tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85678996242730859742024-03-13T04:43:46.143-07:00Just Doing MeMy name is Louise and this is my blog. I am nineteen years old and I am a feminist. I am a keen writer and photographer and am doing both whenever I get the chance. My blog posts can consist of anything, so beware. louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-8219021421494050892013-02-26T12:24:00.000-08:002013-02-26T12:24:13.480-08:00Anonymity of Rape Perpetrators<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> The war
against women continues, this time the chairwoman (that’s right, woman) Maura
McGowan QC, has called for anonymity to be granted for rape perpetrators until
conviction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Victims of rape and sexual
offences, who are overwhelmingly women and children, are granted anonymity as
soon as they report a sexual offence against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is granting rape perpetrators so bad I
hear you ask, after all innocent until proven guilty right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well there
are many things wrong with granting them anonymity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First off, only 2% of rape cases are false,
whilst 82% of rape defendants walk. That is the highest rate in any crime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No other perpetrators of any other crime are
granted anonymity, except in very rare and extreme circumstances such as the
perpetrator being a minor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/rape-a-lack-of-conviction/"><span style="color: blue;">There
are an estimated 78,000 rapes committed in the UK each year.</span></a> 16,041 of them
are reported.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2,873 prosecuted and 1,153
are convicted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is pretty
disgraceful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>45% of rapes are committed
by a current partner, which could explain why so few rapes are reported; also
the fact that very few are prosecuted and then convicted plays a huge part as
to why so many women don’t report rapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big reason
as to why I think rape perpetrators should not be granted anonymity is because
this only helps rapists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We already live
in a rape culture where rape and sexual violence has been normalised and excused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only yesterday did I read a Facebook status
where a guy asked <a href="https://twitter.com/bananarahmana/status/305612685838532608/photo/1"><span style="color: blue;">"Why
don't girls like to be raped?"</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I mean really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do guys just not
get that women don’t like to be touched without our permission, we don’t find
it flattering and no, funnily enough we don’t like to be raped. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Victims are so
often the ones to be put on trial when they have done nothing wrong, they are accused
of being ‘sluts’ ‘liars’ and even ‘fantasists’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are often blamed for their rapes for just wearing a skirt or
walking down the street at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
if we were to grant rape perpetrators anonymity we would pretty much be saying “go
right ahead, have your fill.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women are
already frightened of reporting this horrific crime; you only have to look at
the stats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One great thing about the
perpetrator being named, is other women who have also been a victim of this
crime by this particular person, will find the courage to come forward when
they know someone else has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You only
have to look at the Jimmy Saville case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So no, rape perpetrators
shouldn’t be given anonymity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They should
be named and shamed, sending out a message to other people who think they can
get away with this hideous crime, that they will get the book thrown at
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, that all depends on whether the
defence decides to call the victim a fantasist or whether the judge wants to
tell her to be more careful next time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-64385176257173754522013-02-24T09:45:00.002-08:002013-02-24T09:45:39.561-08:00A Man's World<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> So there was
an article written a couple of weeks ago, by a woman called <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/archive/author/suzanne-venker/index.html"><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Suzanne Venker</span></a><span lang="EN"> </span>for Fox News titled <a href="http://ht.ly/hza8Q"><span style="color: #183a52;">"The War
on Men."</span></a> In it she states women are destroying marriage and
consequently the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
article it describes how “women have become the majority of the U.S. workforce
and are also getting most of the college degrees.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fail to see this as a bad thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When women have spent years being
underrepresented in workforces, only now are we breaking through and I for one
am glad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The article
goes onto state “women aren’t women anymore.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well what the hell are we then? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just because women have been fighting back
against sexism, oppression, patriarchy and misogyny, doesn’t mean our vaginas
have morphed into penises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also
states in the article that women are angry, defensive and have been raised to
think of men as the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
complete rubbish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a feminist or woman
fighting for equal rights, I don’t hate men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
society that angers me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A society which
makes pink cooking or cleaning toys for girls and blue science or DIY toys for
boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A society which holds the
traditional view of men going out to work and being the breadwinner, and women
staying at home to look after the children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A society
that tells me to chill out when I get angry over sexist comments, being
harassed or felt up on the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A society
that feels sorry for a Paralympic athlete and his career, whilst he is faced
with murder charges after killing his girlfriend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I see a
sexist comment on social media sites or a colleague at work makes a sexist joke
at my expense, my dad tells me to chill out, which incidentally only angers me
further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I rage in despair at the fact
the Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius being released on bail, my dad tells me
there is nothing anyone can do, as we can’t change the laws of other
countries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get frustrated over the
fact that people told me to get an alarm after being harassed and grabbed on
the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this
society is also made up of other women, so no, I don’t hate men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sick of people assuming I hate men just
because I’m a feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sick of
people asking why I’m so angry or why am I bothered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sick of having to say the same thing
over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sick of
having to fight for things, which concern me, my body and my lifestyle, no one
else’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I am sick of being asked why
I care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will continue to fight, even
if men or other women like <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/archive/author/suzanne-venker/index.html"><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Suzanne Venker</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t hate men, but I am pretty sick with living
in a man’s world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-63648231888219929742013-02-17T07:11:00.001-08:002013-02-17T07:22:21.007-08:00Troubles With Feminism<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am proud to be a feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am proud to be amongst other great women
fighting against sexism, oppression, misogyny and patriarchy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I experience sexist behaviour, or I come
across misogyny, I get angry and frustrated and then I want to vent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I experience these things I try to put
across my views on it, trying to make people understand why sexism is so
negative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also vent by writing about
these things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me this is what
feminism is about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or what I think it’s
about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to be honest, as a very new feminist, I
don’t really know what the full extent of a feminist or feminism is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see all these words get thrown about, and I
then try and spend my time reading through it and trying to work out what it is
or what it all means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I recently signed the No More Page Three
petition and I have also brought the t-shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But yesterday when I wrote about this on twitter, also saying I had brought
a pro-choice t-shirt with the slogan “My Pussy, My Choice” on, I got a very
negative response (also some positive).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can understand how ironic it is saying I am against page three, but I want the
choice of an abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I got from the responses, was that they
thought I wanted to take away the choice of being a page three model.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s not what I want at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am against page three because I don’t
believe it is right to use women’s naked bodies as a commodity, in any sense (and
I know this happens elsewhere and not just on page three).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think it makes sense putting pictures
