Is Being Pro-Life Just A Title?

They picket outside abortion clinics with signs portraying butchered infant bodies and fight tooth and nail to protect the sanctity of unborn life, all from atop undeservedly high horses in an attempt to infiltrate the minds of unsuspecting rational individuals. Yes, I am talking about pro-lifers. While I do believe that they are well intentioned, they generally miss the mark when it comes to making their argument seem legitimate to the rest of the population. One unique quality about avid pro-lifers is that they do not pose a distinguishable counterpoint; there is simply no such thing as "pro-abortion". Alternatively, they choose to attack the rational majority of people who believe that what a woman does with her body is her business and no one else's. I do not encourage people to have abortions against their best wishes, nor do I attempt to bully an already distraught woman into believing that a choice she has vehemently wrestled with will damn her for all eternity. Part of living in a democratic society means that differing views and opinions are tolerated, accepted and most importantly, RESPECTED. I do not see myself in a position to tell someone what they can or cannot do with their own body, nor do I have the right to advocate the moral superiority of my own personal beliefs to the detriment of another's. Pro-lifers on the other hand, believe that it is their God given (or possibly, some other dictatorial source of logic given) right to proclaim that what they believe is right for everybody and that differing opinions are inherently immoral.

Recently, "Echoes of the Holocaust", was an information seminar held on the University of Toronto campus, in which abortion was related and compared to the Holocaust. Am I the only person who thinks that the very idea of this is comparison is completely ludicrous, not to mention blasphemous and insulting to the entire Jewish population? Maternal sentiments aside, a fetus is a cluster of cells. Really and truly, it is. To compare the act of abortion to the systematic murder of millions of innocent people is quite frankly the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

As a decent human being, I understand fully and can totally appreciate the sentiments of preserving and nurturing the stages of fetal development which lead to the creation of a life, but the one thing about pro-lifers that irks me the most is the fact they are completely oblivious to firstly, what raising a child entails both financially, physically and emotionally, as well as the hypocrisy which they preach. Pro-lifers give up their Sunday afternoons to aggressively preach for the fruition of every fetus, but what about after the baby is born? Good luck finding a pro-lifer who is willing to give up their Sunday afternoons to babysit, drive the kid to soccer or hockey practice or work an extra job just to provide the basic necessities to that child. How is it that a group of people can actively advocate for life but are able to completely disregard its sanctity once it actually qualifies as a life?? The question must be asked if pro-life is really a commitment to protecting all forms of life or if it just an opportunity to soapbox about one single issue. Are pro-lifers willing to pay higher taxes in order to support social programs so that women can more easily make the choice to have their children? Or, do they simply disappear like a deadbeat dad once the umbilical cord is cut? Are pro lifers advocating the value of life when it comes to supporting political initiatives like the war on terror or Israel-Palestine where human life is being obliterated daily?

Some of you realize that pregnancy and childcare are expensive. The choices of adoption or "responsibility for your actions" are often sugar-coated and glamorized and rarely shown for that they really are. "Choice" is a misnomer. Most women do not have a choice due to economic or social limitations. It's the same with women in the work place. Rarely do women have a choice to work or stay at home, depending on their status. Our discourse about women's "choices" and decisions need to reflect these realities. I think what is missing from the pro-life argument is a view of pregnancy and childcare from a point of view other than a privileged white perspective.

Misogyny

Lil Wayne has jizzed all over the face of feminism. In today's world men are quick to argue that the days of male and female inequality are a thing of the past, but with lyrics like "I wish I could f&*k every girl in the world" blasting through radio stations at nauseum it seems the women's right movement has been set back to the early fourteenth century. While degrading women literally has nothing to do with music or any specific genre for that matter, music remains a reflection of our culture and society; it is our culture and society that condones sexism and misogyny. Don't get me wrong, I love mainstream music as much as the next person, but it's dying a fucking miserable death. While watching the Everygirl video, I personally counted 126 times where women were objectified and made into some form of commodity. Women are valued solely for their physical attributes, with videos featuring hordes of scantily clad women dancing around like idiots on beds of money or the hood of a Bentley. Lyrics, if you have ever dissected them, perpetuate a perception of women as liars and whores. Ironically, while these lyrics outwardly degrade women, they inadvertently degrade the artistic legitimacy of rap music as well. Mainstream hip hop has become a far cry from the once enlightened voice of the oppressed and disenfranchised in society; it has turned into a commercialization of pretenders, who post revenues in excess of 1.5 billion dollars annually.

