Daily Archives: January 25, 2020

Nowak: Now that euthanasia has entered, it will be difficult to drive out – Grandin Media

Posted: January 25, 2020 at 2:39 pm

The life of a Christian was never meant to be easy. Even when Christ was walking among his disciples, He warned that whoever wished to follow Him would have to deny himself and take up his cross.

Yet it is often the uncertainty as to which choices He wishes for us to make and not the weight we carry which is most overwhelming. Having been directed to both beat our swords into ploughshares (Isaiah 2:4) and our ploughshares into swords (Joel 3:10), its unsurprising that we sometimes find ourselves holding a different implement than ourfellow neighbour in the pew.

Many undoubtedly felt such a conflict when the government asked Canadians to offer their opinion on future amendments to section 241.2 of the Criminal Code. The existing code provisions were only adopted in 2016, legalizing what the government euphemistically termed Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID).

Removing the political gloss and engaging Websters dictionary, we can colloquially refer to the legislative scheme as euthanasia. The very fact that the law resides in the Criminal Code is itself a clear indictment of our shifting cultural values: an action which was up until recently the subject of criminal sanction is now being portrayed as medical assistance.

The amendments to the Criminal Codes euthanasia provisions which are currently being explored arise as the consequence of a 2019 Quebec Superior Court decision which held that it was unconstitutional to restrict the availability of MAID to only those persons whose natural death has become reasonably foreseeable.

At first glance, it may seem that a consultation process should be welcomed by the many who are seriously concerned by the governments intention to expand the reach of the existing legislative framework. After all, theCompendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church reminds us that participation in community life is one of the pillars of all democratic orders and one of the major guarantees of the permanence of the democratic system.

As the Catholic Churchs teaching on the sacredness of life and how we ought to care for those whose lives are diminished or weakened is clear, wouldnt this seem like a circumstance where the need to participate is obvious? Perhaps, had the federal government indicated any willingness to retain and defend the legislation which it drafted, introduced, supported and passed.

However, while in 2016 Justin Trudeaus Minister of Justice had described the Criminal Code amendments as deliberately and carefully crafted (Hansard June 16, 2016), the federal government is now willing to see key provisions struck down and has indicated that it will decline its right to appeal the decision of the Quebec Superior Court.

Furthermore, while the presently impugned legislation was proposed after a Special Joint Committee met 16 times, heard from 61 witnesses (and) received more than 100 briefs before presenting a report to Parliament (Hansard May 2, 2016), the federal government is now only permitting a two-week online public consultation in relation to the current changes.

Even if the federal government were expressing a genuine desire to consider the views of Canadians, whether we ought to participate as faithful Catholics would still be unclear.

During the initial consultations preceding the current Criminal Code provisions, a marked difference of opinion arose between two prominent Catholic bioethicists, Sister Nuala Kenny and Moira McQueen. Both had been asked to sit on panels which were developing guidelines regarding physician-assisted death and each provided a dramatically different response.

Sr. Dr.Nuala Kenny, a Sister of Charity and professor emeritus of bioethics at Dalhousie University, decided to join the panel, stating: I decided to participate because I did not believe I had any other moral option.

My position is, its clearly that of minimizing harm, Kenny was reported as saying in an article published byThe Catholic Register. The harm has been done. After the Feb. 6, 2015 Supreme Court decision, assisted death, both physician-assisted suicide and physician-performed euthanasia are now legal.

Dr. Moira McQueen, director of the Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute, took a dramatically different approach: When something is really seriously wrong in the first place Catholic teaching would call it intrinsically wrong how can you mitigate the harm? Its so wrong, no matter what follows from it is also wrong. I would call it formal co-operation.

So which of the two is right? Armed with a mere intellectual ploughshare, I feel ill-equipped to cut through the arguments. But I do feel that are there is a lesson that can be are more easily discerned from this morbid chapter in Canadas political history, one that weve been taught throughout salvific history and haveforgotten time and time again: once we permit an evil to enter, whether it be into our lives or our laws, we will have more difficulty in driving it out than we would have encountered had we resisted it in the beginning.

In 2015, Catholics across the country knew that revisions to the Criminal Code were being debated, yet euthanasia scarcely registered as a prominent issue for voters. That election was the moment when Catholics were called to speak out and voice their objections, yet too few did. The amendments being proposed by our Liberal government were predictable to those acquainted with the legal factors at play and will continue to stain our future as a tragic legacy of our political apathy.

Catholics will always struggle to weigh preferences and personal opinions regarding how to best structure our economy, systems of taxation and the various operations of government. There is much societal good which democratically elected representatives can pursue, with multiple approaches and strategies to obtain them.

