feminine-genius

Chemical war on women

France has tried to protect women by banning this drug, but the EU's health "experts" have forced them to make it available:

Diane-35, a controversial hormone pill intended to treat acne and excessive hairiness in women, but often used off-label as a contraceptive, has been implicated in the deaths of 27 women by the Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Center at Lareb, which tracks adverse reactions to medications in the European country.

The majority of the women who died were under 30 years old, and most died of pulmonary embolism or thrombosis after the drug caused blood clots to form in their bodies which then became lodged in their brains, lungs or hearts.   The pill has also been linked to depression by researchers in the UK.

Blindsided parents are now angry about the dangers, which  have spread beyond Europe:

In Canada, one such parent is Bruce McKenzie, whose daughter, Marit, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Calgary, died January 28 after less than a year of taking Diane-35. 

In the weeks before her death, the once-active teenager had become progressively weaker, complaining of constant fatigue, until one night she used her cell phone to call Bruce in a panic from the bottom floor of the family’s home to report that her heart rate had jumped to 145 and she could not breathe.  

Bruce rushed downstairs, carried Marit to the car and took her straight to the hospital, where she suffered four heart attacks before doctors realized she had a massive embolism blocking blood flow to her lungs. 

“The emergency room doctor read the [CT] scan herself,” Bruce told the Toronto Star. “She said in front of all of us: ‘I see nothing. There’s nothing. She must have gone toxic. Pneumonia? A bad infection of some kind?’ And then an intern piped up: ‘She’s taking birth control medication.’”  After that, a radiologist reviewed the scan and discovered the clots.

Two days later, Marit was dead.  Despite her doctors’ best efforts to save her, her brain hemorrhaged, ending her life. 

What horror. What horror. Think of this when choosing Bayer products.

Nature abhors a vacuum

In the collaborative relationship between men and women, since the men are stronger it has commonly been understood that men protect the women they love. This means a husband protects his wife and daughters, a brother his sisters, a son his mother. There is no disparagement of women in this--their intellect is equal, and while their strength varies, when a woman is pregnant or nursing, devoted to the care of her dependents, or aging, it makes sense for her to depend on men who are not physically compromised.

But what if there are no men in her life? How is that possible? And where does she turn? A frightening statistic has emerged from Sweden that shows the vulnerability of women in the face of male aggression: 

In the first seven months of 2013, over 1,000 Swedish women reported being raped by Muslim immigrants in the capital city of Stockholm. Over 300 of those were under the age of 15. The number of rapes is up 16% so far this year compared to 2012 numbers. A large proportion of the increase include rape of young [pre-teen] girls. 

To add to the horror, it is estimated that only 10-20% of sexual assaults are even reported to the police--and this is only one city. I remember reading a few years ago that many female students felt so vulnerable, they literally ran from where the school bus dropped them in the afternoons to their homes where they locked themselves in until their mums returned from work. (This data shows that a full quarter of Swedish women change their travel habits for fear of crime.)

Another statistic has to be considered: the majority of children in Sweden (and other Nordic countries) are born out of wedlock. While the father may be in the home, there may be no marriage bond, and of course the man in the home may not be the biological father of the children in the home. Furthermore, Sweden has one of the highest rates of female employment in the world (although feminists are not happy with the breakdown among industries, and they lament that the bulk of household chores and childcare are still left to women). So women work, they have fully-subsidised childcare for children aged one and over, and marriage is simply an option that may be considered after one or two children.

What is missing in the entire equation? The importance of fatherhood. There is the priority of statistical parity for women, there is the government provision of childcare, and there is companionship between men and women when it suits, but there is currently no imbedded cultural construct for men other than as erstwhile partners for women. The government's goals are clear:

Women and men must have the same power to shape society and their own lives. This is the overall goal for gender equality policy. To reach this goal we need to have the knowledge about the situation of women and men in society. With the help of facts in the form of statistics we can follow the terms of women and men in a number of areas. The statistics can be used in gender equality analyses that are needed to integrate a gender equality perspective in all activities.

Whither fatherhood? In this statistical game, a father's protective care for his offspring (or others!) is reduced to numbers on a spreadsheet, and who is harmed? Thousands of women and girls assaulted each year. If fathers are absent, then where can these girls turn? As it stands, neither the state nor the UN will address the horror. Saint Joseph, pray for us!

 

Loving the sinner--passionately

The LA Times has a astonishing story of a nun who chose to live in jail:

Sister Antonia Brenner, a Beverly Hills-raised mother of seven who became a Roman Catholic nun and moved into a notorious Tijuana prison where she spent more than three decades mending broken lives, easing tensions and dispensing everything from toothbrushes to bail money, has died. She was 86.