of naked women in a newspaper, since that isn’t news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t want my nieces and other young girls
growing up seeing this one body type, thinking that is how they have to look to
get guys to drool over them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I also
don’t want them growing up thinking this is all their worth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They should have many different role models,
and then if they decide that actually they do want to become a page three
model, not because they think that’s all they can or should do, but because
they want to, then that’s fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But last
night I couldn’t seem to get that point across, and I felt a bit silenced by
some people who it just seemed wanted to have a go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now I’ve decided to read through people’s
blog posts, understand their idea of feminism and what they do, what they wish
to fight and achieve and then maybe I’ll have a better understanding of it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve realised that maybe trying to put my
views and opinions across on things doesn’t always go so well as I’m not 100%
sure on everything “feminism”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I’m not going to change other people’s
views or opinions, but I would like to be able to make them think twice about things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But before I try to talk about certain
things, or give someone my views and opinions I will make sure I know what I’m
talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a down heartened
feminist. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-88819128062511865362013-02-16T09:46:00.000-08:002013-02-16T09:46:38.035-08:00The Sun - Stop Objectifying
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Sun’s objectification of women has just
hit a new high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday they distastefully
put a picture of Reeva </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Steenkamp on
their front cover wearing, wait for it, a bikini.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A murdered woman and all they can think of is
staring at her body, splashing it all over the front cover of their papers for
men to drool over her and to make money for themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they not
realize she is a real person, a person who was cruelly robbed of her life and
they’ve treated her as a commodity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By putting
this picture on their front page, The Sun has showed no respect for this poor
murdered woman or her family and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But they are not alone, I have watched and listened to news channels,
and I can count on one hand the amount of times I have heard her name, they
prefer to refer to her as Oscar Pistorius’ girlfriend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But she was much
more than this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a twenty nine
year old law graduate and model, who publicly condemned violence against women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, a few papers and news channels have
failed to recognise this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is time for us
to put a stop to The Sun’s awful and increasing objectification of women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-sun-newspaper-apologise-for-the-distasteful-front-cover-of-reeva-steenkamp-2"><span style="color: blue;">Please
sign this petition</span></a> created by <a href="https://twitter.com/Hannah_MCurtis"><span style="color: blue;">Hannah
MCurtis</span></a>, set up to demand an apology from The Sun and pass it onto family
and friends, also encourage people to stop buying The Sun and together we will
fight this sexist paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is a link
to a blog post created by Hannah MCurtis, on how to <a href="http://thenotsoquietfeminist.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/its-time-to-put-pressure-on-the-sun/"><span style="color: blue;">put
pressure on The Sun.</span></a> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-91096299334204778722013-02-12T08:41:00.003-08:002013-02-12T08:41:51.533-08:00Response From MP Maria Miller On Equal Marriage
<span style="color: black;">On the 3rd of February, I wrote to my local MP Maria Miller, asking to vote in support of the equal marriage bill. Here's her response recieved today.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="color: black;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a;">Dear Ms Rogers,<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Maria has asked me to thank you for your emailed letter in support of the
Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
confirm that Maria supported this Bill and that it passed the Second Reading in
the House of Commons and has now moved on to the Committee Stage.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Regards,<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Lynn Fox<br />
Secretary to the Rt Hon Maria Miller MP</span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-25572918917739933212013-02-10T09:28:00.003-08:002013-02-16T09:22:52.023-08:00Abortion - My Choice<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the 4<sup>th</sup> of February the BBC
aired an episode of Panorama on the topic of abortion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As usually is the case with abortion, it
seemed more people on the program were against rather than for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abortion is certainly not a rather nice subject
to talk about and I’m sure there are many people who have issues against it,
but it is fundamental that we women have that choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m starting to get a bit tired having to
explain to people why we need abortion, why we should have the right to an
abortion and why the Government should not meddle with the abortion time
limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us will know someone who
has had an abortion, as by the time women are 45 almost one in three women in
the UK will have had one. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe pro-life equals anti-woman, which
is my opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many pro-life groups go
on and on about protecting the life of an unborn child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what about the life of a woman, we’re not
just here to incubate babies you know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine being forced to have a baby with a
rapist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine being forced to have a
baby with a blood-relative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine
being forced to have a baby with an abusive man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine being drugged and forced to have a
baby with an unknown man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine being
forced to have a baby, even though you had safe sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine all of that happening to; a child, a
teenager, a mentally or physically challenged person, an alcoholic, a drug
addict, a regular woman who just doesn’t feel like having a baby and then
imagine that baby’s childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not all
of abortions begin with unsafe sex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Abortion
does not last for a lifetime, but a life does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People also say the time limit of 24 weeks
should be lowered, as babies can survive outside of the womb at this
stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In actual fact there is no new medical
evidence to suggest such a cut would be a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maria Miller is Minister for Women and
describes herself as “a very modern feminist” yet she has stated she thinks the
abortion limit should be reduced to 20 weeks, and don’t even get me started on
what Nadine Dorries has said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women deserve the right to have autonomy over
their own bodies, and we are entitled to make the decision to end or continue a
pregnancy if that is what we want; it should not concern anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the abortion time limit is reduced, this
does not mean fewer abortions will be carried out. It will only mean that women
who rely on the NHS will be forced to make a difficult decision with very
little time to make it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Government want to reduce abortions,
they need to concentrate on education first and foremost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People need better access to contraception,
and I believe it should be made available at schools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools also need to teach children not just
about the facts of life, but about relationships, safe-sex, saying no and
rape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps that would help lower the
percentage of rape cases and the vast number of teenage pregnancies, both
reducing the amount of abortions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Women have
the right not to have a baby; it is our body, our womb and our choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop meddling.</span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-81199348416855175152013-02-06T11:12:00.000-08:002013-02-06T11:12:02.045-08:00Street Harassment - My Story
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the 8<sup>th</sup> of January a hashtag
called #ShoutingBack was created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
read the tweets I was quite alarmed at the content of them and the high amount of
tweets that there was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were tales
by women of all ages, on street harassment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Reading them, I became quite enraged at what these women had gone
through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/VintageRoseJaz" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">@VintageRoseJaz</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> walked home when I was 14.Man
said “hello pretty lady” ignored him and he replied with “Well fuck you then” </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ShoutingBack&src=hash" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">#ShoutingBack</span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">@SelinC</span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Being
followed by a car of teenage boys who then tried to reverse into me when I
wouldn’t talk to them </span><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">#ShoutingBack<o:p></o:p></span></u><br />
<br />
<u><span lang="EN" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">@TheAfricanHippy</span></u><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> Walking home in the afternoon.