Therein lies the challenge of casting a single ballot with the hope of best reflecting the entirety of Gospel values and the deposit of faith. However, if we determine our vote in a manner which compromises objective truths, then were handing a sword to the enemy and hoping we can defend ourselves with a ploughshare.

-Theodoric Nowak is the director ofsocial justice and outreach ministrieswith the Diocese of Calgary.

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Nowak: Now that euthanasia has entered, it will be difficult to drive out - Grandin Media

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Crusaders in the fight for animal rights | News – The Union-Recorder

Posted: at 2:39 pm

Camille and Brooklyn are Pam Peacock's "girls."

Both are pittie (pit bull) mixes that she adopted from the Baldwin County Animal Shelter.

Both had been abused. Both had been hit by a car. Both have the scars to prove it. Both were in a horrible situation.

Camille had a peg leg because a broken bone was allowed to heal incorrectly. Brooklyn had been a part of a puppy mill.

Peacock, one of the founders of Paws4Change-Baldwin a non-profit formed in 2018 by a group of animal advocates, said, "adopting Camille really opened my eyes to what's out there. My son saw her on the (shelter) Facebook page and she was getting toward euthanasia really close.

"He said, 'Mom, did you see this Camille?'

"I said, Yessss and I'm not going to let them put that dog down. I'm going to get her. She has the most soulful eyes."

Brooklyn was adopted by Peacock a year later.

"I can't imagine my world without those two," Peacock said. "People say not every one of them can be rehabilitated, and that's true some can't. But for the most part, they can. I'm going to tell you, I'm a big advocate for pit bulls. It just takes someone with experience and someone who knows the breed."

BIG BREAKTHROUGHS

This past year brought a big breakthrough for Peacock and Judy Veal Lawrence, as well as other members of Paws4Change-Baldwin.

By writing letters to the editor, lobbying members of the county commission during the public comment period of the meetings, face-to-face talks with county officials, volunteering and fundraising, the group helped bring about many changes.

Among them:

(bullet) The old county jail was repurposed into a new animal shelter. At the dedication in December, Baldwin County Manager Carlos Tobar said it is "the equivalent of a $1.5 million shelter" even though "it only cost $220,000."

(bullet) The commissioners approved changes to the animal control ordinances, including the prohibition of chaining and tethering of dogs to a stationary point.

(bullet) Another new ordinance reads: Cruelty (to animals) is prohibited. As a result, at least two Baldwin County residents had warrants issued for cruelty to animals in late December and early January.

(bullet) In most cases, a panel of three must decide which animals will be euthanized. It used to be at the sole discretion of one person.

VISION OF CHANGE

Paws4Change-Baldwin started with "kind of a vision that I had," Peacock said.

It's a 501(c) non-profit, "which means we are an IRS approved charity, and all donations to us are tax deductible," Peacock said. "We have 100 percent accountability in everything we do."

It's all volunteer. Nobody is paid.

Paws4Change-Baldwin is funded by donations and through special fundraisers, such as bake sales.

The funds are used to provide needs at the shelter that are not provided by the county, such as vaccines and supplies, according the Paws4Change-Baldwin mission statement. The organization also provides support to the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and to the Baldwin County Jail Dog Program.

For example, there were a couple of cruelty cases that the shelter had, and they reached out to Paws4Change-Baldwin to do a fundraiser because both dogs needed leg amputations.

"Local fundraisers are a way for people to give back," Peacock said.

"They might not be able to volunteer, but they can help with their money," Lawrence said. "And we get good responses. There are a lot of people in Baldwin County who donate."

Their biggest focus now is on spaying and neutering for dogs and cats to prevent overpopulation and shelter overcrowding.

They are joining with Saving Animals from Euthanasia (SAFE), a reduced-cost mobile spay and neuter clinic, to help lower the unwanted litters of dogs and cats.

"We see the need to keep the animals out of the shelter, and the only way to do that is spay and neuter," Peacock said.

"We have to stop reproduction because nothing is going to change as long as there are so many animals being born," Lawrence said.

Two clinics have been held and plans are for the mobile clinic from Macon to be here quarterly.

Peacock and Lawrence have a plan to make sure every person who signs up pays their non-refundable desposit and that they show up. Paws4Change-Baldwin helps discount the fee.

"It's very limited availability," Peacock said. "We have 26 appointments. That's really a lot in one day."

THE INSTIGATORS

So why do Peacock and Lawrence spend so much time, and frequently their own money, to help animals?

Peacock got started as a foster for dogs more than a decade ago. The adoption coordinators would want to get an animal out of the shelter and into a foster home until it was ready to go to its permanent family.

The first time she fostered a dog for only a weekend. Now, she has one who will be with her for several months until he is heartworm negative. Klaus, a white, American Bulldog mix, is deaf.

