Democracy & Civics

Abortion Stirs Passions in Jamaica

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A committee of Jamaica’s Parliament is hearing both protest and advocacy around abortion. Although an advisory panel convened by former Health Minister John Junor called for legalization to lower the rate of maternal deaths, one doctor denounced the move as creating a “license to kill.” Currently, Jamaicans who aid or abet an abortion can receive a life sentence in prison; a reformist measure would provide medical training and facilities, as well as abortion counseling and education. The World Health Organization estimates that non-professionals perform 35 illegal abortions per 1,000 Jamaican women annually. In May, The Ministry of Health and Environment launched a campaign to reduce the maternal mortality rate by 75 percent births by 2015 — however, critics said there was no such data to warrant the group’s suggestions.

Democracy & Civics

Spain's Mass Graves Closed for Now

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A Spanish judge who pledged to investigate the deaths of thousands during the Spain Civil War and the Franco regime conceded mass grave exhumation to regional courts after pressure from Spanish conservatives. The Times of London reports that Judge Baltasar Garzon ordered the exhumation of 25 mass graves across Spain thought to hold over 114,000 people who disappeared throughout General Franco’s 36-year dictatorship. In addition to the remains of Spain’s most famous poet, Garzon hoped to identify the bodies of union members and Franco’s left-leaning opponents at the behest of family members. Garzon alleged that tens of thousands of people were killed on orders from 44 high-ranking regime leaders and Franco himself, accusing them of crimes against humanity
Opposition to Garzon’s move came from members of the conservative Popular Party, the Catholic Church, and the public prosecutor’s office, which said a federal investigation would violate a 1977 national amnesty agreement. Other objectors stated the prosecution of 70-year-old crimes was a needless reopening of past scars.

Democracy & Civics

Lip-Syncing the Cultural Revolution

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China’s Ministry of Culture announced it may punish individuals, groups and organizers who lip-sync or pretend to play an instrument in live commercial performances. The ministry’s website noted that those who attempt to “cheat the public” would be punished, though specific penalties were not listed. According to Agence France-Presse, the “semi-official” China News Service suggested that first-time offenders would be publicly exposed. The Guardian reports that professional performers could have their business licenses revoked for multiple offenses in a two-year period. A ministry representative said officials plan to consult the public before settling on final details.

Public Health

Australia to Dry up?

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An anti-binge-drinking ad campaign directed toward Australian youth begins this month, part of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s national strategy to reduce reckless inebriation. The Sydney Morning Herald reports the multi-million-dollar campaign will utilize scare tactics to show excessive drinking can lead to “pub brawls, brain damage, mental illness, serious injuries in car accidents and even death.” Media experts say the timing of the ads will be crucial; evening or late morning ads could catch the demographic before going out, or after waking up with hangovers. The campaign will focus on underage drinkers and 18 to 25-year-olds. One content advisor for the campaign said scare tactics are not enough, recommending additional alcohol-advertising restrictions, the promotion of less potent drinks, and a new taxation system.

Democracy & Civics

The Czech Republic's Meth Crackdown

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Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, is cracking down on the sale of medicines made with ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in order to control production of homemade methamphetamine, one of the country’s most common drugs. The Prague Post said the two chemicals are key ingredients of pervitine — “a more refined form” of crystal methamphetamine, or speed — and are commonly found in cold medicines. The National Drug Squad will restrict sales to one package per week and will coordinate pharmacy databases to monitor purchases. Most of the European Union’s methamphetamines originate in the Czech Republic, where it is made in homemade laboratories and smuggled across borders. The use of speed, which was given to Nazi soldiers during World War II to stimulate alertness and fight fatigue, became widespread during the former Czechoslovakia’s communist era.

Democracy & Civics

Violence Claims Mexican Journalist

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Armando Rodriguez, a veteran Mexican crime reporter, was recently shot to death outside his home in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, according to news site Frontera NorteSur. Rodriguez, a reporter for the newspaper El Diario, covered crime for more than a decade in Juarez, and was one of the first to report on the infamous rapes and murders of scores of women in Juarez. Police say they have no motive or suspects yet, but Rodriguez had received at least one threat and, according to the article, “his killing occurred exactly one week after a severed human head was discovered at a monument to journalists in Ciudad Juarez.” Mexico has become increasingly dangerous for journalists, who are being targeted by drug gangs to reveal sources and as revenge for incriminating stories. Rodriguez is the sixth journalist to be murdered in Mexico this year.

Democracy & Civics

Prison in Greenland? It's Casual.

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The small island of Greenland is home to one of the most lax prison systems in the world, where most convicts are free to leave during the day and are only locked up overnight. Radio Netherlands said Greenland’s convicts spend the first tenth of their sentence in lock-down, but if their conduct is good enough, they can progress to the open prison system, in which prison doors are locked only from 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
Peter Kristensen, director of Greenland’s prison system, told RN the open-prison system emphasizes prisoner rehabilitation rather than punishment, adding that “we only have 56,000 people in Greenland, and we can’t afford to lose any of them.” Prisoners are allowed to work regular jobs, study, visit family and friends, and enjoy amenities like movie and music facilities inside the detention centers. Prisoners are even allowed to carry guns on weekend hunting trips — the only time they are accompanied by armed prison guards. The more serious offenders do not qualify for this regime, and instead have been sent to a conventional prison in Denmark.

Public Health

Questions About HPV Vaccine Risks

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A new vaccine to eliminate the Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) — which is linked to some cervical cancers — will soon be on the market, but concerns over its side effects are emerging. An opinion piece on the Medical News Today Web site claims that many health professionals say the vaccine is being pushed too quickly onto teenage women without full understanding of its side effects. The U.S. government now mandates the vaccine for all female immigrants ages 11-16 that are applying for a green card. According to the Houston Chronicle, this will affect around 130,00 immigrants annually. The government has received more than 9,000 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccine, known as Gardasil or Cervarix, including spontaneous abortions and 20 deaths.

Nation

U.S.: New Push for Felon Voting Rights

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While Maine and Vermont are the only two American states that allow all prison inmates to vote, many other states are increasing voting rights for felons. The Los Angeles times reports that the drive to restore voting rights is backed strongly by justice-reform advocates, the African American community, and evangelical Christians. Because one out of eight black men cannot vote due to prior convictions, voting rights can turn into a civil rights issue. Pat Nolan, a leader of the Christian reform group Prison Fellowship, told the newspaper it was a matter of forgiveness: “Why, after someone has paid their debt, do we continue to punish them?” More than five million people in the U.S. cannot vote due to felony convictions.

Nation

Social Media Changes Elections

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While the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections saw the web emerge as a powerful force in political campaigns, the 2008 race harnessed the power of the Internet to an unprecedented degree for fundraising, volunteer coordination, voter recruitment and post-election communication. In the 2004 election, Newsdesk.org first reported on the emergence of social-networking services as campaign tools, with more tech-savvy candidates embracing the technology. Today, social media in elections and politics has reached a whole new level, with Change.gov, a website launched by President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team, at the forefront. The site is soliciting feedback and ideas from the American public and will document Obama’s transition to the Presidency, according to the BBC. The website also lists Obama’s policy priorities, job possibilities in the new administration, and information on the transition itself.