Drunk guy says: If I knew where you lived, I’d follow you home and rape you. </span><u><span lang="EN" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;">#ShoutingBack<o:p></o:p></span></u><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">#ShoutingBack was created by
The Everyday Sexism Project. </span><a href="http://www.everydaysexism.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.everydaysexism.com/</span></span></a><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span><u><span lang="EN" style="color: #31849b; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-themecolor: accent5; mso-themeshade: 191;"><o:p></o:p></span></u><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tweeted Stories range from women being abused
verbally in the street, to disturbing reports of physical assault or grabbing
on public transport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many women being
catcalled, groped and sometimes even assaulted on the street is the norm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is what happens almost every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hundreds of tweets were posted in just a few
hours. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hashtag has shone a light on
the sheer volume of this problem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has
also given women a platform and a voice where they could speak about their
experiences, when many before have felt silenced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trended hashtag showed the rest of
twitter just how rife the problem is today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laura Bates from The Everyday Sexism Project
told Stylist magazine: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;">One of the big problems with street harassment is that if
you don't experience it, you rarely see it, so there's a huge lack of awareness
about just how serious the issue still is. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We started #ShoutingBack as part of the Everyday
Sexism Project’s goal of uncovering ‘invisible’ forms of sexism. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wanted to open the world’s eyes to the
serious harassment women still face on a daily basis.” </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/shouting-back-hashtag-street-harassment#image-rotator-1"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.stylist.co.uk/life/shouting-back-hashtag-street-harassment#image-rotator-1</span></span></a><span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I myself have been subjected to street
harassment and it is one of the most terrifying things to go through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been followed and asked for money, but
the most frightening occasion was the time I was grabbed in broad
daylight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were two of them, one
guy just stood near me laughing as his friend grabbed me from behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pulled at my arm as his other hand was on
my waist, trying to drag me down another street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was two o’clock on a sunny afternoon and
there were many people walking past, but no one bat an eye lid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily I managed to get away from the two
men and ran a mere few metres to my work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was shaking and only just managed to tell
my boss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I rang the police and made a
statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They rang me a few days later
telling me they had seen the incident taking place on CCTV, but because I
wasn’t assaulted or sexually assaulted, they wouldn’t be taking the matter any
further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was angry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was angry at the fact these guys did this to me, I was angry because
no one who was walking past stopped to help or ask if I was ok, and I was angry
because the police did nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What if
they strike again, this time with a younger girl?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever since then I have avoided that
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time I pass a stranger in
the street I avoid all eye contact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I
hear someone walking behind me, I speed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That incident has made me paranoid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I read through the tweets submitted by
women to the #ShoutingBack hashtag, it made me angrier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one should have to go through anything
like that just when walking down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I promised myself then, I would no longer be frightened when walking
down the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a right to be
there, just like anyone else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Street harassment is not a compliment and is
in actual fact a human rights violation, gender violence and a crime which must
end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All our stories matter greatly,
let’s all do some #ShoutingBack at this violating crime, these are also our
streets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fight back has begun.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">If you
would like to read other shouting back stories, here is a link to the twitter
hashtag. </span><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23shoutingback&src=typd"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="color: blue;">https://twitter.com/search?q=%23shoutingback&src=typd</span></span></a>louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-7273908533222815922013-02-03T07:57:00.000-08:002013-02-03T07:57:02.288-08:00I am a FEMINIST!
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am a feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A loud and proud feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No I don’t grow my armpit and leg hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No I am not a lesbian.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No I don’t hate men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I wouldn’t say I fit into all the other stereotypes
you think of when someone says they are a feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m simply a feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know the precise moment I had this epiphany;
maybe it’s something that’s been with me all along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But at nineteen I can safely say I am
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I tell people I’m a feminist, I usually
just get a nod and an uncomfortable smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Other times people wonder if I’m a lesbian, hate men and sometimes I get
asked if I grow my armpit hair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I answer
no to all the above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(Though occasionally I leave my armpit hair
when I just can’t be bothered to shave and find something much more interesting
to do instead).</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the truth is anyone can be a
feminist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Young or old, woman or man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Feminism
is for everybody that believes in and desires equality for all human beings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feminism is about fighting for what you
believe in and fighting for what is right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To me feminism is fighting for equality, for everyone, and having fun
whilst doing so!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feminism is fighting to
end oppression in society.</span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It
is about choice, respect, autonomy, peace and about being heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harriet Woods, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">who was an American politician and activist,
and was Missouri’s first and so far only female Lieutenant Governor</i>, once
said; “you can stand tall without standing on someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can be a victor without having victims.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is what I want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want people to stand tall and confident
with what they believe in and who they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We will be victorious and someday we will have equality for all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Germaine Greer
once wrote a book titled <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Female Eunuch</i>
and in it she suggests that the reader take a moment to taste their own menstrual
blood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a feminist I don’t feel like I
need to do this and I won’t be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all,
I have a choice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that is what I will
keep fighting for. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-66678531256476190102012-11-20T04:47:00.000-08:002012-11-20T04:47:05.094-08:00Street and sexual harassment <br />
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Street harassment and Sexual harassment </div>
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Lately I have been reading a lot of women's experiences on street and sexual harassment. It amazes me what I have read, some of the things women have had to put up with is just not on. It then lead me to think of my experiences. Before reading other women's experiences with street and sexual harassment, I myself never thought I had gone through it. But then I realised I had. The first time was when I was about twelve years old. I was with two friends and we were walking along the street. As we got ready to cross the road, a car pulled up very slowly beside us. There were two very big looking men sat in the front. Both of them leered at us, before the driver stuck his hand out of the window and proceeded to say, "shake my hand, be my friend." I don't like to think what would have happened if we had. Instead me and my friends just ran. At the time me and my friends didn't think much of it, as we were only young we didn't really know what to make of it. </div>