"He overcompensates" with his other senses, Peacock said. "Sometime he just stares at the floor, waiting for something to fall."

Lawrence has four dogs Buddy, Chet, Dixie and Pup who were adopted as strays. Her husband, Jay, says four dogs are too many, "but Dixie is the love of his life," Lawrence said. "One of us cooks breakfast for them every morning."

Peacock's husband, Terry, "loves animals. He's got a soft heart."

Long-time dog lovers, certainly, Peacock and Lawrence have a bond that grew stronger as they volunteered together at the old county animal shelter.

"Seeing how bad it was out there, seeing how bad it was for the animals," Peacock said. "Some people said they couldn't even go in that place."

They knew they had to take action.

Lawrence jokes that Peacock is the "brains" and that she is the "charmer, the clean-up crew."

Peacock and Lawrence both laughed.

"We don't have a life," Lawrence said.

No, we don't," Peacock said.

Above all, Peacock and Lawrence were a team in facilitating change.

Those two are the "best ladies in the world," said Charlotte Perrin, the manager of PetSmart and a member of the Paws4Change-Baldwin board.

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Salary-deprived teachers submit plea for euthanasia to Assam Governor & President of India – The Sentinel Assam

Posted: at 2:39 pm

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: Protesting against the lackadaisical attitude on the part of the State Government towards the regularization of their jobs, the submission of plea for euthanasia by thousands of salary-deprived teachers has created sensation across the State.

A delegation of such teachers, who have been serving in various schools but have been deprived of salary since 1991, submitted a plea of euthanasia to the President of India and to the Governor of Assam through the Deputy Commissioner of Lakhimpur district. These teachers were compelled to take this extreme decision after failing to make both ends meet due to non-payment of salary for a long period.

Notably, the Salary Deprived Working LP School Teachers Association of the State initiated various attempts to demand regularization of their jobs and release of the due salary for their service. They held talks several times with the Education Minister and high-level officers of the Education Department in the past days, appealing the resolve of the long-pending problems. But these attempts have not proved to be effective despite the promise from the Education Minister and department concerned with regard to their job regularization and release of their salary. As a result of it, they are facing severe pecuniary difficulties.

Meanwhile, the All Assam Unemployed Association has expressed strong reaction over the submission of plea for euthanasia by the salary-deprived teachers body of the State to the President of India and the Governor of Assam. In a press release, AAUA president in charge Dharmendra Deori and general secretary Jiban Rajkhowa stated that the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the State had utterly failed to ensure engagement to the unemployed youths and to regularize the jobs of the salary-deprived teachers of the State.

As a consequence, the salary-deprived teachers of Lakhimpur and Sivasagar, who have been in service for a long period of 28 years, had to submit plea for euthanasia to the President of India and the Governor of the State. This development is considered to be a shameful issue for the State Government, the press release stated.

In this regard, AAUA demanded the State Government to regularize the jobs of all salary-deprived teachers and contractual teachers of the State. Further, the organization demanded the State government to pay its heed to the hunger strike initiated by the meter readers and bill clerks of the Electricity Departments at the Bijulee Bhavan premises in Guwahati demanding the regularization of their jobs.

Also Read: Teachers must ensure all-round development of students: Jagdish Mukhi

Also Watch:AASU Activists waved Black Flag at Assam Minister Pijush Hazarikas Convoy

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GOP candidates outline platforms in their first 14th District debate – DeKalb Daily Chronicle

Posted: at 2:39 pm

Seven Republicans looking to unseat Naperville Democrat Lauren Underwood in the 14th Congressional District used their first public debate Wednesday night to lay out their top priorities.

The ideas offered during the forum at McHenry County College ranged from social issues to political ideals and provided a contrast for GOP voters eyeing the March primary.

Two candidates, Jerry Evans of Warrenville and James Marter of Oswego, identified abortion as their top legislative priority if elected. Evans repeatedly said compassion is a cornerstone of his philosophy to governing.

We should never call it compassionate if we chop up a child and suck it through a tube, Evans said. I stand for life. I believe life begins at conception. We need to defund any form of taxpayer-funded abortion. The government should not be part of any form of euthanasia.

Marter said hes been attending anti-abortion marches and prayer vigils long before he got into politics. He went as far as to criticize his own party, specifically former Gov. Bruce Rauner, for making Illinois the abortion capital of the Midwest.

We need to defund Planned Parenthood, Marter said. We need to protect the most innocent lives from the moment of conception. We need to defend life from euthanasia and assisted suicide. We need to be the country that stands up for life.

Anthony Catella, who is from St. Charles, spoke in broad philosophical terms when identifying his top priority.