This is not to say that every man who listens to rap music ascribes to chauvinist tendencies, nor is it to say that men are the only ones who perpetuate this perception. As a self described moderate feminist, I cannot turn myself away from the facets of our media which absolutely rape feminism. Case and point, Girlicious; modeling for young girls a very deranged definition of femininity. I find the very existence of this group to be ridiculously insulting, not the least being the fact that they don't even produce real music. Their appropriately titled smash hit, "Stupid Shit", is literally the stupidest song to have ever been produced, accompanied by a music video which can only be described as a low budget porno for tweens, in which this vapid foursome spontaneously rips off their clothes to the chorus "let's do some stupid shit." I actually cannot get through this song without wanting to stab a sharpened pencil into my eardrums. And for the love of Jesus, sexism is even built into their name… Girlicious, break it down people… girl… licious (delicious). I rest my case.

You can find links to the subjugation of women throughout history; in religion, politics, philosophy and the social environment. In the second century, Tertullian, prolific Christian apologist, wrote of women "You are the gateway of the devil; you are the one who unseals the curse of that tree, and you are the first one to turn your back on the divine law". Although most of us find this sexist tripe to be completely absurd today, this historically engrained mindset has percolated into the practices and institutions of modern society. While I doubt the Catholic Church would cite the works of Tertullian as justification for the inability for women to obtain ordination, the fact that women are still seen to be inferior as leaders by one of the most powerful institutions in the world is quite scary. The common response? Women need to stand up for themselves. Ha! That sounds simple enough, but imagine growing up in a society that socializes you to be passive, meek and compliant? Some men in today's society will scoff at a woman if she vocalizes any inequalities that she may have experienced, writing it off as being overly concerned or making problems out of nothing. I can only hope change does happen though, not only because misogyny is destructive to women but also because money, cars, clothes and hoes is a very narrow and unsustainable definition of success indeed.

 

Canvassing Vultures

Spring hath sprung and those moral crusaders are at it again. They have crawled out from the holes where they were hiding all winter only to annoy, harass and berate the good students of U of T who are innocently enjoying their leisurely walk to class. While sprinting down Harbord this morning, I passed WWF, Sick Kids and Greenpeace; luckily I was able to duck into Sid Smith before the World Vision campaigners spotted me. Does the whole idea of begging students for a monthly monetary donation make sense to you? If not, then you'll probably join me in my hatred of these hollow minded do gooders. While I concede their quest to raise funds for charitable causes to be admirable, they counter this nobility with a logical capacity which makes George Bush look like Albert Einstein. Firstly, what kind of university student do these people think has the money to sponsor a child in Africa or give a monthly donation to stop the clubbing of the seals in Alaska? Clearly none of these people have ever been university students (York doesn't count) because if they had then they would be aware of the oxymoron that is presented when you put the words university student and financially stable in the same sentence. Hell, we even have to photocopy our textbooks just so we can cover tuition costs with our OSAP funding. I don't know what it is with these people; maybe it's a bad sense of direction or lack of common sense, but I sometimes I feel compelled to buy them a map and point them in the direction of Bay Street.

