Women's Views on News |
- The dangers of assisted suicide and ‘austerity’
- Reviewing how ads kill us softly
- Legal aid residence test deemed unlawful
| The dangers of assisted suicide and ‘austerity’ Posted: 18 Jul 2014 05:44 AM PDT
The Falconer Bill is another in a round of Bills advocating assisted suicide for those who are terminally ill. Previous Bills of this nature have been defeated because quite simply they are considered dangerous. The report of the self-styled 'commission' funded by those who are leading and financing the pro assisted suicide lobby say assisted suicide should not be offered to disabled people who are not terminally ill 'at this point in time'so don't fool yourself we're not next on the list. While we fight for human rights for assistance in life, support and independent living, against devastating cuts we have a Bill suggesting people need assisted suicide. In a time when the NHS is being decimated when social care is being decimated, and the ILF is facing closure- is the only assistance we'll get for suicide? Then they say we're safe, there are safeguards! Since when were disabled people safe from having their lives (and deaths) dictated to them by others - or seen as anything other than 'suffering' from impairments when it is often society, the care and health systems, and millionaire politicians policies that consistently fail to address our human rights in life, often viewing us as a burden and a drain on resources. We don't have the financial millions of the pro assisted suicide lobby nor the slick web sites. We don't pay campaigners to lobby. But we have the history and determination to keep fighting while our human rights and dangers to us are ignored The bill being debated would initially allow people who are terminally ill, have less than 6 months to live and who consent, to have assistance from a doctor to end their lives. We oppose it because: We do not believe that the bill has sufficient safeguards to make sure diagnoses are accurate, consent it informed or that undue pressure is not put on anyone to use this act; The law should exist to protect the majority, in particular those who have no voice, little power and the greatest needs. The bill would mean that doctors who assist anyone to end their lives would be immune from prosecution; The most recent assisted suicide and euthanasia laws in Europe illustrate that bills like this are initially introduced for terminally ill people only in order to get passed, however, very quickly, the definitions are extended to include disabled people, those with dementia, children and even those experiencing 'existential angst'; The majority of doctors, including the BMA and the Royal College of General Practitioners have overwhelmingly voted against legalising assisted suicide and euthanasia in the UK because they believe it will change the relationship between doctor and patient and the role of the doctor from healer to killer; and Negative changes in public attitudes towards disabled people are increasing- note, when people who are not disabled want to commit suicide, we try to talk them out of it, but when a disabled person wants to commit suicide, we focus on how we can make that possible. We believe that the campaign to legalise assisted suicide reinforces deep-seated beliefs that the lives of old and disabled people are not worth as much as other people's. That if you are disabled or terminally ill you are simply a burden. Please sign the petition against the Bill here.  |
| Reviewing how ads kill us softly Posted: 18 Jul 2014 04:13 AM PDT
Following a hugely popular appearance in Edinburgh last year, leading academic Dr Jean Kilbourne is back in Scotland in August with two events that will look at the impact advertising, online pornography and sexting on young people’s views and expectation of relationships. Jean Kilbourne's pioneering work helped develop and popularise the study of gender representation in advertising. Her award-winning films Killing Us Softly (1979) and Still Killing Us Softly (1987) have influenced millions of college and high school students across two generations and on an international scale. In her new film, ‘Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women’, Kilbourne reviews if and how the image of women in advertising has changed over the last 20 years and uses over 160 ads and commercials to critique advertising's image of women. By fostering creative and productive dialogue, she invites viewers to look at familiar images in a new way, that moves them and empowers them to take action. It is being distributed by the Media Education Foundation. A study guide and handouts for this video are available online from the Media Education Foundation. Kilbourne began her exploration of the connection between advertising and several public health issues, including violence against women, eating disorders, and addiction, in the late 1960s and launched a movement to promote media literacy as a way to prevent these problems. A radical and original idea at the time, this approach is now mainstream and an integral part of most prevention programmes. According to Susan Faludi, "Jean Kilbourne's work is pioneering and crucial to the dialogue of one of the most underexplored, yet most powerful, realms of American culture -advertising. We owe her a great debt." Mary Pipher has called Kilbourne "our best, most compassionate teacher." Her films, lectures and television appearances have been seen by millions of people throughout the world and Kilbourne was named by The New York Times Magazine as one of the three most popular speakers on college campuses. The Dundee event will take place on 18 August at the Contemporary Arts, Nethergate, from 9am onwards. In the afternoon, Jean will speak at Glasgow’s Mitchell Library. That event will start at 1pm. To book a place at either event, please contact June Hepburn on 0141 532 5805 or by email. As well as being the creator of the renowned Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image of Women film series, she is the author of the award-winning book ‘Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel’ and ‘So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids’ written with Diane E. Levin. 