I believe in our national purpose and power, he said. I believe strongly in an educated citizenry. And I believe in the ideals of faith and freedom.

Ted Gradel, who lives in Naperville, said career politicians are at the root of whats wrong with the federal government. He said legislation locking in term limits for all members of Congress would be his top priority.

Weve seen in this state a tragic example of when a machine gets established, Gradel said. We have a ruling class that has enriched themselves at the expense of everyone else. We see politicians go to D.C., and they lose touch with who we are and the problems we have and the solutions we need.

Catalina Lauf, a Woodstock resident, adopted some of President Donald Trumps rhetoric in identifying draining the swamp as her top priority. She said legislation that focuses on securing the inherent freedoms of Americans would be her focus.

Government is too big, Lauf said. We need to ensure our rights are not being touched. Chief among them is the Second Amendment. And right along with that is the First Amendment. Why should we have to whisper if we supported President Trump in 2016? Why are we afraid to wear American flags on our T-shirts? We need to make sure freedom is at the forefront of everything we do as elected officials.

State Sen. Jim Oberweis of Sugar Grove said he would support term limits and solutions to illegal immigration. But he identified the federal budget and increasing federal deficit his main target if elected.

The most important thing we must do is provide a balanced-budget amendment, Oberweis said. The fact that we are stealing the future from our kids and grandkids has got to be stopped.

State Sen. Sue Rezin of Morris said the path for Republicans to take back the 14th District is to be strong on health care, the issue Underwood used in her campaign.

Im the only person on the stage who has passed legislation [at the state level], a year ago, that protects people with preexisting conditions, Rezin said. We wanted to repeal and replace [the Affordable Care Act], but didnt have a plan to replace it. That is my sole goal when I come to Washington, D.C., to come up with a plan that is affordable and accessible.

The sprawling 14th Congressional District includes parts of DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall Lake, McHenry and Will counties. The primary is March 17.

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Australian bushfires: government refutes misleading claims on social media that orphaned joeys will be euthanised – AFP Factcheck

Posted: at 2:38 pm

Misleading claims that first responders in Australia were advised to kill all orphaned koala and kangaroo joeys found duringdeadly bushfires have circulated on Facebook and Twitter. The posts, published in multiple languages, citea document from the government of the Australian state of Victoria. But the Victorian government has specified that only joeys deemed unlikely to survive should be euthanised; a veterinarian consulted on the governments report also told AFP that euthanasiacan be the humane choice for orphaned joeys.

The misleading claim was published in this Facebook post on January 8, 2020. It was shared more than 150 times alongside photos of a kangaroo and koala.

The posts lengthy caption states in part: First responders tackling bushfires in Australia are being advised to kill baby kangaroos and koalas who have been orphaned as a result of the crisis. The Victorian Response Plan for Wildlife Impacted by Fire directs that the rehabilitation of orphaned milk dependent joeys from these common species found in the fire zone is not supported.

Contrary to established practice, the plan urges against handing the animals to wildlife volunteers, stating these animals require significant long term care and cannot be successfully returned to the wild.

At least 28 people have died and as many as one billion animals may have perished during an unprecedented bushfire season in Australia, AFPreported here on January 20, 2020.

Similar misleading claims were shared thousands of times after being published here, here, here and here on Facebook; and here, here, here and here on Twitter.

The posts were shared in multiple languages, including here in Japanese and here in Greek, as well asin Polish; AFP's Polish fact-check team debunked those posts here.

A similar claim appeared in this online petition titled: Stop the killing of milk dependent kangaroo and koala joeys found in bushfires.

However, theseclaims are misleading. The government of Victoria has updatedits guidelines and made clear thatonly young marsupials deemed unable to survive should be euthanised.

Andy Meddick, a Victoria Member of Parliament from the Animal Justice Party, stated publicly that such misleading claims were "categorically untrue."

There's some rumours going around about how the Victorian Government plans on handling wildlife injured in the bushfire crisis -- stating that they all must be killed,"Meddick said on Facebookhereon January 7, 2020."I can confirm these posts going around on social media are categorically untrue and not government regulation."

Meddick added that the office of Victoria Premier Dan Andrewshas madeassurances that "their plan is to support the rehabilitation of wildlife and that any native animal that can be rescued will be rescued."

These untrue posts stemmed from a wildlife training manual published in 2017, which has since been replaced," he explained.

Thetraining manual cited by Meddick, theVictorian Response Plan for Wildlife Impacted by Fire, was published by Victorias Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).

"This is about the welfare of the animal and we will not unnecessarily prolong pain or suffering of animals,"

-VictoriaDepartment of Environment, Land, Water and Planning

Wildlife Crew Teams will be deployed to undertake the on ground assessment of impacted wildlife, euthanasia or the capture and transportation of animals to a triage centre," the report reads.