Another facet of this ridiculous marketing scheme which absolutely kills me is the fact that the big wigs in charge of managing these gofers clearly have no idea how to appeal to a student demographic. Students are quite possibly the most zealous age group on the planet: students are passionate about things, students like to get involved and students genuinely care about and want to better the world in which we live. Blame it on the naiveté, but if these organizations actually want to inspire youth towards the common good then they need to do it in a way which makes contributing to these organizations appealing and accessible for students. Volunteering, for example, seems to me like a much more effective way to get students involved in charitable initiatives then asking them to give up their bus money for the week. These organizations could be successful in actualizing their goals, EXCEPT for the fact that they are going about it all wrong: paying these guilt wrenching gargoyles $9 an hour to harass starving university students instead of saving their money has not yet proven to be an effective way to yield results.

My run-ins with campaigners have been less than friendly, to the point where I have been heckled for politely declining to give them 5 minutes of my time when I was late for a class at Lash Miller. I still walked away, but that little act of fuckery caused me to blacklist their entire initiative. The worst part of it is that they don't JUST want 5 minutes of your time, oh no my friends, they want the opportunity to tug at your heartstrings so you end up being guilted into giving them 5 minutes of your time, $50 a month (which you don't have), an email address, phone number and your first born child.

But Amanda, if you don't like them then why don't you just ignore them? HA! Not only is that a naive assumption but has also proven ineffective. Believe me, in my three years at U of T I have tried everything; listening to my iPod, texting, looking at the floor, spontaneously crossing the street, huddling close to the center of a group of strangers, even faking an urgent call from my mother—none of these tactics have yielded results due to the fact that this legion of doom has the ability to make you feel more guilty than an Italian mother. Not only do they make you feel like a soulless, emotionally crippled jerk when you say you are simply not interested, but they also completely destroy any hopes you had for continuing on with the rest of your day.

I can only hope one campaigner reads this article, so I can explain to you just how annoying you actually are.

Willy Wonka… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!!?

The descent of humanity begins after the theme song. As if The Hills, Engaged and Underage, Growing Up Gotti and 16 and Pregnant weren't enough MTV has once again come up with a ridiculously retarded reality TV show, The Jersey Shore. This "docu-soap" exposes one of the most vapid creatures to walk the earth, The Guido. To those of you who have never had the pleasure of watching this show, let me sum it up for you: it chronicles the remarkable life of steroid junkies with spiked hair who look like they've escaped from Willy Wonkas factory. They lack common skills such as proper grammar and articulation, and move into a beach house where they attempt to spread their tainted seed to as many of their female counterparts "guidettes" as humanly possible, all while simultaneously first pumping and spray tanning. Every character on this show is devastatingly stupid.

This show not only popularizes hormone riddled morons who are unable to display basic cognitive skills but it reeks of misogyny as well. Aside from spray tanning, hair spiking and shooting up steroids, these Guido's spend their time rubbing off to transvestite looking skanks, whose hair gives me flashbacks to The Adams Family (*sigh* oh JWOWW). If you have ever watched this show then you have an idea of how offensive it can get. Male characters are made popular by making their sole purpose in life "getting some", while female characters are presented as a group of whores, literally tearing each other apart for male attention, nail polish and or peroxide. These gargoyles are so cracked out from all the hairspray and meth that they don't even recognize their own legal names anymore and constantly leave me to wonder exactly which "situation" is so important that it need be referred to every 6 seconds. It is the ghetto Playboy Mansion on ecstasy, and it is a miracle these idiots haven't killed themselves yet by attempting to heat up their Jacuzzi with a toaster oven.

Yet, these apparently brainless twits are making thousands of dollars and getting rich, all while influencing the general population that watches this MTV trash. Really, I fear for the lives of every person who has been exposed to this pathetic excuse for a show and hope to God that humanities obsession with "reality" television comes to an abrupt end, and soon! Until then, let's hope gonorrhea turns out to be the Guido's kryptonite and these guys disappear.