'Can't Buy My Love' is the paperback edition of 'Deadly Persuasion: Why Women and Girls Must Fight the Addictive Power of Advertising', published in hardback in 1999. Many advertisements these days make us feel as if we have an intimate, even passionate relationship with a product. But as Jean Kilbourne points out in this fascinating and shocking exposé, the dreamlike promise of advertising always leaves us hungry for more. We can never be satisfied, because the products we love cannot love us back. Drawing upon her knowledge of psychology, media, and women's issues, Kilbourne offers nothing less than a new understanding of a ubiquitous phenomenon in our culture. Kilbourne paints a gripping portrait of how the barrage of advertising we face drastically affects young people, especially girls, by offering false promises of rebellion, connection, and control. She also offers a surprising analysis of the way advertising creates and then feeds an addictive mentality that often continues throughout adulthood. For more information, including to read an excerpt, click here. ‘So Sexy So Soon‘ is a practical guide for parents who are fed up, confused, and even scared by what their kids – or their kids' friends – do and say. Levin and Kilbourne, internationally recognised experts in early childhood development and the impact of the media on children and teens, understand that saying no to commercial culture – TV, movies, toys, Internet access, and video games – isn't a realistic or viable option for most families. Instead, they offer parents essential, age-appropriate strategies to counter the assault. For instance: Help your children expand their imaginations by suggesting new ways for them to play with toys – for example, instead of "playing house" with dolls, they might send their toys on a backyard archaeological adventure; Counteract the narrow gender stereotypes in today's media: ask your son to help you cook; get your daughter outside to play ball; Share your values and concerns with other adults – relatives, parents of your children's friends – and agree on how you'll deal with TV and other media when your children are at one another's houses. We don't lack information about what is necessary to create a healthier environment for our children, Kilbourne has pointed out: What we have lacked is the political will to achieve it.  |
| Legal aid residence test deemed unlawful Posted: 18 Jul 2014 01:09 AM PDT
In 2013 the Ministry of Justice issued a consultation paper entitled 'Transforming Legal Aid'. The consultation paper announced a further round of cuts to legal aid, following closely in the wake of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) which came into force on 1 April 2013. The proposals, if implemented, would mean that many migrants and prisoners would no longer be eligible for legal aid. Access to judicial review would be restricted. And it would see the creation of a residence test for civil legal aid restricting eligibility to those with at least 12 months' continuous "lawful residence". On 7 July we asked for your support in joining a Thunderclap against the implementation of the Legal Aid Residence Test. The Thunderclap #iamforjustice on 8 July was a great success. Thank you, if you joined in and supported it. On 9 July there was a vote on this ‘Residence Test’ in Parliament. It was approved – by a margin of 70 votes. Peers in the House of Lords, who have been more resistant to cuts in legal aid, are due to vote on the order next week. However, the government’s attempt to introduce a residence test for legal aid was struck down by three senior judges ruling in the High Court this week. Three senior judges unanimously declared that the draft regulations, now waiting for a House of Lords vote on 21 July, cannot be enacted by means of secondary legislation. Lord Justice Moses said: “The Ministry of Justice described LASPO as ‘targeting legal aid at the most serious cases which have sufficient priority to justify the use of public funds’. He added: “Within the system provided by LASPO, the United Kingdom is not permitted to discriminate against non-residents on the grounds that to do so might save costs.” Moses dismissed Justice Secretary Chris Grayling’s claim that the reforms would have public support, saying: “In the context of a discriminatory provision relating to legal assistance, invoking public confidence amounts to little more than reliance on public prejudice.” Remarking on the judgment, Sandra Horley, chief executive of national domestic violence charity Refuge, said: “I am pleased that the high court has struck down proposals to introduce a ‘residence test’ requirement for legal aid on the grounds that it would be discriminatory and unlawful. “Refuge had serious concerns about this proposal, which would prevent the most vulnerable people in society from accessing legal protection – including victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. “When survivors of violence and abuse make the extraordinarily brave step of speaking out against their abusers, it is vital that they are supported by the full force of the law. “Attempting to restrict legal aid on the basis of ‘residency’ would deny life-saving protection to many victims.” She added: “It is now up to the House of Lords to ensure that these measures are dropped when it votes on this issue next week. “I urge members of the Lords to consider the court’s ruling and to safeguard the right to justice for all victims of violence and abuse.”  |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Women's Views on News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |