RIGHT
TO DIE
What
a strange country we live in. First an otherwise healthy young woman
is refused the option of terminating a baby which threatens her life
and subsequently dies. And now a woman is told that she must let
nature take its course and die in extreme pain and suffering. The
ruling against assisted suicide in Marie Fleming's case hardly came
as a surprise, we are one of the world's most conservative countries
when it comes to these matters after all. But what was surprising was
the complete and utter lack of empathy displayed by those handing
down the decision. Yes there was unspoken intimation that Ms
Fleming's partner would not face criminal sanction should he ignore
the ruling, but the underlying message was absolute: The law is the
law and we cannot change that.
But
they can change that, and like it or not they will change that.
Ireland is no longer the parochial stronghold it once was. Our people
think for themselves now. We don't need the Catholic church to make
our decisions for us. Assisted suicide, just like abortion, will
become legal in this country within the next ten years, the people
will demand it. We're considered one of the world's most
forward-thinking nations in so many sectors but our legislature is
that of a country still bound by ancient tradition. Only by freeing
ourselves of those shackles can we ever hope to truly develop as a
nation.
MUDDY
WATERS
I may just have stated that
abortion, one day, will become legal in this country. And I stand by
it. But in what guise will this act take place upon our shores? I've
always been mystified by women, and even more so by their bodies, but
I never realised just how many ways a pregnancy can go wrong. Those
charged with creating a new bill to protect the rights of women have
been left in an unenviable position. I think we can all agree that
abortion should never become a lifestyle choice, but thereafter the
issue becomes decidedly more complex. The law, as it stands, states
that abortion is illegal if there is a danger to a mother's health
but not her life: however should the woman be suicidal then the
procedure may be allowed.
Could it be any more vague? And of
course the big question is how do you ascertain whether someone is
suicidal or not? It gives me a headache just thinking about it. Put
it this way how often do you hear the bereaved of someone who has
taken their own life say “We had no idea he/she was suffering, why
didn't they just tell us”. If those closest to a person can't tell
whether someone wants to end it all then how can anyone else? You may
say that a psychiatrist should be able to make a judgement call, but
how can such responsibility be placed in one person's hands? Abortion
will always be a divisive issue, which is why above all else any new
legislature needs to be clear, concise and, most importantly, deliver
closure.
IS
IT COZ I IS BLACK?
The Irish government is one of the
more laughable political organisations on the planet, but they've got
nothing on the English FA. That lot are an absolute hoot. The days of
fusty old men in smoky dark rooms are long gone but it seems their
spirit prevails. How else can you explain the furore over Reginald D
Hunter's appearance at the PFA awards last Sunday night? If you don't
know Hunter he is an affable American comedian with a penchant for
pithy social commentary. Oh and he's black. Which means he has the
right to use the N word without censure. In a clever turning of the
tables that particular word is commonly used among the
African-American population as a term of endearment. It is far
removed from the phrase spat so viciously in the direction of black
immigrants during the past century.
So a black man on stage, performing
to a cosmopolitan audience, peppering his repartee with the word
nigga. Standard behaviour really. It was considered cutting-edge
and radical when Eddie Murphy did it in the 80s, but not anymore. And
by all accounts Hunter went down a storm, enjoyed in equal measure by
Caucasians, Afro-Caribbeans and Hispanics alike. Well done FA jolly
good show. “But wait, maybe this portrays us in a bad light”,
they thought, “lets denounce this man and all who worship at his
altar, just to be on the safe side”. And so it was. They apologised
profusely, wheeled out an ashed-faced Clarke Carlisle, and promised
to get Stan Boardman back next year. Two steps forward one step back.
Oh well.
OOOH
YOU SO SEXY
The public wants what the public
gets. No this is not another rant about our arcane policies and our
refusal to enter the twenty-first century, it's something far more
serious. Look at this list, it's FHM's 100 sexiest women as voted for
by the British public. Notice anything? Yeah Mila Kunis gets top
billing and no one could argue with that, cute as a button and sassy as hell she's a worthy winner. But from that point on things turn
to shit. There's no other way of putting it. Rihanna? Helen Flanagan?
Pixie Lott? They all have their merits but I see sexier women on a
daily basis just walking down the street. That's not to say I
wouldn't, because I clearly would, but this is the sexiest women in
the world for fucks sake!
Think of the screen sirens of
yesteryear, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Faye Dunaway, and compare
them to this motley crue. Jesus Christ it's like comparing roast beef
with Aldi's own brand luncheon. There is no comparison. Anyone would
think we as a society are growing uglier as the years pass. But it's
not even that – Marion Cotillard for example bears comparison
with any past beauties – it's simply that these vacuous celebrities
spend their every waking minute in the tabloids. Their one goal in
life is to gain recognition for their existence however meaningless.
And the knock on effect? Helen Flanagan becoming officially the
sexiest woman in the entire British Isles.
TORRENTS
OF ABUSE
They still haven't removed the HMV
logo from the now defunct record store in Limerick City centre. Every
time I walk past it I die a little inside. Not saying that I'd spend
hundreds in there every week were it still open, but I'd like to have
the option. But alas it has gone. Ah well at least we can still rent
films. What? Xtra-vision gone into receivership? Now you've gone and
done it. Sadly it's just another nail in the coffin for the brick and
mortar store, pushed to their limits by the rise of online shopping and
illegal downloading Xtra-vision now faces a battle to stay afloat. A
battle they will inevitably lose. Luckily those of us in Limerick
have the wonderful Moviedrome to avail of but the rest of the country
isn't so fortunate.
I'm sure those at the movie rental
chain are cursing the internet and it's file-sharing ways but no one
is to blame here. Given the option of downloading something for free
or paying for the privilege the majority are understandably going to
plump for the former. You can bring in all the Copyright Acts you
want but where there's a will there's a way and people will simply
circumnavigate these laws and be on their way. I must be one of a
dying breed in that I don't download films illegally. This is not
borne from any moral substance, I simply prefer to just pop a disc
into a player and proceed from there. And now with Blu-rays offering
a home cinema experience unlike anything else I have no desire to
fiddle around with torrents, laptops and wires. Call me
old-fashioned, call me a Luddite, I don't care – just let me watch
my movie (that I paid for) in peace.
LAND OF THE FREE
I feel like I've been very political
this week, it's quite tiring getting on your high horse all the time
and I don't really enjoy it. “Ireland is shit, our government is
corrupt, Enda's a wanker”, fuckin' hell it'd wear you out. Truth is
Ireland is a great country, we just like to moan and even at the
height of the Celtic Tiger we were all whinging our bollocks' off.
Now America, that is a shit country. Yes they've got bright lights,
huge portions and thousands of flavours of ice cream but they've also
got guns which are manufactured for children. And not the little
plastic things we used to fire at each as children either. No these
are real guns with real bullets which cause real pain and in some
cases death. One such case occurred in Kentucky this week when a five
year old boy mistakenly shot his two year old sister and killed her.
But the strange thing about this
case was not the fact that a five year old had access to a live
firearm. The reaction of the child's parents was the real story here.
Rather than lambaste the gun-makers and denounce their product they
instead turned to God. It was God's will they said, it was her time
there was nothing we could have done. Erm yes there fucking was. You
could have removed the gun from the premises. You could have said to
yourself “Hmm maybe five is a bit young for a gun, let's wait until
he's six”. You could have behaved like responsible adults and
bought your children toys which are, y'know not lethal and stuff. But
then again you're American, so this kinda thing is quite difficult
for you. I apologise.
No comments:
Post a Comment