View across the Outer Harbour of Stornoway

Sunday 8 March 2009

Abortion

What would you do, if your daughter aged 9 was raped by her stepfather, resulting in a double pregnancy? That awful decision was cast at the parents of a young girl in Brazil. The mother of the girl decided on an abortion, which was carried out last week.

The Roman Catholic Church in Brazil has excommunicated the girl, her mother and the doctors involved in the abortion, saying that the law of God stands above any law of man. The law of God is 'you will not kill'. The law of man was: Abortion only allowed if the pregnancy is a threat to the health of the woman involved.

I am absolutely appalled at this attitude, condoned by the Vatican incidentally, which is beyond description in my book. A girl of 9, having twins? After sexual abuse? Oh dear. What sort of a message does that send out. I'd better cut short my post, else I'd offend a fair few people.

Sunday 8 March

Cloudy day out here, with some heavy downpours. Earlier on, there was some wet snow in amongst it all. Spring is supposed to be on its way, but we usually don't see much of it before mid April, early May. My crop of beans is sprouting nicely in the windowsill, showing large green leaves and promise of much more. The birds outside are going through one birdfeeder's worth of seeds every other day, greedy things.

I read that the woman who threw green custard in the face of Business Secretary Lord Mandelson on Friday has (finally) been arrested. She should have been taken arrested on the scene. Mandelson, although not my favourite politician, is a former Northern Ireland Secretary, enjoying 24/7 police protection during his stint in that office.

Talking of Northern Ireland, I was sickened to hear of the murder of two soldiers at a barracks in County Antrim. The crime is thought to have been committed by a Republican splintergroup - may I suggest we just call them a criminal gang without granting them the dignity of political affiliation? That should take the wind out of their sails. They enjoy no public support, as everybody in Ulster was sick to death with all the mindless violence and thuggery of the Civil War, otherwise referred to as the Troubles.