Tea at Trianon: The Irish Abortion Tragedy

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, December 16, 2018

The Irish Abortion Tragedy

From The Irish Times:

During the abortion referendum campaign voters were repeatedly told there would be no late term abortions, he said and quoted Mr Harris stating in the Dáil that ‘it is important to be clear and truthful that in cases where there is foetal viability early deliver and the full range of neonatal care is the reality’. Mr Mullen said “it is impossible to conclude Minister that you have been truthful now in the light of what the Bill now says”. He asked “what protects against abortion right up to birth on mental health grounds” and said it was “bizarre” that in situations where there is abortion on grounds of mental health that the medical practitioners does not have to be a psychiatrist. (Read more.)

From The Irish Examiner:

"Nurses and midwives who do not want to participate in abortions are extremely concerned in relation to Section 24(3) of the bill which states *Section 24 (3) A person who has a conscientious objection referred to in subsection (1) shall, as soon as may be, make such arrangements for the transfer of care of the pregnant woman concerned as may be necessary to enable the woman to avail of the termination of pregnancy concerned. "We are appalled that humane amendments in relation to pain relief for late abortions, resuscitation measures where a baby survives an abortion, the exclusion of disability, race or gender as grounds for abortion, parental notification and dignified disposal of remains have not been supported by any Fine Gael TDs. In a statement today the group said they have repeatedly asked to meet with Minister Simon Harris and Deputy Michéal Martin to discuss their concerns but as yet have had no follow up in respect of our requests. (Read more.)

So sad. From RTE:

The Coombe Hospital will not be ready to provide abortion services by the start of January, according to the Master of the hospital, Dr Sharon Sheehan. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Dr Sheehan said she would advise Minister for Health Simon Harris to delay the introduction of services until February or March. She said the Coombe Hospital is "fully committed" to providing termination of pregnancy services.

However, she added that to ensure the provision of "safe, high-quality, sensitive and compassionate care for women", it is essential to have the finalised legislation in place, an agreed model of care nationally and national clinical guidelines. Dr Sheehan said that at the moment, none of those three things have happened. She added: "There has been extensive work, and that is continuing to proceed at a pace, but they are not ready and we now have only 20 days before this service is to be introduced. "In my opinion, the country is not ready, and therefore the Coombe is not in a position to deliver these services from the 1st of January." Mr Harris has said he is disappointed hearing comments from the Coombe hospital over not being able to provide abortion services. (Read more.)