Thought for the Day

United Nations personnel around the world are increasingly likely to be targets for attack because the organization is perceived by some as a tool of powerful members, rather than an unbiased advocate for all nations, Lakhdar Brahimi, a veteran diplomat who headed a global study on the security of United Nations staff members, said Monday.

The study, conducted by a seven-member panel that was organized after 17 United Nations workers were killed in a bombing in Algiers last December, concluded that neither individual staff members nor the organization had fully grasped the change in perceptions, Mr. Brahimi said.

— New York Times

"So girl if that shit ain't up to you, then you simply are not free"

Back in 1992, I had to pop out one day to run some errands. As I wandered by Harbord St., I noticed that there was a big pile of bricks where there once was a building. I didn't find out about it until much later, but the pile of bricks was what remained of the Morgentaler clinic. Someone had bombed it.

Today, Dr. Henry Morgentaler was awarded the Order of Canada. I must confess that the award confused me: I assumed that such awards were given out on the advice of the government, and I didn't imagine that Dr. Morgentaler was this government's idea of a hoopy frood. Apparently, the government doesn't recommend Order of Canada recipients. This seems more their speed:

"The Conservative Government is not involved in either deliberations or decisions with respect to which individuals are appointed to the Order of Canada," Dimitri Soudas, a spokesperson for Harper, said in a statement.

— The Toronto Star

I wish that I could say that I have always been clueful about abortion rights issues. Certainly Dr. Morgantaler was part of my own personal education process.