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The second time I have been harassed on the street, is a culmination of four times by one man. The first time I was walking home from college and he crossed the road to get to me. He then asked me my advice on how to get back with his girlfriend and continued to follow me down the street. The second time he and another guy asked me for some money, and again followed me. The third time I was on my way to college and he was waiting at the end of the street, I could see him watching me but there was nothing I could do as I HAD to walk past him. As I got to him, he stopped me asking if I'd received any post that morning. The fourth time I had an encounter with him was probably the scariest. I was again walking to college and he followed me, purposefully crossing roads when I did. He followed me for twenty minutes, all the way to my local town. Each time I have come across him in the street I have always felt nervous and intimidated, always wondering if he'll ever go that one step further.</div>
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There was another time after that, that I was again harassed on the street, this time by someone else. I was walking to work one day and as I was walking off a bridge, there were two guys on the other side. One proceeded to walk behind me, saying something that I couldn't hear, but made his friend laugh as he looked at me. The guy behind me then grabbed one of my arms as his other hand held onto my waist. The second guy stood near, but didnt do anything as his friend tried pulling me down another street away from anyone. Luckily I was quite strong and was literally metres from my work, I managed to get away from him and run to the office where I worked. This time was most frightening for me, I had no idea what this guy was trying to do or hoping to do. But I'm thankful I managed to get away. That afternoon I reported it to the police and made a statement to them. A few days later I got a call back, saying they had looked at CCTV and could see the incident happening. But as I wasn't hurt or sexually assaulted, there was nothing they could do. Or rather, they wouldn't do anything. At this I felt failed. What if I hadn't got away? What would have happened then? I can only imagine. </div>
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Each of these times I have been harassed in the street I have felt nervous, intimidated and even scared. I shouldn't have to feel like that when I walk down the street, no one should have to feel like that. After the last incident, where I was grabbed in the street, I was told I should carry an alarm. But why should I? I wasn't doing anything, I wasn't wearing anything that could be described as provocative, and even if I was, that doesn't give guys the right to touch me, or grab me, or pull me. When I was grabbed, there were people around. I even saw another guy looking over, throwing me a questioning glance. But he didn't do anything. Neither did all the other people walking around that busy, sunny afternoon. I didn't have other members of the public on my side or the police. So I guess I do need to protect myself. Because no one else will. </div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-76527155506319224792012-10-19T15:22:00.002-07:002012-10-19T15:22:34.300-07:00Cancer - The Effects
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The big C.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you hear the word
you immediately think of the worst.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You break
down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your whole world is completely destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You think of what’s going to happen, you
think of the future and the worst of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You immediately think of death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
can’t help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have my own experience with
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost my Granddad to it when I was
seven and I lost my great Nan when I was eight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I was most affected by the disease when I was told in October 2010
that my Grandma had throat cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything
from then on was just a blur.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She went
through chemotherapy but it had already started to spread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My auntie had to move her wedding forward by
four months to make sure my Grandma was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my Granddad and great Nan died, I was
so young I only have a few memories of them and I’m lucky enough not to
remember them being ill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I will remember
my Grandma suffering from this disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
was given three to five months to live; she fought that and lived for a whole
year after she was diagnosed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all
knew she wouldn’t beat the cancer, it wasn’t going anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tumour in her throat had been reduced by
the chemo, but as soon as the therapy had stopped it got bigger again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Meaning she could no longer eat solid food
and everything had to be blended, which wasn’t pleasant at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In October 2011 her legs had swelled up
making her uncomfortable and often causing her pain, this also meant she could
no longer get upstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because of this
our local hospital gave her one of their beds to put in her living room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first night she went to use it, her hip
broke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily her sister was staying
with her at the time and got her to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From then on she spent just over a month in
hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had one wish though and
that was to not die in hospital or a hospice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I prayed that we could uphold that wish, but I was slowly losing
hope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She spent two weeks in hospital
and a further three weeks in a recovering unit next to the hospital.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily she was able to come out, she
spent the next week at home constantly with someone, either one of her sisters
or one of her children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was at home
for a week before she died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She died at
home, exactly where she wanted to be and for that I am so grateful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing her so ill and then seeing her slip
away, it changed me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing death
changes you as a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something inside
of you changes and you’re never the same again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t really know how to explain what death feels like, what it feels
like seeing someone dying or what it feels like to lose someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I can say is, it feels like your heart
is literally breaking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like something is
being ripped out from inside you and you’re not the same person again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even now, almost a year on, I miss her
terribly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is not a day that goes
by when I don’t think about her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever
since my Grandma has died, I have done all I can to raise money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran the Race For Life, raising just over
£200 for the charity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also donate to
Macmillan as they are an amazing group who do brilliant things for people with
cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cancer affects one in three people,
meaning almost everyone will come across this awful disease in their life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Death is a definite thing, no one escapes
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But cancer is not the way to
go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have seen how it can change
someone, it takes away the person you used to know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They become so different and their body is
just a shell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But with everyone’s help
we can work towards finding a cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
donate whatever you can to Stand Up 2 Cancer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Thank you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-54658977221715951382012-10-18T12:33:00.002-07:002012-10-18T12:34:37.908-07:00River Seine - Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAjdhJg7v9CQAOvYDv_P0jVT5HuN3JUvZp-MrvUUzeXQ2SYR2rmf2RBRPKJ2F5VKneCiXyiQO7ZzE5Lg6iKi2RtFwbUUkpK58k4iKDUNjBJOXHnSWfdip5EitoN9Np4zQv9EldupMpdU7/s1600/IMG_0444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAjdhJg7v9CQAOvYDv_P0jVT5HuN3JUvZp-MrvUUzeXQ2SYR2rmf2RBRPKJ2F5VKneCiXyiQO7ZzE5Lg6iKi2RtFwbUUkpK58k4iKDUNjBJOXHnSWfdip5EitoN9Np4zQv9EldupMpdU7/s400/IMG_0444.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I took this picture whilst I was in Paris in 2008. This photo was taken at the top of the Eiffel Tower.louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-21976386068254026892012-10-16T09:26:00.000-07:002012-10-16T09:26:04.060-07:00Loss
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Have you ever had
someone in your life that you used to know, but you lost them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so many years have passed that you start
to forget about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You try so hard to
remember them, you try desperately to grab hold of a memory, any memory of
them, but you can’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the memories
you had of them, what they looked like, what their voice sounded like, they all
slowly slip away, until you’ve forgotten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You know they were there, you know they existed, but you don’t know
anything about them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">There used to be a time
when you’d talk to them, listen to them, see them smile and hear their laugh,
