Wednesday November 12, 1997
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UN TO ENFORCE ‘HUMAN RIGHTS’ VIA INTERNATIONAL LAW
OXFORD, UK, Nov 12 (LSN) – Mary Robinson, the UN’s new High Commissioner for Human Rights, vowed yesterday to put an end to ”discrimination,” and added that she would be writing to all governments to support her work. In a speech given at Oxford University, Robinson criticized the UN’s work thus far, saying that despite billions of dollars spent, governments have failed to protect ”human rights” ”on a scale that shames us all”.
She said: ”We still have widespread discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religious belief and sexual orientation…My responsibility as UN High Commissioner is…specifically to include women’s rights as human rights, as we were reminded by the Beijing conference.”
Robinson referred to these new ”rights” as ”current complex human rights” and the need for committment to the ”furtherance of these and other rights”. She noted that in the debate which is to commemmorate the 50th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights in 1998, ”the challenge will be to engender a similar commitment to a shared vision that these (new) rights are encompassed in the opening words of the preamble to the Universal Declaration…and that they form part of a renewal in our time of that vision”.
Robinson concluded her remarks indicating that implementation of these new ”human rights” must be undertaken with ”international action”. She noted that ”some solutions might be found in the application of international law, in references to international human rights standards… international law (is) a normative system, harnessed to the achievement of common values – values that speak to us all, whether we are rich or poor, black or white, of any religion or none, or come from countries that are industrialised or developing. The normative work is largely done. The international human rights standards are in place. The task for us all, given new impetus by the focus of next year, will be to implement them. And to implement them in a ‘Rights’ based way”.
The central goal of the international anti-life movement is to gain recognition of abortion as a ”human right.” Linked to this is the slogan ”women’s rights are human rights.” Robinson’s remarks seem to affirm what pro-lifers have feared for some time: that the 50th anniversary celebration of the Declaration of Human Rights will be used to achieve these anti-life goals, and enforce these new ”rights” by the extension of new powers to the international court.
PRO-ABORTS SUSPECT PRO-LIFERS IN MD SHOOTING
WINNIPEG, Nov 12 (LSN) – Jack Fainman, a Winnipeg doctor who commits abortions, was shot last night while he was inside his home. Fainman sustained injury to his right shoulder, and is in stable condition.
Mainstream media and pro-abortion activists were quick to blame the pro-life movement for the shooting. Susan Riley, Vice-president of the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, said, ”November has become an ominous month for the pro-choice movement.” Sgt. Erik Gruter of the Winnipeg police force had the following to say when reporters badgered him with questions about a possible connection to the pro-life movement, ”We know there might be a connection there, but we don’t know how strong a connection there is yet.”
‘STERN’ WARNING TO GET OFF THE AIR
TORONTO, Nov 12 (LSN) – The Canadian Broadcasting Standards Council (CBSC) released its decision today on the Howard Stern radio show. The show airs on Montreal’s CHOM-FM and Toronto’s Q-107. Stern’s popularity is based on his promotion of filth and all sorts of anti-family garbage.
In its decision the CBSC called Howard Stern’s syndicated radio show sexist, degrading and discriminatory. The radio stations which broadcast the program were told to cut the show or lose their standing with the council.
NORWAY DOCTOR TESTS EUTHANASIA LAW BY KILLING PATIENT
Catholic World News Service Nov. 11, 1997
OSLO, Norway (CWN) A retired doctor pleaded innocent to first-degree murder charges on Monday in a test of Norway’s law against euthanasia or mercy killing, after the doctor demanded he be tried to challenge the law.
Dr. Christian Sandsdalen, 79, allegedly gave a lethal dose of morphine to Bodil Bjerkmann, 45, a multiple sclerosis patient, at her request in June 1996. Sandsdalen confessed to the killing in a letter to the prosecutor and then demanded on national television that he be tried to test the law.
In Norway, first degree murder carries a maximum prison sentence of 21 years. However, the prosecution has opted for a shorter sentence of six years. The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
CONGRESS, CLINTON COLLIDE OVER ABORTION FUNDING
Catholic World News Service Nov. 11, 1997
WASHINGTON, DC (CWN) Congress’ plans to adjourn for the year are being held up by a standoff between President Clinton and pro-life congressmen over a proposal to ban US foreign-aid funding of population-control groups that provide or recommend abortions.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, said that if the issue is not resolved, the Clinton administration should expect its budget requests for the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations to be cut back. A White House spokesman also said on Monday that Clinton had rejected a deal with his pro-life opponents that would have allowed passage of his fast- track trade initiative.
Some pro-abortion Democrats said privately that they were worried Clinton would eventually compromise to avoid a veto fight over the $13 billion foreign aid bill, which contains the funding of abortion groups and has proven to be unpopular with voters. The Senate has already approved legislation that would provide $435 million for overseas family-planning programs for 1998. It would bar the funds for groups that use their own money to perform abortions or to lobby foreign governments to permit abortion, but would let Clinton waive those restrictions. If he did, however, the family planning money would drop to $385 million — the same as in 1997.