I know I said I wasn't going to post, but I read this and it was so good it needed to be passed around.
Hat tip to The Hand Mirror.
Another perspective from Sandra at the blog "Letters from Wetville".
Monday, November 22, 2010
No posts
Hi everyone. I know it's quiet here but being in Greymouth and having friends who work at Pike (all accounted for and safe) I'm just not up for anything else but praying and hoping for the 29 miners to be safely brought home.
So I'm sorry but I'm not going to be making any posts right now.
The pain of the Pike River Coal mine explosion is palpable all through our town. Everyone knows someone down there, or they know someone who does. It's been hard reading some of the coverage, particularly about the pressure to enter the mine. If those rescue guys could get in there without making it worse, then they would be and nothing and no one could stop them.
This is a mining town. My family has mining connections with the Martha Mine in Waihi and the Victoria Battery at Waikino. My grandfather worked for two years at the Martha Mine, my great-grandfather was the last Superintendent at the Victoria Battery before it closed in 1952.
However on my husband comes from Coaster Irish mining stock. His father worked at Strongman and left just before the disaster there in 1967. His grandfather mined at the Liverpool Mine at Rewanui and his life was saved by the heroic action of Jim Whelan who sustained mortal injury saving him. His great-grandfather mined at Brunner for 7 years but was let go when the mine reduced its labour force and thus missed being in the Brunner Mine when that disaster occured. His testimony at the court case is recorded in the Grey River Argus.
Right now we just want to focus on the rescue and get the men safely out.
So I'm sorry but I'm not going to be making any posts right now.
The pain of the Pike River Coal mine explosion is palpable all through our town. Everyone knows someone down there, or they know someone who does. It's been hard reading some of the coverage, particularly about the pressure to enter the mine. If those rescue guys could get in there without making it worse, then they would be and nothing and no one could stop them.
This is a mining town. My family has mining connections with the Martha Mine in Waihi and the Victoria Battery at Waikino. My grandfather worked for two years at the Martha Mine, my great-grandfather was the last Superintendent at the Victoria Battery before it closed in 1952.
However on my husband comes from Coaster Irish mining stock. His father worked at Strongman and left just before the disaster there in 1967. His grandfather mined at the Liverpool Mine at Rewanui and his life was saved by the heroic action of Jim Whelan who sustained mortal injury saving him. His great-grandfather mined at Brunner for 7 years but was let go when the mine reduced its labour force and thus missed being in the Brunner Mine when that disaster occured. His testimony at the court case is recorded in the Grey River Argus.
Right now we just want to focus on the rescue and get the men safely out.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Pike River Coal mine explosion
Pike River Coal explosion.
I'm here in Greymouth and I was at the home of a Pike River Coal employee when he got a call and he was told about the explosion at Pike. He couldn't stay on the line because they needed to keep it clear and there is no cell reception up at Pike. Everyone here knows someone who is a miner. We all feel sick about this accident.
Please pray for the men trapped in the mine and their families.
I'm here in Greymouth and I was at the home of a Pike River Coal employee when he got a call and he was told about the explosion at Pike. He couldn't stay on the line because they needed to keep it clear and there is no cell reception up at Pike. Everyone here knows someone who is a miner. We all feel sick about this accident.
Please pray for the men trapped in the mine and their families.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
British 14 year old girl drinks and parties with her mother's approval
We've been discussing promiscuity lately here, particularly in relation to teenagers, so when I read this in The Daily Mail it just dove-tailed in nicely.
"From her rock-chick black hair, with its green and blonde streaks, to her Doc Marten boots, nine body-piercings, a faceful of permanent make-up and two tattoos, there is little about Sophie Watson’s appearance to suggest her true age.
But, aside from her disturbingly adult appearance, it is the conversation that really makes the jaw drop.
Ask Sophie about her social life and she’ll tell you that she drinks and parties with Mum’s blessing. Ask about her sex life and there are no mortified blushes. Instead, she’ll tell you — again, in the presence of her mother — that she’s slept with four boys in just six months."
Read more.