See Y'all On The Shore,

A-POP

 

S.O.S Canada

Students of St. Michaels College,

    In Canada, many of us are blind to the fact that we are blessed to afford for ourselves a standard of living which others would only dream of. As North Americans we have "won the birth lottery" and have been lucky enough to live in a society which is not ravaged by war, disease, famine or violence. In keeping with the idea of the American, or shall I say "Canadian Dream", our culture has become blinded by the ideal of success: success which unfortunately comes with a very high price to the other billions of human beings who were not as strategic with their geographic birth location. We live our lives in pursuit of self interest, so much so that we rarely question the political ethics and morals of the industrialized world or the transnational business interests which, arguably, have come to run it. North America has its hand firmly grappling the genitals of so many countries its' sickening, and with corporations running sweatshops and employing child laborers they are racking up paper like a hooker on dollar night.

    Currently, the Religious and Community Affairs Commission on SMCSU is raising money to aid the relief effort in Haiti. We are running a dual purpose change drive, not only are we asking SMC students to turn their spare change into a valuable donation but to also to change their outlook on life from the self absorption of North American culture and do
so much good with such little effort. I know that as poor struggling university students it is hard to donate money (or time) to humanitarian efforts, and this is precisely why our initiative is so great: you can give according to your means. Though it may be hard, you are able to go without a cup of coffee for the day—the people in Haiti are not able to go without food, water or shelter. $1.50 for a coffee is chump change to us, but to the people in Haiti it is a very valuable resource.     

Though this tragedy reminds us of how fragile life is, it can also serve to be used as a teachable moment. Often, the extreme poverty and horrible political and social injustices that go on in many parts of the developing world are unnoticed by the common Westerner; it takes blockbuster films like Blood Diamond and Life & Debt, or catastrophic disasters like last week's earthquake for us to open our eyes. To quote Hollywood, "with great power comes great responsibility"— as the privileged few we need to take responsibility for the underprivileged many. We need to give back to those who have been exploited at our expense and spread the wealth that affords us our 3 car garages and $600 coats to those who have nothing. This initiative calls out to each and every one of you to ACT and through this action effectively transform yourselves into a catalyst for positive change. In the words of Gandhi, BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD! Come on down to Brennan Lounge and donate your spare change for change!

Personally Yours,     

Amanda Fiume
Religious and Community Affairs Commissioner, SMCSU

N.B. While several agencies have complained about not being able to get aid through to the people who are in the most need, the Canadian Red Cross remains one of the most credible and well established international aid organizations. We will be sending all of the donation money that we collect through the Canadian Red Cross. Rest assured that your money will be used to the full extent of its worth

Boxing Day= Pure and Utter Torture

Where are you Christmas? Why can't I find you? As I sit here enjoying the serenity of the cottage, snuggled up on the couch with hot cocoa, dreaming of sugar plums and fairies I can't help but think of the sinful revulsion that is taking place in a mall near you. At this very moment vultures are circling mall parking lots in the hopes of snatching a spot close to the door, people are waiting in unfathomably long lines outside of Abercrombie and Fitch, exit ramps on the highways are completely blocked and human beings are literally trampling all over each other while visions of Sporting Life sales dance in their heads. What would drive humanity to this type of insane, barbaric madness you ask? Oh yeah, the 20% off sale on tee shirts, potpourri and the rest of the shit that didn't sell out during the Christmas rush.

While I know it's the holiday season and I should be upbeat and happy, I can't help but think of how much I hate Boxing Day. Perhaps what bothers me the most about this day of hell on earth is the hypocrisy that surrounds it. You know the types, those people who get up on their altruistic soapboxes preaching about how Christmas has become too commercialized, how its meaning has been lost, blah blah blah. These Christian Gestapo fill our heads with messages of how Christmas is about caring, sharing and giving; being thankful for what you have and yet a mere 24 hours later these same Christly martyrs can be seen at Vaughan Mills, snarling anyone who attempts to get at the last pair of size 7 UGG boots. The irony of this absolutely kills me due to the fact that not a year, a month, or a week but ONE DAY later and the messages of the Christmas spirit, love, and kindness are not only forgotten, but have been traded, raped and pillaged for a $2 off sale on tank tops at Aritzia. Where are your morals people?!?! Where is your integrity, care, sense of self worth!?! Apparently, these characteristics have been lost somewhere between Bass Pro shop and the underwear bin in La Senza, but not to worry, a spare dose of selflessness is kept in the glove box of your car and can be accessed once you've cursed your way out of the parking lot and have satisfied your urge to shop.