She was born Mary Clarke in Los Angeles on Dec. 1, 1926, to Irish immigrant parents. Her father grew wealthy running an office supply business, and the family counted Hollywood stars such as Cary Grant among their neighbors. She married and raised four daughters and three sons, all the while becoming deeply involved in charity work.

In 1977, after her children were grown and two marriages had ended in divorce — a source of sadness that she rarely talked about — Brenner gave away her expensive clothes and belongings, left her Ventura apartment and moved to La Mesa penitentiary. She had delivered donations in the past to the prison, each visit filling her with compassion.

"Something happened to me when I saw men behind bars. … When I left, I thought a lot about the men. When it was cold, I wondered if the men were warm; when it was raining, if they had shelter," Brenner told The Times in a 1982 interview. "I wondered if they had medicine and how their families were doing. …You know, when I returned to the prison to live, I felt as if I'd come home."

Small of stature, with blue eyes peeking out from under her traditional black–and-white habit, Brenner cut a strikingly serene presence in the overcrowded prison of 8,000. She lived as any other inmate, sleeping in a 10-by-10-foot cell, eating the same food and lining up for morning roll call.

She would walk freely among thieves and drug traffickers and murderers, smiling, touching cheeks and offering prayers. Many were violent men with desperate needs. She kept extra toilet paper in her cell, arranged for medical treatment, attended funerals.

Guards and inmates alike started referring to her as the prison angel. In the cellblocks she was known simply as "Mama." "There isn't anyone who hasn't heard my lecture on victims," she said in a 2002 Times story. "They have to accept that they're wrong. They have to see the consequences. They have to feel the agony. ... But I do love them dearly."

What an extraordinary path! She took her generous soul to the cell block and offered these men the very maternal affection that could transform their disoriented lives. It was not an isolated gift of self, but the divine gift borne of intimacy with God, Who was able to work through her. 

It is clear that her prison door wasn't locked, and that she could come and go--which she did for the benefit of her sons in jail.

A revered figure in Tijuana, where she counted police chiefs and politicians among her friends, Brenner was honored with the naming of a street after her outside the prison. In the late 1990s, she established her own religious order, the Eudist Servants of the Eleventh Hour. Tijuana Archbishop Rafael Romo said she possessed the qualities of a saint and said her death was a "terrible loss" for the city, the Tijuana newspaper Frontera reported.

Brenner often visited her family in Southern California, where she would regale her more than 45 grandchildren and great-grandchildren with stories about her charity work. "She was a tiny woman with a little fire and a lot of passion," Christina Brenner said. "We called her the Eveready battery. She wouldn't stop. She was always going."

"You walk in her presence and you know you're in a different world," Carroll said. "Rhyme, reason — you can't rationalize why she did it. She has that one-on-one relationship with God."

She reached out to women as well, those who were prayerfully considering what God might have in store for them:

Many women in mid life or later find themselves longing for something more in their lives. While the heart is searching, listening for a call, the head is saying I want to do something good, something important, with the rest of my years.

Her invitation was to join her in the ministry, to offer an "a kind of encore dedicated to Our Lord." Priceless!

It gives us something to think about when we ponder the word "penitentiary." Would that many of these men find Truth through her ministry, and may this dear Sister rest in peace.

Two items

This morning, I had the privilege of being a guest on Relevant Radio's "Morning Air," and the link can be found here. 

Also, an interview on Pat Gohn's "Among Women" has gone live, and can be found here.

You may download them both to listen later, or plug in now and enjoy!

"My Sisters The Saints"

Book Review: My Sisters the Saints, by Colleen Carroll Campbell (Image Books)

Part of the gentle awakening of aging is the recognition that the torch has passed, and that your generation is no longer the world’s benchmark of “what is.” I love growing older, watching my children mature, and seeing how the domestic foundations of yesterday become the folklore of today, but beyond the confines of the home, what sort of culture have we have bequeathed these young adults? How can we help the next generation navigate the secular world with their faith and morals intact?

The beauty of My Sister the Saints is that it provides a thoughtful account of a woman whose generation followed mine, and thus Colleen Carroll Campbell walked into adulthood as my peers were settling into the choices available to us. Only those who have really followed the world of feminism understand the waves of thought that permeated academia, and subsequently washing through the popular culture. Between the noisy bra-burners of the 1960’s to sexual deconstructionists of today, there have been a lot of theories offered to women: theories about careers, dating, marriage, motherhood, and boundaries.

The author—traversing the tremendous gap between her traditional Midwestern upbringing and the chaotic individualism of the college campus—succeeded academically but was left with existential doubt as to her place in the world. She writes:

What is the source of that gnawing sensation inside me, and why does my pursuit of pleasure and success only intensity it? Is it true that there are no real differences between the sexes, or does my femininity—and female body—have something to do with my desires and discontent? If the key to my fulfillment as a woman lies in maximizing my sexual allure, racking up professional accomplishments, and indulging my appetites while avoiding commitment, why has following that advice left me dissatisfied? Why do my friends and I spend so many hours fretting that we are not thin enough, not successful enough, simply not enough? If this is liberation, why am I so miserable?