This article is the exact example of what I don't agree with - girls, children actually, living a life with adult trappings, like sex and alcohol, without the emotional or physical maturity that we need to deal with things when they go bad. By supporting teenagers to make adult choices (and the body piercings and tattoos don't bother me provided they are done in a sterile way) then you are allowing them to end their childhoods.
The thing I learned as a sexually active teenager was that - you can never go back to your childhood. Once it's over it's gone forever. When you are in your childhood what you want to do is grow up out of it as fast as possible, it's only when you leave it behind do you see what it was worth. Childhood was a time where one could grow in a cushioned environment. Your choices were smaller and less life changing than adult choices are.
As an adult the choices I make have deep repercussions, not only for myself, but for my family. I'm often called to put other people's needs ahead of mine, to accept that I can't have what I want, when I want it. Is a teenager ready to do that? Should a teenager have to do that?
Children have the freedom to be selfish, to take the time to learn to know themselves and to make mistakes in a way that they can handle. As they grow parents offer children greater responsibility so that they can learn to eventually bear adult burdens. If we allow children to jump straight to adult behavior then we deprive them of time growing up.
"From her rock-chick black hair, with its green and blonde streaks, to her Doc Marten boots, nine body-piercings, a faceful of permanent make-up and two tattoos, there is little about Sophie Watson’s appearance to suggest her true age.
But, aside from her disturbingly adult appearance, it is the conversation that really makes the jaw drop.
Ask Sophie about her social life and she’ll tell you that she drinks and parties with Mum’s blessing. Ask about her sex life and there are no mortified blushes. Instead, she’ll tell you — again, in the presence of her mother — that she’s slept with four boys in just six months."
Read more.
This article is the exact example of what I don't agree with - girls, children actually, living a life with adult trappings, like sex and alcohol, without the emotional or physical maturity that we need to deal with things when they go bad. By supporting teenagers to make adult choices (and the body piercings and tattoos don't bother me provided they are done in a sterile way) then you are allowing them to end their childhoods.
The thing I learned as a sexually active teenager was that - you can never go back to your childhood. Once it's over it's gone forever. When you are in your childhood what you want to do is grow up out of it as fast as possible, it's only when you leave it behind do you see what it was worth. Childhood was a time where one could grow in a cushioned environment. Your choices were smaller and less life changing than adult choices are.
As an adult the choices I make have deep repercussions, not only for myself, but for my family. I'm often called to put other people's needs ahead of mine, to accept that I can't have what I want, when I want it. Is a teenager ready to do that? Should a teenager have to do that?
Children have the freedom to be selfish, to take the time to learn to know themselves and to make mistakes in a way that they can handle. As they grow parents offer children greater responsibility so that they can learn to eventually bear adult burdens. If we allow children to jump straight to adult behavior then we deprive them of time growing up.
Abortion news from around the world
In Canada a pro-life student group has been refused by the Carleton University Student Association student group status unless it amends its constitution to say it's pro-abortion.
Read more.
In Thailand a temple has been found to be storing the remains of hundreds of dead babies who were killed by illegal abortion. The stench was overpowering and this led the temple to be investigated.
Read more.
In Kenya Michael Kimindu, a minister at the Metropolitan Community Churches and the coordinator of the Christian gay activist group "Other Sheep - Multicultural Ministries with Sexual Minorities" for East Africa, has criticised clergy who are pro-life.
Read more.
Read more.
In Thailand a temple has been found to be storing the remains of hundreds of dead babies who were killed by illegal abortion. The stench was overpowering and this led the temple to be investigated.
Read more.
In Kenya Michael Kimindu, a minister at the Metropolitan Community Churches and the coordinator of the Christian gay activist group "Other Sheep - Multicultural Ministries with Sexual Minorities" for East Africa, has criticised clergy who are pro-life.
Read more.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Stargazer from The Hand Mirror is right, it IS the drinking
A few days ago I wrote a post about binge drinking and how it made me uncomfortable. Stargazer from The Hand Mirror also wrote a post about drinking and how she felt about holding meetings at pubs. Go and read it.
Stargazer brings up a massively important point, the object of a pub is to sell alcohol. Sure many sell food and offer other entertainment, bands, gambling, pool etc. But they exist as public houses for the purpose of drinking. I don't think orgnaisations should be holding meetings and non-social get togethers there. Maybe they shouldn't even hold social gatherings there.