but now you don’t and you can’t remember what it used to be like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You get to a point where everyone around you
knows them, remembers what they did and what they sounded like, and it’s like
you’re the only one who doesn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though you knew them, you met them; you don’t really know them, not like
everyone else does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You start to make up
things in your mind, you start to make up little memories, and you think about
them and think about them, until you truly believed they happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">That what you made up
in your mind actually happened and is real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You look at pictures and blurry images of the past come back, but it’s
not real and they’re not there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years will
pass and eventually most of the people who you lose in your life one way or
another, you will forget about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll
look at pictures and you’ll think about them, but you won’t remember what they
sounded like, what you did together, and you won’t discover your memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But that’s what happens
when you lose someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll have the
pictures and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to keep a few memories, but you won’t
remember everything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But then you meet
someone new, or someone different will come into your life and you just have to
make some new memories. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-55271485788933145652012-10-13T06:21:00.003-07:002012-10-13T06:21:40.618-07:00Abortion - The Time Limit DebateIn the space of one week the Minister for Women, Marie Miller and the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, have both announced they back the reduction of the abortion limit. Maria Miller has said she wished the limit to be reduced from 24 weeks to 20 weeks, whereas Jeremy Hunt has said he wishes for a further reduction, all the way to 12 weeks. Jeremy Hunt has said he supports a 12 week limit as a result of “studying the evidence”, however he hasn’t cited any evidence for his decision. <br /><br />Experts have even disparaged Maria Miller’s decision to lower the time limit, with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) announcing that there is in fact no medical evidence to suggest such a cut would be a good idea. They have also criticised Jeremy Hunt’s suggestion of 12 weeks. Their spokesperson Kate Guthrie spoke to The Times and has said: <br /><br />“The politicisation of women’s health is absolutely shocking. Politicians talk about putting patients at the centre, which is quite right.<br />How is the woman at the centre of her healthcare with something like this?<br />If everybody had to have abortions by 12 weeks, my worry would be that women would be rushed into making decisions: ‘I have to have an abortion now or I can’t have one.’<br />That’s an absolute shocker. You will absolutely create mental health problems if you start dragooning women into making decisions before they have to.”<br /><br />Of course abortion is a sensitive issue for most people, but importantly it is an issue which should concern the women who are experiencing an unintended pregnancy. We women deserve the right to have autonomy over our own bodies, and we are entitled to make the decision to end or continue a pregnancy if that is what we want; it should not concern anyone else.<br /><br />Abortions happen for many different reasons. A teenager, who is naïve and knows nothing about contraception, ends up getting herself into an awful situation. A woman who is raped and is left behind with a daily reminder. A woman who is in an abusive relationship and gets pregnant by her boyfriend/husband. Should these women be made to carry on with this unwanted pregnancy? <br /> <br />If the abortion time limit is reduced, this does not mean fewer abortions will be carried out. It will only mean that women who rely on the NHS will be forced to make a difficult decision with very little time to make it. It is estimated that 47,000 women around the world die each year from illegal, unsafe abortions. Is this that we want for women in the UK? <br /><br />These unwanted pregnancy rates need to be targeted by the government, but not by reducing the time limit. People need better access to contraception, even if teachers have to hand it out at schools. I have four nieces and a nephew; I would prefer them to be given contraception at school than for them to end up being a parent. Also improving pre-natal testing for genetic abnormalities would highlight any issues with a pregnancy well before the 24 week mark.<br /><br />If these two ministers were interested in reducing unwanted pregnancies, they would begin by looking at access to contraceptives and drastically improving sex education. And I don’t mean explaining the facts of life, but actually talking to teenagers about relationships, contraception and how bloody hard it is to take care of a child. Teenagers are going to have sex, giving them contraception won’t encourage them, they’re going to do it anyway, but it will keep them safe. <br /> <br />Maria Miller is Minister for Women and describes herself as “a very modern feminist” it would be great if she was on our side and actually trusted women to make the right decisions about our own bodies and futures. Jeremy Hunt also needs to understand that by lowering the abortion limit will not mean fewer abortions, it just means fewer documented abortions will be taking place and more women will be putting their lives at risk in order to end a pregnancy that they either cannot or will not continue with for all kinds of reasons. Abortions that take place after the 20 week mark are very rare and only account for less than 2% of the 200,000 abortions carried out in England and Wales in 2011. <br /> <br />The tory government has made many cuts to the NHS since being in power. By reducing the limit they ultimately want to protect these babies lives, but they’re cutting the funds that the NHS is being given and they’re getting rid of more and more midwives. If they want to save babies lives, where are they going to be born and who is going to deliver them? <br /> <br />The government needs to tackle this sensitive issue, but not by punishing women who have an unexpected or non-viable pregnancy.louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-75520772522215550462012-10-06T13:36:00.000-07:002012-10-06T13:52:03.281-07:00Email to my local MP on the abortion limit.My local MP has recently been made Women's Equality minister, she has also recently expressed her views on wanting to lower the abortion limit from 24 weeks to 20 weeks, so I wrote her an email expressing my views on the subject.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Dear Maria Miller,<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
I have recently read in the news that you believe the abortion limit<br />
should be lowered from 24 weeks to 20 weeks. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
First of all I cannot believe you think this is the right thing to do. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
For one the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG)<br />
have said there is no medical evidence to justify such a cut. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Women deserve the right to have autonomy over their own bodies, we are<br />
entitled to make the decision to end or continue a pregnancy if that is<br />
what we want to do. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The decision to have an abortion is a difficult one, and is influenced<br />
by many factors, not least by the existing time limits.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
If you have your way, women will be rushed into making decisions on<br />
whether to have an abortion. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
It is estimated that 47,000 women around the world die each year from<br />
illegal, unsafe abortion. Is this what we want for women in the UK?<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Unwanted pregnancy rates need to be targeted by the government, but not<br />
by reducing the abortion time limit. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Improving access to contraception would help deal with the issue.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
The Tory government has made many cuts to the NHS since being in<br />
government. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
You want to protect the life of an unborn child, but you're getting rid<br />
of the wards for it to be born in and you're laying off the midwives<br />
that will deliver that child. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
Where is the sense in that.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
So you’re Minister for Women, please be on our side; you describe<br />
yourself as “a very modern feminist” so trust women to make the right<br />
decisions about our own bodies and futures.</span><br />
<span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
If anyone has any views or opinions on the matter and would like to add them, please feel free to leave a comment here or on my twitter. Thanks for reading.louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-26036418220136093952012-09-03T09:08:00.002-07:002012-09-03T09:08:48.985-07:00Thank You and Goodbye<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><u><strong>Author's note:</strong> </u>This is an article I wrote on the News of the World phone hacking scandal, which I had to do in a creative writing course I took in college. This was finished in February earlier this year. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></u></i> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">There were many people whose phones were
hacked by News of the World, celebrities and politicians, but the most shocking
was the allegation that the newspaper had hacked into murdered schoolgirl Milly
Dowler’s phone. The News of the World has given compensation and have
apologised profusely to the general public for what they did, but the demise of
the newspaper still came.<o:p></o:p></span></u></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Two editors of the newspaper at the time of
the hacking, along with the Murdochs, have all said they knew nothing about it,
which makes us wonder what really happens behind closed doors at their offices.