She initially sought answers in feminism, but was put off by the harsh rhetoric against patriarchy, which was so different than her own positive experience of fatherly love. Ultimately, she gave some remarkable saints a fair reading (coupled with prayer) and found that, despite the distance of years and dissimilar vocations, their insights and advice remained sound.

In light of what she learned, Ms. Campbell didn’t shy from prayerfully choosing to love as God would have her love. Whether watching a parent deteriorate, accepting the ache of infertility, or making difficult choices concerning work and marriage, ultimately it was those very saints—and not her feminist peers—who showed her how establish the right priorities.

Ms. Campbell’s path to truth wasn’t easy, but was smoothed and purified by suffering. While this may sound disconcerting, it is the only authentic conduit to wisdom, and the only option possible for those who refuse to stop loving in a fallen world. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is corban, which actually means “to draw near.” That is what sacrifices are meant to do—to diminish the distance between God and His creatures, the distance caused by our sins. Sacrifices usually hurt, but if we imagine the suffering involved as the fire that consumes the gift on the altar of love, then we know that the outcome will be well worth the pain.

It took dedication and perseverance, but Ms. Campbell learned that loving according to God’s plan is indeed fulfilling, and it lifted the anxieties that had plagued her previously. Our sisters the saints want us to succeed at the right things, and this book is an excellent example of how the communion of believers provides encouragement, inspiration, and hope for all generations. Indeed, when you find your place—at whatever age—you may then share in that privilege of helping others to sanctity. For Ms. Campbell’s part, we are deeply grateful.

Do we want our mothers' lives? Heck no!

So say the Generation Y ladies polled by this [award winning!] writer: 

Essentially, my life is very different from my mother’s, and I do feel like a bit of a child in comparison ... But am I unhappy as a result? Not at all – I have a lot of time and freedom too, and I love that. I also feel like I’m in control of my life ... I’ve travelled more than my mum had at my age, I’ve been able to take my career in any impractical direction I’ve wanted to because I’ve never had to support anyone else. Every decision I make about my life is mine to make alone.

Does this make me a selfish woman child with a Peter Pan complex? Absolutely, but it’s ever so much fun.

She outlines in broad detail all the milestones that her mother had accomplished at her age, explaining how none of those are manageable today. She begins:

I’m writing this in bed, in the flat I share with my friend, even though it’s 1pm on a weekday. I’ve got no man, no babies and a freelance career that allows me to live like a student, should I choose to. Invariably, I do.

I’m 30 and by the time my mother was my age, she was married with two children and a mortgage, and was working a 60-hour week in a highly driven, corporate environment. In short, by 30 she was a fully-fledged grown up – a woman.

Meanwhile, I’m still floundering somewhere between a girl and womanhood - staying up too late, sleeping in too late, powering through my increasingly brutal weekday hangovers with berroccas and bacon sandwiches.

She is a good writer, expressing her situation honestly, and explaining to us that the culture that she's inherited has changed the social landscape forever. It's definitely worth the time it takes to read it.

Believe me, I have been imagining that it was the men who didn't want to get married. Reading this (an eye-opener!) I see that young men and women are sharing the "ambivalence" tango, if you know what I mean.

Worthless and worth less

Miriam Clegg (attorney, wife of deputy Prime Minister) has reminded British women that they can do anything--be anything they want; and yet one mother, en route to Oxford University with her 10-yr-old daughter, was perplexed:

On the train, though, I read with horror that it is now legal for couples to abort babies simply because they are girls. How to explain this to my daughter? How to tell her that we now live in a country where girls, because of their sex, can be prevented from being born? The words of Miriam Clegg suddenly rang hollow. She talked of learning and professional achievement – yet there are girls killed in the womb simply because of their unwanted sex.

I wanted to respond to this outrage – but calmed myself with the thought that a million feminists would jump in and shout about this injustice. In the campaign for equal rights, surely the right to exist is the biggest right of all.

In vain, I looked last night for reactions among feminists. All I saw was a bunch of bouquets for the Miriam Clegg line about girls aiming for the stars. Yes of course they should – but they can't if they are not allowed to be born in the first place.

Yes, there's a big empty space where that outrage should be. And, ironically, part of it is due to the shallow "grrl power" message that Ms Clegg offers, in which she decries the lack of role models for young women. Following the male model of "careerism," she leads the charge that girls must "do something," and "shine brightly!" So she's launching an initiative which will cater to girls (who, evidently, haven't benefited enough by all the attention over the last 50 years).

