If you think it couldn’t happen in the United States, you haven’t been paying attention.
Category: Latest News
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
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Sarah Ditum on Ireland’s way with abortion
The Irish government has defied public opinion and enforced an ultra-conservative constitution that places the foetus’ life on an equal footing with the woman’s.
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Time to put pressure on Irish politicians
Successive governments have steadfastly refused to introduce legislation that would allow women access to life-saving medical abortion.
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Ireland: woman denied an abortion dies in hospital
Savita Halappanavar was denied a termination despite asking for one several times following her miscarriage diagnosis because the fetus still had a heartbeat.
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Jessica Ahlquist as an atheist hero at Skepticon
It’s tough being an atheist in school. It helps to know there are others.
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Shannon Rupp has a modest proposal
The Chilliwack school board should not say no to bible giveaways, they should say yes and charge a fee.
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Uganda will pass anti-gay bill this year
Some Christian clerics at a meeting of anti-gay activists asked the speaker of parliament to pass the law as “a Christmas gift.”
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Cairo: 2 burqa-wearing women assault Christian woman
They called her an “infidel,” forcibly cut off her hair, and pushed her off the train, breaking her arm.
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Vatican rushes to emphasize its hatred of marriage equality
An article in the Vatican newspaper declared that support for same-sex marriage is “an ideology founded on political correctness which is invading every culture of the world.”
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ABC on the investigation of institutional child sex abuse
Gillard had been under pressure to act following explosive allegations by DCI Peter Cox that the Catholic Church covered up evidence involving paedophile priests.
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Gillard announces royal commission on child sex abuse
The inquiry will not be confined to the Catholic Church, but extend to all religious organisations and to children in state care, and to other institutions including schools.
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Malala is grateful for the well-wishers
She has drawn a line with her blood between barbarism and civilization, her father says.
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Girl, 16, raped? Lower the age of consent!
“In the past, especially in Mughal era, people used to marry their daughters early to save them from such atrocities.”
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Parents say death by acid was their daughter’s destiny
“There was a boy who came by on a motorcycle. She turned to look at him twice.” So they killed her.
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Girl child marriage in Pakistan
A blood feud between two tribes was settled by a Jirga that decided to hand over as many as 13 young girls to settle the dispute.
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Violence against women in Pakistan
As many as 2,713 cases of violence against women have been reported in southern Punjab since January 2012, a research by the Awaz Foundation Centre for Development states.
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Neighbors quarrel, girl is decapitated
3 boys went next door and cut the head off Farkhana, age 17.
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Egypt: Salafi thugs assault people for “insulting Islam”
By which they mean anything they dislike.
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Launch of the Council of Muslims Facing Tomorrow
Journalist and activist Raheel Raza founded MFT to amplify the liberal Muslim voice.
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Kashmir: parents kill daughter by dousing her with acid
She was 15. They saw her talking to a boy. The father beat her up, and both parents poured acid over her.