Do all journalists acquire their stories without telling their editors what
they’re doing, and when they put these articles into the paper, doesn’t their
editor proof read their articles and question how they obtained their
information? Then again maybe it’s just about selling newspapers and making
money.</span></u></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sunday 10<sup>th</sup> July 2011, the last day News of the World
provided what they thought was in the public interest. When the newspaper came
to a halt, many things came to light, most of which no boss should be proud of.
As everything about this particular newspaper came to light, it made the public
sit back and think about what they had been reading, or rather what the News of
the World, and in turn News International, had been drip feeding them. When
Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson said they knew nothing about what was going on,
the public turned to each other and scoffed. Of course the editors knew, but of
course they were all passing the buck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What’s most astonishing about the newspaper Rupert Murdoch owned was how
much he was able to influence the public. In December 2010, Vince Cable, the
Business Secretary, had the responsibility of deciding whether News Corporation
could take over BskyB. However, he was stripped of his role on Tuesday 21<sup>st</sup>
of December, after telling undercover reporters at The Daily Telegraph that he
was “declaring war” on Rupert Murdoch. Less than 48 hours later there was a
meal at the home of Rebekah Brooks, the then chief executive of News
International. The event was attended by James Murdoch, his wife, the Prime
Minister David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson amongst others. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone now wonders what will happen next. Will it come out that other
newspapers have also hacked into people’s phones? And what are the government
and the Press Complaints Commission going to do to prevent something like this
happening again? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It became clear that something needed to be done. The government and the
public had to find out how a newspaper could get away with something like this
for so long, and the government had to find out what they could do to prevent
something like this happening again. On the 13<sup>th</sup> July 2011, after
being pressurised into questioning the journalists and editors of News of the
World, Prime Minister David Cameron announced a two-part inquiry, named the
Leveson Inquiry. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The actress Sienna Miller was one of the people to be questioned at the
inquiry: “</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I felt like I was living in some sort
of video game with people kind of pre-empting every move I made as a result of
accessing my private information.” She went on to say: ‘‘I would often find
myself, at the age of 21, at midnight, running down a dark street on my own
with 10 men chasing me. And the fact they had cameras in their hands made that
legal.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JK Rowling was another
celebrity who had her phone hacked by News of the World and has been questioned
at the </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Leveson Inquiry. She told how her daughter once
came home from school with a letter from a journalist found in her backpack:<span style="color: black;"> “I felt such a sense of invasion,’’ Rowling said: ‘‘It’s
very difficult to say how angry I felt that my five-year-old daughter’s school
was no longer a place of complete security from journalists.’’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One question on the country’s lips, will be what will happen now. At the
moment newspapers and magazines are overseen by the PCC; however, the PCC has
no legal powers and all newspapers and magazines voluntarily adhere to the
rulings of the commission, making the industry self-regulating. The PCC has received
criticism for its lack of action in the News of the World hacking scandal and many
people including MPs and the Prime Minister David Cameron, have called for it
to be replaced with a new system. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On Tuesday 29<sup>th</sup> November 2011, Paul McMullen, a former News
of the World Features Editor, hit out at his former employer, accusing Andy Coulson
of introducing phone hacking at the paper. Paul McMullan was questioned at the
Leveson inquiry, Lord Justice Leveson had to warn him several times, as he
risked incriminating himself as he spoke about alleged criminal wrongdoing
during his time at the paper. When asked whether his News of the World Editors,
Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson, knew voicemail messages were being
intercepted, McMullan said: “Yes... I could go a bit further than that.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He added: “Andy Coulson brought that practice [phone hacking] wholesale
with him when he was made Deputy Editor. They should have had the strength of
conviction to say, ‘Yes, sometimes you have to stray into black or grey illegal
areas’... instead they said ‘we didn’t know they were doing it’. They’re the scum
of journalism for trying to drop me and my colleagues in it.” He then added:
“For 21 years you have a culture of illegality of phone hacking. What you have
is a future prime minister cosying up and being moulded by the arch-criminal,
Rebekah Brooks, the criminal-in-chief.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He later said that hacking into murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler’s phone
was “not a bad thing for a well-meaning journalist to do”, claiming that they
were trying to find the schoolgirl while she was still missing because they had
such little faith in the police to do the job. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Hugh Grant was questioned at the inquiry in November, there was one
thing he said which could determine whether something like this could happen
again. “What is in the public interest, and what is of the interest to the
public?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">As they are still currently in the midst of the
inquiry, one question sticks in everyone’s minds, who will now make sure
something like this doesn’t happen again. When the Leveson inquiry opened on
Monday 14<sup>th</sup> November 2011, Lord Justice Leveson said: “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The press provides an essential check on all aspects
of public life. That is why any failure within the media affects all of us. At
the heart of this Inquiry, therefore, may be one simple question: who guards
the guardians?”</span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-37893344715887761982012-08-23T12:03:00.003-07:002012-08-23T12:03:47.056-07:00Cornwall<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuS1lzYLyYZrl-_7RWkeS7xwMXDlKyxWIzhBejwl7uWjsD7xc3hyvb7nXvX7hHjKuxVWaJFHV7ZERYddpczNYD7Rf02CFKYS4866OybyMBkum6Y8K4od2j4rghK79qFV4oj6NA8_Qrs-V/s1600/hgyuhgv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuS1lzYLyYZrl-_7RWkeS7xwMXDlKyxWIzhBejwl7uWjsD7xc3hyvb7nXvX7hHjKuxVWaJFHV7ZERYddpczNYD7Rf02CFKYS4866OybyMBkum6Y8K4od2j4rghK79qFV4oj6NA8_Qrs-V/s320/hgyuhgv.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is a photo I took of a beach in Cornwall, called Harlyn Bay. I changed it on Photoshop. This is one of my favourite places in the world! louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-56185841680039951172012-08-22T07:16:00.002-07:002012-08-22T07:16:53.055-07:00New Job!
