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Precious Life have responded to an open letter from “Supporting Women Newry” that Newry.ie published earlier this week. In their reply they say that "If one baby is killed by abortion in any health and social care setting, it is one baby too many."
Dear Members of ‘Supporting Women Newry’,
You claim your objection to Precious Life’s protests outside abortion centres is “not about abortion.” You state that “you do not and will not debate” with Precious Life the issue of so-called “termination of pregnancies.”
Therefore, we can only respond on the basis that you are accepting abortion kills babies and hurts women. You have no idea how abortion impacts the emotional and psychological well-being of women. We could arrange meetings for you with many women who are suffering after abortion, but as you “will not debate” we can only presume your refusal means you do not care about them enough to even listen to them.
Precious Life was formed to be a voice for the unborn child. We will always speak out where and whenever the life of a baby is in danger of abortion. We will always debate and highlight the issue, and not be side-lined by nonsensical, and indeed hypocritical arguments that basically say, “you have the right to protest - but stop protesting!”
It must first be stated that Precious Life have the right to protest without fear of intimidation and harassment from the “Supporting Women Newry" Group.
Our placards that state ‘Babies are killed in this building’ could only be ”grossly offensive” to those who don’t want people to know that fact, and would rather it was covered up and kept hidden.
If one baby is killed by abortion in any health and social care setting, it is one baby too many.
The fact that babies are being killed is grossly offensive to us, and to all right-thinking people of Newry. Babies do not deserve this. And what’s more they cannot change any policies or laws within the womb, so we must be their voice.
Also, the hundreds of thousands of people across Northern Ireland who pray regularly will be somewhat bemused (or even offended) by your assertion that praying is “highly objectionable and offensive behaviour.”
People in Northern Ireland are also well used to various protests of one kind or another.
You tell us to take our protest away and go to the places where the politicians gather. We already do hold many protests where politicians gather – especially the pro-abortion politicians from Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance.
But babies are not being killed where politicians gather. Therefore, first and foremost, we go to the places where the babies are killed.
Telling us to take our protests away is, at best contradictory, at worst, hypocritical. You object to Precious Life. You have the right to protest about it. And you show your objection by protesting on the road opposite us. You protest at the ‘place’ of your objection.
Likewise, we protest at the 'place' of our objection – the abortion centres where babies are killed.
In conclusion, we appeal to you to stop your weekly protests against Precious Life’s work to protect unborn babies. We appeal to you to help us support women in Newry who are struggling with an unexpected pregnancy. We appeal to you to please show compassion for those little human beings, those ‘little women’ living and growing in their mothers' wombs.
And please remember, every member of ‘Supporting Women Newry’ was also once an unborn baby in their mother’s womb. So please respect that the right to life needs to be unimpeded for all other unborn babies. Without the right to life, all other rights are meaningless!
If you are truly concerned about protecting the “most powerless” then please join our protests calling on the powerful in Government to leave alone the most powerless of all – a little baby in her mother's womb, a future citizen of Newry, maybe even a future staff member of Daisy Hill.
Precious Life
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Sir
Nobody has ever questioned the right and duty of the EU to protect the integrity of its Single Market from unacceptable goods being brought into the Irish Republic across the land border with Northern Ireland. But how much would it matter for that stated purpose whether an unacceptable item was intercepted at Belfast docks, or at the land border itself, or at any point in between?
In principle it matters not at all; in practice it is universally agreed that it would be prudent to keep all checks and controls away from the actual border, while the last option has the distinct advantage that it not only makes it possible to focus just on the imported goods destined for export to the Republic but also covers goods produced in the province for export, which obviously will not be picked up at any point of entry.
Why then is the EU so insistent that its checks and controls must be misdirected to all the goods imported into Northern Ireland, most of which stay in the province and so need not concern the EU, when it should concentrate just on the goods which are being exported to the Republic?
Yours faithfully
Dr D R Cooper
Maidenhead
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Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
As the GCSE and A-Level exams are now in full swing, we know that this can be a difficult time for both children and parents, especially with the effects of the pandemic still being felt. It’s the first time in two years that school children in Northern Ireland have had to sit exams - the pandemic meant that GCSE and A-level examinations were cancelled in both 2020 and 2021. However, last September, some normality returned to the classroom and our volunteer counsellors at Childline have been speaking to lots of anxious children who are worried about their looming tests and results.
Our Childline practitioners delivered 1,734 counselling sessions to children and young people, across the UK, who had concerns about exam stress and revision in 2021/22, which was a 62% rise on the previous year. When talking to Childline counsellors about their upcoming exams this month, children shared that their worries were affecting their mental health, anxiety levels and ability to sleep. Some young people also shared that they were struggling to focus and concentrate, find the motivation to study or were feeling the pressure from parents and teachers.
