Many early feminists were ‘against abortion’
WHILE Beth Doelman (ODT, 29.6.18) rightly promotes voting by women and the role of Kate Sheppard in securing voting rights for women, I believe that she is wayward in her assessment of the ‘‘justice’’ this may have played in securing ‘‘reproductive rights’’ for women.
Defunding Planned Parenthood of government funds is entirely appropriate, given that providing abortions is one of its major activities and Planned Parenthood has been exposed by Lila Rose as being implicated in covering up sex trafficking of minors, sex selective abortions (i.e. females), sale of foetal body parts to order, lateterm abortions and disproportionate abortion rates of minorities.
Beth might be interested to know that many of the early feminists were strongly against abortion, i.e. Elizabeth Cody Stranton, Sarah F. Norton, Victoria Woodhull, Maddie H. Brinckerhoff, Dr Elizabeth Blackwell, Dr Charlotte Lozier, Susan B. Anthony and others.
Beth might like to read unPlanned
by Abby Johnson who is a former Planned Parenthood director. Philippa O’Neill
Belleknowes
[Abridged]
Misplaced priorities?
DUNEDIN North Intermediate spent $1.5 million on its recent upgrade, and its principal is unabashedly unapologetic.
In fact, from the interview she gave to the Valley Voice, she was so awed by the $20 million rebuild of the Ministry of Education’s office building that she wishes her school spent more.
While I can see how a performing arts centre is pretty cool, I find it strange that new administration offices and a new school entrance should be prioritised over remedying the toxic air the school’s coal boiler produces.
Observing the spending priorities of this school and my neighbourhood school, Opoho Primary, reminds me of documentaries showing a country’s citizens with TVs and cellphones, but neither working sewerage systems nor access to clean water.
Far from being hamstrung by the Government, Tomorrow’s Schools empowers schools and their communities to decide how to spend their government funding.
I encourage DNI and Opoho Primary, as well as all Dunedin’s coalburning schools, to stop prioritising buildings over their students’ health. Ralph Adler
Opoho
Swift lanes
I WAS parked for almost two hours outside Dunedin Hospital while waiting for my daughter.
Lovely day it was.
In that time I saw two cyclists using our very expensive cycle lanes, while at the same time I counted 27 Suzuki Swifts.
Comparing them with the large trucks and SUVs was daunting.
I think that we should have a separate lane for the wee Swifts.
R. Williams
Fairfield
Arcane technology
DR John Williams from the business school of Otago University delivers up an interesting insight into the arcane world of Blockchain technology (ODT, 18.6.18).
Strangely, what wasn’t touched on is the inordinate powerhungry consumption required to drive it all. For example, the original iteration of Blockchain would gobble up more energy annually than an entire country the size of Argentina!
But to coin a phrase, should we worry one bit?
Tony Crick Andersons Bay ...................................
BIBLE READING: God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and selfcontrol. — 2 Timothy 1:7.