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I got a job! Finally I have a new job! I haven’t had
a job for about two months now and I have hated it. Not that I haven’t been
doing anything, I’ve been doing my diploma in journalism and I’ve been writing.
But I’ve hated not having a job. I’ve hated not being able to earn money. But now
I can. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My last job I quit because it did my head in. I worked
for a debt management company. It was there that I worked on phones calling
people up during the day. It was pretty much cold calling and people hated me,
but I didn’t exactly like it either. My job was to help people with their debt,
so if people had credit cards and loans they were struggling with, I put them
through to other companies who would help them pay them off. It was quite
intense, having to talk to people about their debt everyday was a bit heavy. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But then we moved onto payment protection insurance.
I called people up who were eligible to claim back money from their banks, and
then again put them through to companies who were able to do that for them. I worked
there for a year and a half until I eventually had enough. All day every day I got
people swearing at me, some even telling me to get cancer and die. I completely
understand that me calling them was annoying, but it was my job and I didn’t
really appreciate being called a c**t and told to die. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I also stopped getting on with the people I worked
with. My boss began to get on my nerves, he would pull me into the office by
myself, pressuring me to work extra hours. I always felt intimidated so felt like
I had to. I also worked with two boys around my age, and with them I felt like I
was back at school, they annoyed the hell out of me. I hardly ever got any pay
slips either and in the end I’d just had enough. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I just quit. I finished work one Thursday and the
following Monday I told my boss I wasn’t going back. It felt good and I’m glad I
did it. Though I have missed having a job. But now finally I have one. I can
finally learn to drive, buy clothes again and I might even get a tattoo. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-20715426385170708302012-08-20T03:13:00.000-07:002012-08-20T03:13:02.595-07:00My Email To Star Magazine
Three days ago I emailed Star
magazine as I wasn't happy with them putting Gary Barlow on their front cover
and talking about his loss. As a fan of his, I don't want the press putting him
and his family all over their cover pages. He and his family have asked for
privacy right now and that should be respected. I have yet to receive a
response from Star; this was my email to them.<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Dear Mr/Mrs
or whoever it may concern. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I am
writing to inform you I have a complaint about ISSUE 445, dated 20th August 2012,
over your cover content. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">On this
cover there is a picture of Gary Barlow titled, "Devastated. Grieving
Gary. He'll Never Get Over Losing Baby Poppy." <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I am very
annoyed and upset at the fact that you have put a picture of a heartbroken man
on the cover of your magazine, after he has asked for privacy for him and his
family. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">He, his
wife and their family have just gone through a devastating loss, yet you have
put him on your front cover. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">They asked
for privacy and you have disrespected that. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">They also
have children, children who can read what you have written, which could upset
them further, which would also upset Gary further. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I also
question whether this is of the public interest, as we fans don't wish to read
this, as we wish to respect his privacy. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">I look
forward to hearing your response. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-19427983213908645572012-08-18T08:24:00.001-07:002012-08-18T08:24:52.174-07:00My Favourite Band - My Idols - Take That<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57J2bgiNKa2K6zppxA9PGxxkD9m_jgld4ogfrizEaxCFKEn_bHVENpiO8EJU5FfSxjPI6zyv2zF1Y-Zu-bRlY_rinfCJdTUTYaBCJWWU508hQQ0IYzhn-Plx_cFChZysR2UbGmm_jxF7F/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57J2bgiNKa2K6zppxA9PGxxkD9m_jgld4ogfrizEaxCFKEn_bHVENpiO8EJU5FfSxjPI6zyv2zF1Y-Zu-bRlY_rinfCJdTUTYaBCJWWU508hQQ0IYzhn-Plx_cFChZysR2UbGmm_jxF7F/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-29282049777384570402012-08-17T08:04:00.002-07:002012-08-17T08:04:55.342-07:00Star Mag - Insensitive
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I seriously cannot believe Star magazine. They’ve
only gone and put Gary Barlow on their front cover, with the headline, “Devastated,
Grieving Gary. He’ll never get over losing Baby Poppy.” No, of course he won’t.