As long as a person's value is based primarily on doing, and not being, girls will be second-class citizens. The yawning divide will remain between those who think women are worthless, and those who think that women who don't "reach the stars!" are worth less. Feminists who are busy with statistics based on achievements don't rank the unborn in their equations because:

1. they cannot achieve anything yet, being so dependent on others; and 
2. they hinder the mother from achieving Stuff That Matters (TM)

Why not simply meet in the middle? The feminists need to learn to chill, and to value motherhood, which has such a decisive influence on the culture; and those who want to abort girls need to be educated about the intrinsic worth of all persons, regardless of what they will accomplish. The simple fact is that our existence is a gift. We have been redeemed by God, whose Image we all bear.

As for role models for girls, the Church is chock-full of them. They're called saints. 

ADDENDUM: Columnist Sarah Ditum effectively sums up the callous stance supporting sex-selection abortions:

“In a world where it’s possible to end a pregnancy safely and legally, it seems like rank brutality to force anyone to carry to term against her will.” While admitting that her position may make her “sound like a radical,” she added, “It’s the woman’s say that counts, and even the most terrible reason for having an abortion holds more sway than the best imaginable reason for compelling a woman to carry to term.”

Woe to those who scandalise the little ones

This story is beyond sad. 

The lesbian parents of an 11-year-old boy who is undergoing the process of becoming a girl last night defended the decision, claiming it was better for a child to have a sex change when young.

Thomas Lobel, who now calls himself Tammy, is undergoing controversial hormone blocking treatment in Berkeley, California to stop him going through puberty as a boy. But Pauline Moreno and Debra Lobel warn that children with gender identity disorder forced to postpone transitioning could face a higher risk of suicide.

The mothers say that one of the first things Thomas told them when he learned sign language aged three - because of a speech impediment - was, 'I am a girl'. At age seven, after threatening genital mutilation on himself, psychiatrists diagnosed Thomas with gender identity disorder. By the age of eight, he began transitioning.

This summer, he started taking hormone-blocking drugs, which will stop him from experiencing puberty. The hormone-suppressant, implanted in his upper left arm, will postpone the 11-year-old developing broad shoulders, deep voice and facial hair. 

The couple faced intense criticism from friends and family as a result, Ms Moreno told MailOnline. 'Everybody was angry with us. "How could you be doing this? You might be ruining his whole life!" Citing a statistic from the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, Ms Moreno noted over 50 per cent of transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday.

Fortunately, the family has a vast support system. The couple credits Tammy's teachers and officials at Children's Learning Center in Alameda, California, and their religious community, for being open-minded about their son's decision. 

'We live in the Bay area where lots of alternative lifestyles are in place... and we belong to a religious community that was incredibly supportive. They make it a point when we're in synagogue to come over and tell Tammy, "Oh, you look so pretty today,' Ms Moreno said, adding, 'There's never going to be enough gratitude for them.'

His parents say the hormone treatment will give him time to figure out if he wants to fully transition to being female or go through puberty as a boy. If he chooses to stop taking the drugs, he will undergo natural male puberty at a later stage and his future fertility would not be impacted. Should their son decide to transition to an adult female, he can take female hormones as well, which would raise his voice, allow him to grow breasts and develop other feminine physical characteristics.

San Francisco, right by Berkeley, is one of four cities in the United States with a hospital that has a program for transgender children. The University of California San Francisco is home to the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health. Children are seen at length by mental health professionals and then treated by pediatric endocrinologists. Others cities with youth programs are Boston, Seattle and Los Angeles.

A few points: 

• Consider how hard it is to convince women to place their unwanted babies for adoption--they say they would worry too much (this child was adopted at age 2);
• Remember that Catholic charities have been forced out of business because they wouldn't place children with same-sex couples;
• Note that presently, although there are very few children available for adoption, same-sex couples are given priority;
• Therefore, any children placed for adoption now have a low chance of being placed with a traditional family (unless it's a private adoption);
• Consider that fewer mental health professional are being allowed to (or are comfortable with) therapy that deals with gender identity disorder (GID);
• Take note that such therapies are no longer taught in mental health programs, since same-sex attraction has been removed from the Manual of Mental Disorders
• This child is fatherless-by-design, which is abusive. Whether or not he was going to have gender issues, he has no masculine role model in his life, and evidently all the other men are playing along with his disorder;
• These women insist that their lifestyle had nothing to do with this identity crisis. That's possible, but they have nothing in their family arrangement to solve it, or to even mitigate it;
• Finally, have you ever seen a child so ... bereft of natural joy? He's wandering into a moral labyrinth that is fraught with unhealthy choices--not of it his fault. Sweet angels, guide him to God!