listening to whatever nonsense your preacher who from my experience is himself co-opting people to his own ends.
I also reccomend you take a look into Humanism. You might find it infinately more sensible and enlightened than what you have been used to.
People like myself who do not discrimate on the basis of religious culture, race, sexual orientation et al are the only reason N.I is relatively peaceful at the moment. Remember that.
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Jean cauvin,
can you please tell us when this time was that the world was a wonderful caring place when everyone worshiped a Christian god and didn't cause pain to their neighbors? in every era of human civilization the greatest cause of death, pain and abuse is man in the name of god
i neither support nor oppose abortion, I'm a man its not a problem i would have to face, but it is curious for Unionists to support the sovereignty of the united kingdom, but refuse its laws?
Perhaps we should be asking questions about the effectiveness of our Westminster mp's? they have neither asked the people of northern Ireland their opinions, nor spent enough time forging alliances with other party's at Westminster to have any effect whatsoever
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I hope this not to be the case, but some word associations have come into my head:
Diane Abbott's much publicised campaigning against 42 days... passed by DUP help... now Diane Abbott trying to pass through something the DUP don't want here.
It is perhaps not quite as simplistic as written above, but is this a case of revenge?
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Women should have the right to Abortion. It would cut down on these ASBO families and these families that have 5 or 6 kids that are all thugs. If there was fewer children there would be less crime.
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As a humanist , I would like to support and praise the letter of Jean Cauvin (24 July 2008) who made a very valuable contribution to the anti-abortion debate.
Abortion is and always will be' MURDER OF THE MOST INNOCENT' human beings.
Only a ' barbaric and uncivilized society society ' permits this mass slaughter of innocents.
I am a woman and would ask pro- abortionists to stop and think...what about the voice and human rights of the baby???Who will speak for the baby??? After all the woman /mother can and does speak for herself !!!
Society must also support the woman/mother in a 'civilized society.'
Men have their role to play too as they contribute fifty percent to the creation of the human species !!!
I also support the Traditional Unionist 's letter and would agree strongly.I also certainly do not wish to have our country participate in the mass slaughter of innocent children as in England, Scotland and Wales and I will FIGHT STRONGLY THIS AUTUMN TO OPPOSE ABORTION WITH THE VAST MAJORITY OF NORTHERN IRELAND CITIZENS WHO ALSO STRONGLY OPPOSE ABORTION!
JOANNA . DERRY/LONDONDERRY
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