Monday, March 21, 2005

Rachel weeping …

Like everyone else in the world these days, my attention is focused on a woman in Florida whose feeding tube has been removed and who will die soon if it is not re-inserted. I’ve seen the news. I’ve listened to those on both sides make their case – the parents who want to keep her alive stating that she is responsive and can be helped; and the husband who states that his wife wouldn’t want to be kept alive this way.

None of this is new, of course. We humans seem to have a history of getting rid of people we don’t want anymore, and we can always justify our actions. After Jesus was born, King Herod killed all the babies under two in his kingdom fearing his own job was threatened. We hear of civilizations which regularly left their baby girls on the hillside to die, simply because they were the wrong gender.

And we, in this society will get rid of our unborn if they happen to inconvenience us. I have a friend who worked for many years in an abortion clinic, so I know all the arguments, I've heard all the impassioned pleas. Yet, this is something I can’t get my head around. There it is. I can’t get my head around believing that a fetus is not a human being. I can’t believe that a fetus is ‘soul-less,’ and therefore nonhuman. I’m all for a woman’s right to choose – before she gets pregnant.

A story: A mother goes into labor way, way too early. She is rushed to the hospital, and the tiny preemie, no bigger than your hand, is airlifted to a children's hospital in a major city and placed into a womb-like incubator.

While across town, a fetus of approximately the same gestational age is aborted.

Cut away to the hospital: The tiny preemie grows, develops. On a television special featuring preemies and the amazing technology used to keep these young ones alive, we see the parents, sitting next to this tiny bit of life. Sometimes the mother is able to reach in through a series of access holes, to ‘touch’ her child’s fingers. She sits for hours with her child, talking to her, singing to her.

While on the other side of town a young woman is ‘getting on with her life.’

Eight months later: The parents are finally able to take their baby home. There are baby showers and welcome home banners, and the television news is there. There is joy. This is a wanted baby.

While on the other side of town, the ashes of the incinerated fetus are long forgotten pieces of dust.

The difference? One daugthter was wanted and the other one was not.

When I think of this injustice, this injustice that centuries of humans have perpetrated upon each other, a phrase from the Bible comes to my mind: Rachel weeping for her children because they are no more.

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

The First Sign of Spring in Canada…

We arrived home today driving through a blizzard after being two weeks in the U.S. and once we finally got back home in Canada our first stop was a Tim Horton’s for lunch. And coffee, of course.

And there it was – the first sign of spring in Canada. If you’re Canadian you know exactly what I’m talking about – the annual Roll Up the Rim contest.

Spring can’t be too far away now, can it? It's still snowing here...

Saturday, March 5, 2005

What the Wind Picked Up…

It is my great pleasure to announce that a great book of short stories called What the Wind Picked Up is now available. Yours truly’s story, “The Great Lobster Race” is included in that anthology.

What’s neat about this book is that ALL of the royalties are going to Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization which provides spiritual and physical aid throughout the world.

The book is available at this link through iUniverse.com.

Not only is this a book of short stories by great authors, but it also gives writing advice and tips for getting published.

Wednesday, March 2

My grocery store and its flowers...

As I write this I'm in a coffee shop in New Orleans. Rik is here for a conference and I'm along for the ride. In a couple of days I'll be posting more about this incredible place, but before I do...

A week ago I posted a blog about Valentine flowers and the horrific working conditions that some women and children are exposed to in order to get them to us. The day I wrote that blog I also emailed my local grocery chain asking where they get their flowers.

They got back to me today, and the news is good – I quote from their letter here. (So, it looks like I'm okay in buying my flowers again. And I am pleased that there are people working to improve working conditions in these countries.):

Thank you for your email. I apologize for the delay in responding - we were seeking follow-up information related to your inquiry and wanted to be sure we had sufficient detail before responding.

In Ecuador, the country's national flower trade association has a program in place that promotes safe work practices and benefits for workers which exceed Ecuadorian government standards. In addition, most farms that provide flowers to our suppliers are certified internationally by groups like the Flower Label Programme (initiated by a German importer's association; initial focus on environmental conditions associated with flower production and expanded in 1999 to include social and labour conditions) and the Max Havelaar Foundation (started in 2001; based in Switzerland; certifies that agricultural products are sold in accordance with international fair trade criteria). We understand that 36 flower farms in Ecuador are certified under the Flower Label Programme, with 7 additional certifications pending. As well, the national flower trade association in Ecuador, Expoflores, also has a program to promote safe pest-management practices and workers' health/rights.

The Colombian Association of Flower Growers has 43 farms certified by Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), a Swiss-based inspection/verification/certification agency. The Association also has a program known as Floroverde (in place for about eight years) which has standards for about 150 participating farms - including a process for ensuring they follow best practices in areas such as health and safety, environmental practices, fair labour conditions and support for workers. Information from our suppliers is that the farms they buy from are certified and, in some instances, have on-site education programs for children of employees - many of whom are women.

I hope this response is helpful and informative. We appreciate that you took the time to ask us about this issue, and we appreciate your continued patronage!

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