It takes someone from another culture sometimes to point out what we are too close to see for ourselves - drinking is a huge part of our social fabric. I don't think it should be. Alcohol is a drug. A single serve of alcohol is fine, a glass of good wine, a shot of premium bourbon, a tall glass of a finger of gin, tonic and a slice of lemon - all lovely. But we aren't stopping there, our culture drinks until it gets drunk.
Once again I'd like to promote the Pioneer Total Abstainence Association. Maybe Catholics reading this feel called to give up alcohol in reparation for its abuse and the pain that it causes. I beg you to at least consider it. Perhaps abstanence isn't for you, then please pray for the Pioneers at least.
The New Zealand contact details are:
Mrs Mary McGee (National Secretary)
16 Duke St, Mt Roskill, Auckland 1041
Ph: 09 620 4605
You can read about the experiences of a Pioneer in the Marist Messenger: The times and trials of a misunderstood Pioneer!
Stargazer brings up a massively important point, the object of a pub is to sell alcohol. Sure many sell food and offer other entertainment, bands, gambling, pool etc. But they exist as public houses for the purpose of drinking. I don't think orgnaisations should be holding meetings and non-social get togethers there. Maybe they shouldn't even hold social gatherings there.
It takes someone from another culture sometimes to point out what we are too close to see for ourselves - drinking is a huge part of our social fabric. I don't think it should be. Alcohol is a drug. A single serve of alcohol is fine, a glass of good wine, a shot of premium bourbon, a tall glass of a finger of gin, tonic and a slice of lemon - all lovely. But we aren't stopping there, our culture drinks until it gets drunk.
Once again I'd like to promote the Pioneer Total Abstainence Association. Maybe Catholics reading this feel called to give up alcohol in reparation for its abuse and the pain that it causes. I beg you to at least consider it. Perhaps abstanence isn't for you, then please pray for the Pioneers at least.
The New Zealand contact details are:
Mrs Mary McGee (National Secretary)
16 Duke St, Mt Roskill, Auckland 1041
Ph: 09 620 4605
You can read about the experiences of a Pioneer in the Marist Messenger: The times and trials of a misunderstood Pioneer!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Maybe we should be shaming sluts
After writing about a school girl told to pull her skirt down others have spoken.
Brian Edwards weighed into the "you look like a slut" debate here. He says "So if Amethyst did indeed ‘look like a slut’ when her skirt was riding up around her thighs, the proper thing, the responsible thing, the thing that was in her best interests, was to tell her so."
Emma Hart from "Up Front" has responded to the issue with this stinging rejoinder. She said "There are no circumstances in which it is even close to appropriate for a teacher to tell a student that she looks like a slut. None. Not even if she’s wearing an “I am a massive slut” badge." Emma describes it as "slut-shaming".
The thing is... is shaming promiscuous behavior bad? Or is it actually positive? Promiscuity doesn't help people form stable, loving, committed relationships. Promiscuity leads to STIs and abortions. We shame sluts (male and female) because the behavior is bad, bad for individuals, bad for families and bad for society.
I don't think what the teacher said was appropriate, but her words pointed to an issue that we can't afford to ignore.
Brian Edwards weighed into the "you look like a slut" debate here. He says "So if Amethyst did indeed ‘look like a slut’ when her skirt was riding up around her thighs, the proper thing, the responsible thing, the thing that was in her best interests, was to tell her so."
Emma Hart from "Up Front" has responded to the issue with this stinging rejoinder. She said "There are no circumstances in which it is even close to appropriate for a teacher to tell a student that she looks like a slut. None. Not even if she’s wearing an “I am a massive slut” badge." Emma describes it as "slut-shaming".
The thing is... is shaming promiscuous behavior bad? Or is it actually positive? Promiscuity doesn't help people form stable, loving, committed relationships. Promiscuity leads to STIs and abortions. We shame sluts (male and female) because the behavior is bad, bad for individuals, bad for families and bad for society.
I don't think what the teacher said was appropriate, but her words pointed to an issue that we can't afford to ignore.
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