Euthanasia of wildlife impacted by fire should be undertaken where the health and wellbeing of the animal is significantly compromised, invasive or long term medical intervention is required, survival with treatment is unlikely, or if the animal will be unable to survive if released back into the wild.

On page 26, the report also list conditions for euthanasia, which include excessiveburns, infectiousdisease, broken limbs and orphaned milk dependent pouch young, among others.

Following misleading claims and allegations, the DELWP clarified its guidelinessurrounding the euthanasia of orphaned pouch young on January 20, 2020.

The addendum, publishedhere,reads: Recent allegations that regulations exist to euthanise all surviving wildlife are incorrect. The current Wildlife Shelter and Foster Carer Authorisation Guide states that wildlife experiencing unreasonable and/or incurable pain, distress, trauma, sickness or injury; or marsupials that are un-furred with eyes closed and ears down should be euthanised.'"

The update adds "This is about the welfare of the animal and we will not unnecessarily prolong pain or suffering of animals. Our approach to caring for our wildlife has been developed in consultation with wildlife veterinary experts."

According to a veterinarian who was consulted for the DELWP manual, age is the main criterion in deciding whether a joey should be euthanised.

The animals that are euthanased are the equivalent of a 12 week (or less) human foetus -- these are joeys that are less than 40 per cent through their pouch life -- eyes closed, unable to control their temperature, immature lungs, kidneys do not work, brain not developed, stumps for limbs," the vet, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP in an email onJanuary 15, 2020."Wildlife carers have tried for the last 50 year to get these animals to survive without success."

The vet also stated that such infant animals often "die a slow death over days from starvation, hypothermia and from diseases of immunocompromise," stressing that a more "compassionate euthanasia is to euthanase promptly to stop this suffering."

Theyadded that themisleading claims were unfair to the first responders and animal carers battling the raging bushfires and its aftermath.

The people on search teams are there to do the best job that they can do in terms of animal welfare, in what are trying and difficult conditions, the vet said.

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The End on Sky: Who has the right to die? Cast of euthanasia series reveal their thoughts – Express

Posted: at 2:38 pm

Frances OConnor plays Kate Brennan, a doctor specialising in Palliative Care medicine in Australia. On the other side of the world, Kates mother Edie (played by Dame Harriet Walter) is just as passionate about her right to die. It becomes her responsibility to move her mother out to Australia and try to keep her alive. Here's a first look at the Sky series.

The topics brought up in this series are heavy going but writer Samantha Strauss does a brilliant job in bringing light to controversy.

The show is based on her own experiences with attitudes towards the right to die and she was keen to get both sides across.

The series, by See Saw Films, has been praised for its balanced attitudes and in depth research into the right to die legislation.

Samantha Strauss worked with palliative care doctors ahead of the series.

READ MORE:Black Earth Rising cast: Who is in the cast of Black Earth Rising?

Edies character been depressed for a long time and tries to kill herself in spectacular fashion - but fails.

She is shipped off to a retirement village in Australia and the story follows Kate and Edies stumbling, fractious journey as they find their way back to a relationship.

Harriet Walter, who plays Edie, said the right to die was a difficult topic to discuss.

She said: I did a TV film with Julie Walters called A Short Stay in Switzerland and that was relentlessly, brutally sad and frightening.

I have certainly thought about the topic a lot, its just one of the things thats terribly difficult to legislate.

Its hard to come to terms with the fact to have to make that decision it really seems like it has to be done by the person themselves that gives it legitimacy. I have discussed it with my husband.

Frances OConnors character Kate has a lot on her plate having to hold her family together.

OConnor said she was still uncertain on how she feels about the right to die even after filming ended.

She said: I had empathy with Kate, shes conflicted about it. I was curious to see how I would feel at the end of filming but I still feel very conflicted about it.

It really does come down to the individual. Its such a personal issue but it was brilliant playing a character thats set in a world in that kind of dilemma.

I love her character, shes so confused and conflicted and f****d up. Its so human and real.

The End is due to air on Sky Atlantic and NOW TV on February 10

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Voices Archbishop Smith: Beware of Ice! – Grandin Media

Posted: at 2:38 pm

Edmonton has been in a very deep freeze this past week. One day in the midst of it my car registered -34C. as the external temperature. That does not factor in the further chilling effects of the wind. As I drove along, my car issued a warning: Ice possible. Oh. Really? Thanks. Too bad the other drivers trying to navigate (at times unsuccessfully) some very slick streets and hills hadnt been warned that deep cold and slippery ice just might go together.

Clearly, that was an unnecessary warning. Only the willfully blind and deaf would have refused to see the slippery conditions and ignored the many warnings blaring out from radios and televisions and other media across the city.

