Medical Abortion in Ireland

A woman walks into a hospital in Ireland with complications resulting from a Medical Abortion.

She has just flown back from Britain where the aborifacients Mifepristone and Misoprostol have been legally administered by a licensed facility. She receives treatment and is fine.

Another woman purchases the drugs online and administers them according to instructions on the Island of Ireland. She also experiences complications, is treated in a hospital and is fine.

Will these women be questioned as to where the Medical Abortion was administered and be obliged to provide evidence of this?

Is it in the public interest to insist that this evidence is provided?

Is it in the public interest to prosecute the woman who administered the Medical Abortion in Ireland?

What would be an appropriate punishment if she was convicted?

Despite a UK ruling that both doses be administered in a licensed facility, this is likely to a conundrum for policy makers, enforcers of the law and pro-life activists in Ireland in the coming future.

It would seem I am not the first person to consider this issue as the drugs are advertised online. The issue has previously been considered in the ROI here and and in NI here.

The Irish Language

In light of recent movements to have the Irish Language removed from the list of compulsory subjects for Leaving Certificate takers in the Republic of Ireland it seems appropriate to comment.


One of the few joys of being in Vietnam for St Patrick's day this year will hopefully be the lack of 'Irish' people feeling the need to justify why they don't speak Irish. Insecurity seems to me to be an important motivation for people expounding on the irrelevance of the Irish language today. While Irish 'nationalism' has created a strong cultural identity in Ireland, not speaking the Irish seems to undermine it. Simply speaking Irish therefore undermines the 'Irishness' of others and hence the stoical defense of their own lives.


But insecurity is far from the only reason. If personal experience (ie education) of Irish is bad, and it often is, then abstract Celtic notions are unlikely to fill the void. Irish enthusiasts would do well to acknowledge this in their endeavours, as all governments should acknowledge that people generally don't like doing what they forced to do.


I do think the Republic of Ireland needs to address this issue, and making the langauge optional but attractive might prove to be a useful way of achieving progress. However, for those who wish the language dead, the significant role the language plays in the economy, arts etc should not be downplayed or ignored for the sake of your emotional insecurities.

Egypt

The world is watching Egypt as it takes to the streets demanding basic rights. I watched CNN's coverage of it last night and it seemed clear that they are hedging their bets as to the outcome. The interest is clear, they favour stability and by inference the status quo. While acknowledging that major change may be about to happen, they concentrate on looting, personal security and economic damage. The message is clearly spelt out that those with vested interests should be concerned and should support a return to the status quo if not to a compromise that retains significant components of the status quo.

There seems to be two distinct sides. Those that have nothing and are now galvanised that they can have more, and those that having something and worry that they could lose some of it. The haves therefore only back a revolution when it is clearly going to happen, as they risk loosing out if the exisitng power structure remains, regardless seemingly of the merits of the revolution.

The human rights oriented world lamented the situation in Egypt due to rights abuses. The property oriented world now laments the situation in Egypt due to property abuses. These two sides seem unable to communicate with one another at the required level to bring about a situation that is to their mutual satisfaction.

As more emphasis is put on the security situation, pressure is brought to bear on those that have property to loose, in the hope that support for the status quo will be increased. CNN being a hawkish company does not surprise, but what will likely be important to the outcome, is the influence of the hawks in international governments circles.

Property may not be theft, but it puts a brake on idealism.

most of the world does not run on time

To not be upset when  one's 15 hr bus journey turns into a 21 hr one would have been easier had a friend not recently complained about being delayed in an airport in Iraq. 'Harden up' is perhaps not an unfair response, but for those for whom the trains run on time, being delayed is an inconvenience worthy of remark.

I was reminded of a Louis de Berniere moment when he described a fictional but normalesque journey in latin america with the expression 'despite everything running perfectly to time we still arrived 7 hours late'. No I bit the lip and resolved to not complain.

Arriving too late to check-in  I wandered towards the bridge spanning Song Han in Danang. Attending a sung mass along the way was a peculiar delight, as was having the company of a 20yr old nurse who ran across the road to hear me play the whistle on top of the bridge. Then I set off to get breakfast and find the surf that at least a few websites had informed me there would be.

The surf was there but not a sinner on the beach, and closed were the guesthouses I had read about. And so began a lonely walk along a beach with grey/brown waves breaking on one side and half constructed resorts looming over the other. Most of my thoughts cursed the unpredictability of the world, in that it had the impudence to surprise me with an alternative to my expectations.

I hardened up, but it took a few clicks walking the beach and a swim. But my reaction was to head straight to an internet cafe to order me another large glass of predictability. Change location for something predictable.

I could always just walk out the door and see though.

doesn't give much money to charity, but he would have you do so

I am a slacktivist. Interested in charity work, I spend a fair bit of time online posting links to various causes, signing petitions and generally increasing the amount of low quality information in the world. I have no idea what good it does, and whether anyone else actually appreciates it, or goes the extra mile and takes the time (or gives the money) to move whatever cause it is on its way.


Clicking buttons doesn't make it happen, but it makes me feel like I am doing something, and it is free. The alternative of donating money isn't nearly so appealing. I have less, and find it difficult to see any return. The shrapnel I throw into charity boxes probably costs more to count and process than it is worth and the odd fundraiser attended is the only bit of light in the sad affair.


In an ideal world more of us would be like Toby Ord who will donate $1m from an average salary over the course of his working life.


This would all be well and good if he wasn't such a boring ...