As a parent, the most important thing you can do is to remind your child they’re not alone. Be supportive and help alleviate any worries by talking to them about their exams positively and praising their hard work. Try not to put unnecessary pressure on your child to achieve high grades and remind them it’s not the end of the world if they don’t get the grades they wanted, as there are always other options open to them. We all want our children to succeed, however our own wants can sometimes be the trigger to these issues, so try to reassure them that everyone’s different and it’s not necessary to compare themselves to friends.
When it comes to revising, try to give your child space and time to do so, and encourage them to take regular breaks, eat snacks and exercise. Try to be relaxed about chores or untidiness and understand they might be moody. If you are worried that your child is struggling this exam season, perhaps talk to their teacher with them about what steps can be taken to help them through this period and what is being done at school to support students.
If they are finding it hard to talk to you, let them know they can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice on 0800 1111 or childline.org.uk. The Childline website has a range of support for young people, including a safe and moderated chat area for young people to discuss their concerns with others their own age, and the Calm Zone which has been a great source of support for children and young people during the pandemic.
If you’re a parent or carer with concerns about a young person’s wellbeing in the run-up to or after receiving their exam results, our Helpline is also available to offer guidance and support on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk.
Yours sincerely,
Mairead Monds,
Team Manager, Childline NI
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Dear sir,
Whilst canvassing over the past week, many voters have rightly voiced their anger at a council who seemingly cannot even arrange for their bins to be collected. On each occasion, I try to explain to people that this is part of a wider cultural and political problem within our council. Not unlike Stormont, our council thrives on a culture of division, dysfunction and secrecy – where anyone who tries to speak out publicly is silenced and maligned. After 8 years as a councillor I saw things go from bad to worse as council management, under political cover from Sinn Fein and the SDLP in particular, made decisions to exclude dissenting voices from discussions, cut valued services and facilities and press ahead with expensive pet projects at great expense to the ratepayer. It was particularly galling to learn last week that our CEO is the highest paid Chief Executive in Northern Ireland, yet when it comes to a range of indicators, from planning to enforcement matters, our council often ranks 11th out of 11.
The recent industrial action is a perfect example of our council’s priorities. In late 2021 Council and the unions agreed a pay deal with a number of other conditions. Despite councillors being promised that part of the reason for this year’s rates increase was to service this deal, that agreement remains unfulfilled. After almost 2 years of management intransigence, workers have been left with no alternative than to engage in industrial action, and I stand by their decision to do so. These workers are doing what we all have a responsibility to do – speaking truth to power and standing up to those in positions of authority who have gotten away with their shambolic management of our district council for far too long.
In our council, there can be no doubt that the tail wags the dog. Council management calls the shots and councillors respond by rubber stamping officer’s reports and lambasting anyone who dares challenge (particularly Alliance and Independent councillors). On the rare occasion councillors do begin to voice concerns, they regularly cower under the contrary opinion of expensive consultant’s reports or legal advice keenly tailored to back up management’s original position. In most other council areas, councillors call the shots. But not in Newry, Mourne and Down. The two largest parties in the area, Sinn Fein and SDLP, have failed to provide the leadership and scrutiny required of local elected representatives. Therefore it is vital that all ratepayers use the council election on the 18th May as an opportunity to vote for change. To vote for candidates who will work for them, not council management.
Dr Patrick Brown MLA, MLA for South Down
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Readers letter from Patrick James White
Hi,
I read your Story on Catherine Byrne/Butterfield with much interest as these name were household names while growing up in Newry. I was born in Upper North Street in 1943. and later moving to Church St. and O'Neill Avenue.
My Father was born in Poyntzpass, Co Armagh. It was Mary Rose Butterfield Garland, Castle St that brought my father to run the funeral home at 21 Lower Water St. Peter McCourt, Water St. was also working in the funeral home. Peter's mother Anne was a sister of my Great grandmother Mary Butterfield McConvill, Bavan, Mayobridge.
As a young boy I was well acquainted with Richard Garland and his wife Mary Roach Garland born in Chicago Illinois. On my many visits at Catherine's Mineral Works, Water St. It was Catherine's stepson who taught my father James White how to row so well as Peter was an expert rower in the Newry Rowing Club. Old Jock White, Warrenpoint baths had many sculls and my father was the only person Jock allowed to row back and forth to Omeath on many summer Sundays with a boat load of us children while my mother remained on shore praying for our safe return.
Catherine's husband Henry Butterfield was the son of James Butterfield & Mary Ryan Mayobridge. I believe James had a whiskey distilling brewery on Water St. later Catherine Boden's property. Had many old chats with Donal O'Donnell Newry Reporter on these Newry related families.
Thank for the Memories.
See the Newry Museum story that started Patrick's reminiscences at Newry Spirit Dealer Catherine Boden
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