It all plays out like a sick and twisted version of Lord of the Flies: survival of the fittest. Only, this time the setting is in a shopping mall, the conch has been replaced with a loudspeaker and Piggy is that elderly woman you gunned down for that handicapped spot in the parking lot.

Humanity at its Finest

Okay okay okay, so I'm a bit of a negative Nanc'. It's midterm season and to alleviate my apparent 'Oscar the Grouch' syndrome I thought I would indulge my readers with a segment about the types of people who I absolutely love rebelling against things I absolutely hate. I proceed in no particular order;

People who give up their seat on the subway to pregnant women/ old people.

    It never fails to amaze me when a pregnant woman gets on the train and NO ONE offers to give up their seat (everyone suddenly becomes overtly engaged in their tantalizing edition of the Metro). I have no idea what happened to this convention or chivalry for that matter. I don't know if these people were raised in a barn or have no concept of what it means to be a decent human being, but I do know that when someone who is preggers, injured or elderly gets on the train the rest of us able bodied folk need to suck it up and offer up our seat. To those of you who willingly endure 45 minutes of discomfort and genuinely prove yourself to be a good human being, I salute you!

People with vices.

    If you have a vice, be it a love affair with nicotine, multiple facial piercings, the ability to blatantly speak your mind or a sleeve of eclectically random tattoos, you are pretty fucking fabulous. You my friends stick up a big middle finger to the societal norms of our time and that scores you major brownie points with me. You're creative, edgy and most importantly you don't waste your time putting on the facade of a Stepford wife. I'm not talking about anarchists who torch cop cars or burn crosses for fun, I'm talking about those people who embody what it means to be "avante-guard", so comfortable in their own skin that they don't give a fuck about the sneers they get from the fake blonde bulimic girls sporting UGG boots or those who ascribe to the cult of Abercrombie douche. If you're a real person who is confident enough with yourself not to think twice about what anyone else thinks of your immoral appearance, scandalous reputation, character flaws or secret addiction to meth, you're pretty flippin' cool.

People who are liberal minded     

Maybe I'm just an idealist, maybe I'm too liberal, but I want to cut anyone who spews misogynistic, homophobic or racist tripe just so they can feel better about themselves. Seriously, these people need to go back to the 17^th century. I'm not really sure what irks me so much about intolerant attitudes, oh wait, yes I do; it's that everyone who thinks discrimination is justified is completely bigoted and ignorant beyond all measure. Anyone who ascribes to my personal philosophy of "live and let live", actively defends homosexuality, gender issues and racial equality should be canonized for sainthood. You should pride yourself on your unorthodox, humanitarian and rational view of the world and hold onto it like grim death.

People who are unique.

    Basically if you have any degree of uniqueness to how you dress, I am in love with you. If you reject paying $45.00 for a t-shirt advertised with a borderline pornographic marketing campaign you are fabulous. Showing individuality and expression in how you dress is way sexier than trying to impress the opposite sex; looking skinny and dressing slutty is way overrated, so is parading around campus with your lunch in a Burberry shopping bag. This also includes guys who's typical outfit involves (but is not limited to) popped collars, flip-flops, the ever popular puka-shell necklace, idiotic t-shirts that say "Any Hole is a Goal" and is usually accompanied by sentences like, "Did you get the kill?" (in reference to having sex with a girl) and "I'm so jacked" (wishful thinking in reference to their scrawny anatomy). Congratulations on reaching a whole new level of douche. If you refuse to whore yourself out for brand name clothing and compromise your morals, personality, conscience and the general sanity of everyone around you in order to be "cool", you are awesome in my books.