For the last few years, the Church and many others in Canada have been calling out Ice possible! in another context. When the legalization of physician-assisted suicide (PAS) and euthanasia was being contemplated in Canada, purportedly for only highly circumscribed instances, the warning went out that allowing it even for a few limited cases would inevitably create a slippery slope toward expanding eligibility to a broad range of circumstances. Ice possible!

Well, that ice has now clearly taken hold, and at astonishing speed. On September 11, 2019 the Superior Court of Quebec ruled unconstitutional the requirement that death be reasonably foreseeable before euthanasia/PAS would be permitted. The federal government has chosen not to challenge this. Instead, it has accepted the ruling and is preparing to adjust national legislation accordingly. In addition, it has announced further legal reviews this year that will consider allowing for advance requests and expansion of euthanasia/PAS to mature minors and people who request to have their death hastened solely due to mental illness. Not only is the slope slippery, but also it feels as if we are being pushed down it. Yes, government is seeking to be consultative on these matters with surveys and reviews. Yet the questionnaire currently circulated does not even ask if one is opposed to these practices in principle. It presupposes acquiescence to the status quo, yet it is precisely the status quo that must be challenged. By precluding any fundamental objection to euthanasia/PAS procedures in the first place, it appears that the consultation is being used as a means for going forward, or broadening scope.

It is vitally important that we continue to speak out against not only the expansion of assisted suicide and euthanasia in our country but also their very existence. This is why the Bishops of Alberta and the Northwest Territories have issued a new pastoral letter on this issue, and why other Bishops across the country are calling on their people to make their voices heard.

The ice that has accumulated on our medical and legal highways is very slippery right now, and has citizens already crashing into one another. The heedlessness of danger seems to be wilful, so I expect the perilous conditions to be with us long after the spring thaw lifts the other ice from our streets. Therefore, let us remain both vigilant and vocal in witness to the dignity and sanctity of every human life from beginning to natural end.

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NASA watched the ice in this Mars crater dance over a dozen years – CNET

Posted: at 2:37 pm

NASA's MRO tracked this crater, which has been through some changes between 2008 and 2019.

You might think Mars is a pretty static place since it's lacking the oceans and atmospheric drama we have on Earth. But the dry Red Planet is surprisingly dynamic, as a new NASA GIF of a north-pole crater shows.

The animation comes from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRise (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) camera team at the University of Arizona.

"These inter-crater ice deposits shrink and expand or change shape or surface texture from year to year," wrote University of Arizona planetary geologist Alfred McEwen, principal investigator for HiRise.

The GIF is compiled from MRO images taken over the span of nearly a dozen years in early 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2018 and late 2019. That spans six Mars Years. Each Mars Year covers 687 Earth days.

MRO entered Martian orbit in 2006. Its longevity gives scientists the ability to track landscape changes over time. Like with Earth, Mars experiences seasons. Those seasons just last longer.

The north pole is a particularly fun place to watch. HiRise even caught sight of an avalanche there in 2019. Don't worry, though. Humanity is eyeing some quieter spots on the Red Planet for future colonization.

Now playing: Watch this: Meet the Mars 2020 rover launching this year

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SpaceX’s Abort Test Is A Success, Crewed Flights To Follow – Jalopnik

Posted: at 2:37 pm

After weather-related delays yesterday, SpaceX has successfully tested the abort feature of its Crew Dragon spacecraft, clearing the way for the first manned flights later on in the year.

The test occurred this morning around 10:30 AM eastern time and consisted of an unmanned launch followed by a demonstration of the Dragons abort procedure less than two minutes into the ascent. The crew module successfully detached from the rocket stages just after a point called Max Q, where the forces acting on the capsule peak. The capsule then successfully parachuted down to Earth, splashing down in the Atlantic safely.

After the Dragon separated from the rest of the rocket, the remaining stages were destabilized and eventually exploded (as expected), but the crew module had already fallen safely out of the way and was unharmed.

According to Ars Technica, the landing conditions for the crew module were rougher than expected. The success of the test despite those conditions may allow for a relaxation of some of the weather condition requirements currently in place which could offer greater flexibility for subsequent launches.

All of this is good news for SpaceX and NASA, who plan to launch the first manned mission using the Dragon later this year. If successful, the Dragon will provide NASA with the ability to once again launch astronauts to the International Space Station without the help of Russia, a capability lost when the Space Shuttle was retired. Musk has claimed that the first mission will be possible by second quarter of this year, but crew scheduling for the International Space Station could push it back farther.