Say the obvious why don’t you. On the front page also, is a picture of Imogen
Thomas holding her baby bump. Of course she’s very happy at the moment as she’s
doing well in her pregnancy. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But for Star magazine to put a picture of Gary on
the same page as a happy pregnant woman is, in my eyes, very insensitive. I don’t
know why the press won’t just leave him alone, stop writing articles on him. Right
now he and his family are going through a very tough time, the last thing they
need is that tough time splashed all over the papers and mags. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The press don’t seem to understand the fact that
Gary has children, children who can go on the internet or read the newspapers,
and see what is being written about all of them. They don’t need that right
now. Fans have respected the Barlow’s privacy, we don’t want to read it. It would
be nice if the press could understand that too. Rant over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-34709107181838076282012-08-17T03:45:00.004-07:002012-08-17T03:45:59.691-07:00Trolls
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I was on twitter a few days ago, and everyone was
talking about some horrible tweets they’d seen about Gary. I myself didn’t look
at them, I couldn’t. I had read some tweets about him from two other vile
people, and I couldn’t understand what would make them say it. Literally within
hours of him announcing he’d lost his child, there were nasty tweets all over
twitter. Particularly from one evil person, who I will not mention the name of.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I have no idea what possessed him to say it, Gary
and his family was going through a terrible loss, a loss which no one should
have to go through and people were making jokes about it. Maybe it was to get
lots of attention or maybe he just wanted to be hated, whatever the reason, the
things he said were disgusting. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t understand these “trolls.” I don’t know what
satisfies them about having a go at celebrities or people like themselves. Where
do they get off on it? They’re hated for what they’re doing. Their days are
literally filled with making people feel like crap. And I don’t know why. Yeah I
find a lot of people on twitter who annoy me, but I don’t start an argument
with them and I don’t send horrible tweets to them. I let them get on with it, I
have much more important things in my own life to worry about, than what they
are tweeting about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">However, there are people in all walks of life,
whether it is at school, college, work, or just the people around you, that do
your head in or do things you don’t like. But to have a go at them about it, or
to say horrible things to them, is just not on. You wouldn’t go up to a
stranger on the street and say something horrific to them, so why do people do
it on the internet. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It seems that they think they can hide away behind
their computer and say what they want, that’s not the case anymore. Like
technology allows them to say what they want, it has also allowed the police
and internet providers to find these people, and persecute them. There’s
freedom of speech and then there’s just plain going too far. Whatever you do,
don’t confuse the two. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-80936357116468442982012-08-16T13:53:00.001-07:002012-08-16T13:53:32.076-07:00Paris - Eiffel Tower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EZD29yBPzgmmmsshhWd-zoPKRoA6I1HZNeXwuFRigkuXGYT-RKgTgXTGr2q_vrBzxZf5QEBPppEwz4XEb6ODUC81dserlOnSNgSXjC2loGrpVNNYRmFeGtDuOKi_XOVMHUNkw45Ynmvv/s1600/IMG_0392+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EZD29yBPzgmmmsshhWd-zoPKRoA6I1HZNeXwuFRigkuXGYT-RKgTgXTGr2q_vrBzxZf5QEBPppEwz4XEb6ODUC81dserlOnSNgSXjC2loGrpVNNYRmFeGtDuOKi_XOVMHUNkw45Ynmvv/s320/IMG_0392+copy.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
This is a photo I took of the Eiffel Tower when I was in Paris in 2008, I edited it on Photoshop. Please no stealing.louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-14233177234540806502012-08-16T11:14:00.000-07:002012-08-16T11:14:29.709-07:00My Life - A-levels<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So today
was A-level results day and I was one of those who got my results. I got C’s in
Creative Writing and Media, and D’s in English language and Photography. I was
pleased with the C’s, but very disappointed with the D’s. For the last two
years I have worked extremely hard at my A-levels, and today it kind of all
felt like a waste of time. I know I still have A-levels and like everyone else
says, it’s not the end of the world. But when you don’t get the results you
wanted or hoped for, it does feel like the end of the world, and right now I
feel extremely disappointed. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The past
two years at college have been pretty hard for me. During the summer between
leaving school and starting college, I began to drift away from my friends and
within the first month of starting college, we had drifted apart. The month
after my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer. Throughout the first year of
college, my Grandma underwent chemotherapy and I didn’t really have any friends
to share it with. To go with that, I pretty much hated college and I skipped a
lot of my classes, so much so, I was almost kicked out. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When I started
my second year I turned things around, I went to every class and I worked SO
hard. I worked really hard on my coursework and I revised loads for my exams. However
a few months into my second year at college, my Grandma died. That made things
harder. I got quite depressed and I didn’t want to do anything, let alone go to
college and work. But I persisted for her. So now, after having worked REALLY
hard for my A-levels and not getting what I’d hoped for, it makes it all that
more harder. However I am still going to persist and work hard.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A little
while after I started college I decided not to go to university. All through
school I did want to go, but I really didn’t like college, and I couldn’t see
myself being in education for another three to four years, or being in
thousands of pounds of debt. I decided it just wasn’t for me. So instead I
decided to either get an apprenticeship or go straight into a job. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">At the
start of my second year I started contacting places and companies to try and
make this happen, but they each said one thing. If I wanted a job in journalism
I would have to have an NCTJ Diploma in journalism. So I searched everywhere to
find out how to get this. I applied at a few places and got in, but I then
found a place where I could do this diploma online so it was cheaper, I worked
independently and could do it in my own time. So that’s what I’m doing now. I
didn’t need certain results to be able to do the course and I can earn money whilst
I’m doing it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So even
though right now I feel disappointed and a bit down about my results, I’m not
giving up. I will get my dream job of being a journalist and writer. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ll
keep you updated on how I get on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-19480230577244195882012-08-16T10:15:00.000-07:002012-08-16T10:15:23.639-07:00My Blog - My Life
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My name
is Louise and this is my blog. I am eighteen years old and I live in a town an
hour away from London. For the past fourteen years I have been in school and
college. I have now left college and have started a journalism diploma, this is
my story. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8567899624273085974.post-472775038818525522012-08-14T03:53:00.004-07:002012-08-14T03:53:42.289-07:00Take That At The Olympics
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On Sunday morning I was still not so sure whether
Take That would actually perform at the Olympics or not. And I wasn’t so sure that
they should. It’s not that I didn’t want to see them, I had been looking
forward to seeing them perform for AGES and I got butterflies just thinking
about it. But that was before Gary’s sad loss. I know from sad personal
experience that it takes a long time to get over something like that, in fact
you never actually do. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The Olympics closing ceremony was only a week after
Gary’s loss, and I wasn’t sure whether he was ready or not. Despite that fact, I
was really looking forward to seeing them, even if I was apprehensive. That
night I sat through the whole ceremony, not getting my hopes up on whether they
would perform. I know there were pictures circulating on twitter from their
rehearsals, but they could still pull out at any time, and they’d have every
right too. I waited for what felt like forever, until finally they came on
stage. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The first few opening lines Gary’s voice wavered,
you could hear the emotion and pain in his voice throughout the whole song. I’m
not ashamed to admit I cried, I felt the pain with him, like every other fan. I
am extremely proud of Gary for getting up onto that stage and singing his heart
out; we all know he sung it for his wife, his children and his Poppy. He didn’t
have to do that, he had every right to turn around and not to do it. But he
did. Apparently he said he didn’t want to let Britain or his fans down, but
there was no way he would have down that. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">He stood on that stage with his head held high,
singing his heart out. The whole world saw how amazing he was and how brave he
was. One thing I am most proud of is the fact that the boys weren’t just a band
that night. They were a unit, a band of brothers. They supported Gary and helped
him through it all the way. Mark with his caring and comforting looks. Jason
was his wacky, individual dancing. And Howard helping him through the vocals. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Sunday I was proud to say I was a fan; I was proud
to say I have supported them and followed them for years, through everything. They
are my band, and many other people’s band. Now when I talk about my favourite
band, people won’t be asking who they are, because of that night, they will
know. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
louTThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11318361492575392770noreply@blogger.com0