Though SpaceXs Dragon has provided new hope for NASAs ability to expand manned space exploration in the wake of the retirement of the Space Shuttle nearly ten years ago, Elon Musks stated goals for SpaceX include the eventual colonization of Mars and his recent tweets on the subject have rankled some. Admitting that interplanetary travel, whenever it might become feasible, will be prohibitively expensive for most, Musk recently suggested that costs for travel to Mars could be offset by working off debts upon arrival, a curiously similar model to the indentured servitude that many immigrants to colonial Virginia suffered under back in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Still, the prospect of introducing a new way to get to space remains exciting, and any eventual effort to get to Mars is far off, long enough away that Musk will hopefully see the drawbacks to his proposed Martian labor policybefore his Starship ever leaves the ground. Until then, I think we should be cautiously optimistic about SpaceX and what it can do for the International Space Station and space exploration in general.

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SpaceX's Abort Test Is A Success, Crewed Flights To Follow - Jalopnik

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Donald Trump and Elon Musk Invent the Wheel – Fair Observer

Posted: at 2:37 pm

No one can claim that US president Donald Trump lacks empathy for at least some of the downtrodden. Interviewed by CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump responded to a question about Elon Musk. Given all that Musk has been through in recent times, Trump acknowledges that the poor fellow deserves the pity his fellow billionaires. After all, Musk has been denigrated by multiple critics in the past 18 months, even, on occasion, excoriated in the Daily Devils Dictionary. As Teslas CEO, he has been under regulatory scrutiny after the Security Exchange Commission accused him of fraud for attempting to manipulate share prices.

Conscience of the injustice done to Musk due simply to his sometimes unorthodox business practices, Trump praised the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, the Boring Company and Neuralink because he likes rockets and he does good at rockets too. Trump then added this pertinent comment: I was worried about him, because hes one of our great geniuses, and we have to protect our genius. You know, we have to protect Thomas Edison, and we have to protect all of these people that came up with, originally, the lightbulb, and the wheel and all of these things.

Here is todays3D definition:

Protect:

Enshrine the already successful and extremely wealthy, granting them the status of unassailable icons to ensure their limitless prosperity and deflect any criticism of their methods or actions.

Describing Trumps CNBC interview, The New York Times dryly and indulgently explains that President Trump reflected the enthusiasm that many investors have for Mr. Musk, comparing him to Thomas Edison and describing him as one of our great geniuses. In the same article, The Times provides an evaluation of Musks fortune. We learn that Forbes and Bloomberg estimate Mr. Musks current net worth at about $32 billion before being reminded that, according to the exceptional compensation deal recently voted by the Tesla board of directions, Mr. Musk could receive up to $55 billion in compensation.

As Trumpinsists, Musk is in dire need of the governments and societys protection. Hefears that people like Musk are may be left by the wayside. We want to cherishthose people, he told his CNBC interviewer. Musk and others like him need tobe encouraged in their noble quest to add to the billions they already possess.Otherwise, unloved and insufficiently pampered, they might choose to crawl backinto their shells and deprive humanity of the searing light of their genius.

From Trumps Davos interview, most commentators have highlighted the presidents apparent belief that the wheel is an American invention. Some, like the Huffington Post, have taken the trouble to point out that the wheel was invented some 5,500 years ago in Mesopotamia, present-day Iraq. Two hypotheses may account for Trumps attribution. The first is that, as the US continues to occupy Iraq against the Iraqi governments own wishes, Trump may consider it licit to claim the industrial property rights on Iraqs inventions as repayment for the burdensome cost of sending an army in to massacre its people and spread chaos throughout the region.

The second seems more credible. Trump, like any 10-year-old schoolboy, knows that the invention of the wheel was a prehistoric accomplishment and couldnt have been invented in America. But the wheel Trump was referencing isnt the one you find on vehicles. Its the Wheel of Fortune, the popular TV show often simply called Wheel. It has been running since 1975 and is now a fixture of US consumer culture. It was invented by another billionaire, TV game show creator and host, Merv Griffin.

This reference to television should have been obvious since in the same interview Trump revealed his understanding of what he sees essentially as a two-class system in the US. At the top, we find the billionaires, like Trump and Musk, stable geniuses who are abused not only by villainous critics jealous of their success but also the media. They are crying out for protection. At the bottom subsists a vast class called consumers, represented, in Trumps mind, by an individual he refers to as the consumer. In the interview Trump made this clear when he announced this basic truth: The consumer has never been so rich We have a consumer that has never done so well.

This vision ofsociety is extremely coherent. Listening to the full 19-minute interview makesTrumps vision extremely clear. On one side, you have the billionaires whoserve three essential purposes in society, besides earning excessive fortunesfor themselves. They create jobs for the hapless but rich consumers; throughthe products they invent and control, they secure valuable industrial propertyrights that should not be stolen by other nations; and they create a vast arrayof goods the consumer class will buy to affirm its status as citizen consumersof the capitalist republic.

As Trump tells it, the consumer is now basking in the glory afforded by the wealth shared by the entire consumer class. Consumers are so well-off these days that an impressive proportion of them can now afford to consume luxury products such as the opioids they are increasingly addicted to. Diabetics find it a bit more difficult to procure insulin, but Trump intends to address that problem in his second term.

In themeantime, billionaires add billions to their already impressive fortunes,protected by the government and its bloated military, whose essentially purposeis to guarantee their unfettered access to the worlds resources. And thanks totheir fortunes, they also provide jobs and a growing catalogue of shiny,well-packaged products to consume in an increasingly deregulated economy thatTrump promises will be even more prosperous as soon asthe Fed gets aroundto implementing negative interest rates.

Such is Trumpsvision of the US economy and society three years after taking office. On thesame day as the interview, Trumps Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin grappledwith 17-year-old Greta Thunberg at Davos, informing her that he will listen toher musings only after she goes and studies economics in college. He mighthave said, more fittingly, the same thing to Trump after listening to TrumpsDavos interview. But of course Trump did study economics at Wharton.

Some think that when Thunberg graduates high school, she might be better off studying a subject less prone to pure hyperreal fantasy than economics.

Half ofhumanity or rather half of the human oligarchy that runs the economy believes in the hyperreal success story of Elon Musk. Apparently, another halfsees it in a different light, as a manifestation of hyperreality, a bit ofinflated fiction that seduces the media who, in turn, use it to trigger theadulation of broad swathes of the public.

A recent article in Forbes sums up the dispute about believing in Musk and cherishing his contribution. Its author, Amiyatosh Purnanandam, writes: Elon Musk thinks Tesla will change the world. Short-seller Jim Chanos believes it is a worthless enterprise. One of them has to be wrong, and the wrong one will lose a fortune. On the subject of Musks eventual astronomic payout of $50 billion, The New York Times quotes Bob Sloan, the founder of financial services firm S3 Partners: The amount is just telling you that the soap opera continues.

The story ofMusks rise to the level of cultural icon over the past 10 years bringstogether all the ingredients required for the production of unadulteratedhyperreality: his flogging of futuristic technology, the mountains of venturecapital, Musks provocative personality, his unbounded appetite for practicallyany wild idea derived from science fiction that he can convince other people tofund and, concerning Tesla alone, the entire myth built around a largelyunsubstantial promise by which the company claims to be about improving theworld and saving humanity from the recognized threat of global warming.

This is what weare asked to believe: Rich people driving expensive cars will usher in a new utopiathanks to electric vehicles destined to solve the climate crisis bydemonstrating that humanity (starting at a certain level of income or networth) no longer depend on fossil fuel.

And if all those future self-driving electric cars dont end up solving the climate crisis, Musk will provide the rockets that will enable humanity to move to Mars. He is already blanketing the Earths atmosphere with tens of thousands of satellites astronomers on earth are complaining will hamper their ability to observe the universe. But, as Trump says, Musk is good at rockets and wants to use the satellites to position himself as the worlds number one internet access provider. This may incite the astronomers to be the first to book passage on a SpaceX rocket, if only to set up business on Mars, where they will be able to observe the universe unencumbered.

All this illustrates a deeper problem in society as a whole. As with climate change, human civilization finds itself at a historical turning point, in which the stakes have become survival or extinction. In this context, the success or failure of Tesla and SpaceX will serve as a metaphor for the fate of the planet and its inhabitants. Some think the planet and its economy will thrive, others see it coursing toward extinction. Both of Musks favorite solutions the electric car and rockets that will permit the colonization of Mars skirt the real questions humanity is dealing with.

Tesla and SpaceX are modern enterprises focused not on achieving some generous goal, but on establishing a monopolistic position through the uniqueness of their offer with the goal of gaining a captive market that will translate into maximum profit. In other words, the future of humanity when things are left in the hands of people like Trump and Musk turns out to be an exaggeration of the worst trends of the recent past. Its about a small group of people controlling simultaneously the worlds resources and the principle levers of the human economy or whats left of that economy before those who can afford it will need to book their SpaceX rocket ticket to Mars.

[In the age of Oscar Wilde and Mark Twain, another American wit, the journalist Ambrose Bierce, produced a series of satirical definitions of commonly used terms, throwing light on their hidden meanings in real discourse. Bierce eventually collected and published them as a book, The Devils Dictionary, in 1911. We have shamelessly appropriated his title in the interest of continuing his wholesome pedagogical effort to enlighten generations of readers of the news.]

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observers editorial policy.

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Donald Trump and Elon Musk Invent the Wheel - Fair Observer

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