AC:

Believe me, I grasp the irony that two men are debating abortion.

Pro-lifers take the philosophical stance that life is sacred. Pro-choice advocates argue that women should have control over their own bodies, empowering them socially and economically.

In a sense, these are both moral arguments. But the pro-life argument is essentially a religious one that breaks down under the test of reason. It is a religious assumption that life begins at conception.

Even though conservatives are against abortion, they are prudish when it comes to contraception and sex ed: two things that reduce unwanted pregnancies, especially in teenagers.

It is baffling that most pro-lifers are also pro-death penalty. Thats because the abortion issue is not about the sanctity of life; its about controlling women socially and economically.

Conservatives should be clear on their position: if they are truly pro-life, why are they so pro-war?

The war in Iraq resulted in the deaths of over 500,000 Iraqi civilians, 200,000 in violent deaths caused by coalition forces, according to the Huffington Posts World Post. Where were the pro-lifers then?

Abortion is murder, they say. I say murder is murder.

Over 13,000 people were killed by guns in 2015 in the U.S. Thats excluding accidents and suicides.

There were 15,000 in 2016 according to the Gun Violence Archive. Almost 700 kids under 12 and over 3,000 teenagers were killed or injured by guns last year. Clearly common sense gun control would have prevented at least some of these deaths.

But the very same people who are pro-life are also pro-gun.

Conservatives want to control womens bodies, but if that vagina is toting a glock 40 they will respect its right to keep and bear arms.

The pro-life movement was a cynical maneuver by conservatives to bring voters living outside of the deep South to their side after Lyndon B. Johnson won in a landslide against Barry Goldwater in 1964.

By creating the abortion issue, Republicans were able to bamboozle poor and working class white Americans into voting against their own economic interests.

The abortion debate is almost always incorrectly framed as a solely religious issue. However, there is a strong secular case against abortion.

The beginning of human life is not a matter of opinion or belief. It is settled science.

Dr. Keith Moores The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology states, A zygote is the beginning of a new human being. Human development begins at fertilization.

One does not need to be religious to oppose the termination of innocent lives.

Before I address the generalizations that pro-lifers support the death penalty, war and gun rights, I would like to state that pro-lifers hold a wide array of beliefs.

One cannot take the position of generalizing the beliefs of the 46 percent of Americans who identify as pro-life, according to a 2016 Gallup poll.

Abortion and the death penalty are incomparable.

A convicted murderer has violated the social contract by which he and all members of a society live. Death is the punishment for this violation. Unborn babies have done nothing to justify being deprived of life.

The issue of war brings another matter into play: whether war is justified.

A justified war can be an act of national self-defense or a defense of brutalized citizens abroad.

It is not hypocritical for pro-lifers to support the Second Amendment.

There is no connection between the pro-life community and the actions of violent criminals.

Furthermore, one of the most compelling arguments in favor of gun ownership is self-defense from those who wish to inflict harm.

Finally, I wish to address the irony of two men discussing abortion.

Gender has no bearing on the moral obligation of preventing people from harming other people, whether it be via abortion or through other means.

The right of women to control their bodies is a compelling argument. However, the right of unborn babies to live comes first.

President Trump has ordered missile strikes on Syria which killed and injured dozens of civilians, including several children.

One must perform mental gymnastics to get their heads around the idea of an airstrike launched in reprisal for the killing of civilians that in turn killed more civilians.

But we dont care about the lives of Syrians. Just fetuses, apparently.

When does life start? The combination of an egg and a sperm a zygote does not constitute a baby.

A zygote is living in the sense that any bacterial, brain or blood cell is living.

A zygote has no capacity to suffer. It does not have a brain or a mind. Nor does a fetus until very late in a pregnancy. The question that arises is where we draw the line.

Should we say that every sperm is precious because it holds the potential for human life?

If so, then I and a great many men are guilty of committing mass murder on a regular basis.

Theres a reason we celebrate the day we are born and not the day were conceived. But this isnt about when life starts. As Ive said: conservatives dont care about the sanctity of life.

George Carlin summed it up best: Theyre not pro-life. Theyre anti-woman.

As Carlin said, conservatives want to protect unborn babies, but once that baby is born they dont care about it.

If youre pre-born youre fine. If youre preschool, youre fucked, he said. Conservatives want live babies so they can grow up to be dead soldiers.

If conservatives want to truly address the issue of unwanted pregnancy, they should ensure that every child grows up free of want by raising the minimum wage.

They should ensure the health of every child by creating a universal healthcare system.

They should seek to give every child the opportunity to live up to their potential by increasing funding for public schools and making public universities tuition free. They do none of these things.

There is no connection between the pro-life movement and Syrian airstrikes.

Furthermore, those airstrikes were meant to defend innocent civilians from being gassed by their own president, a brutal war criminal.

Any civilian life lost during those strikes is a tragedy, but the goal is to prevent even more life from being lost.

Regarding when life begins, I quoted an embryology textbook written by med- ical doctors in my previous response to answer this question. Additionally, Van Nostrands Scientific Encyclopedia states, At the moment the sperm cell of the human male meets the ovum of the female and the union results in a fertilized ovum [zygote], a new life has begun.

Whether or not a zygote can be considered a baby is a matter of semantics.

The fact of the matter is that human life begins at the moment of fertilization. Opening an embryology textbook will confirm this indisputable fact.

While you are entitled to your own opinions, you are not entitled to your own facts.

The inflammatory statements made by comedian George Carlin are unequivocally false. Being pro-life encompasses care for the child both before and after birth.

The Catholic Church, which opposes abortion as well as the death penalty and unjust wars, spends billions of dollars annually on charity in the U.S. alone, which includes funding centers that assist women facing unintended pregnancies.

Pro-lifers, especially Catholics and other religious adherents, are not just talking the talk. They are walking the walk.

While there are steps that can be taken to decrease unintended pregnancies, the solution is not to kill the unborn.

Abortion is one of the greatest human rights violations facing this country today. It is crucial that this stain on the moral fabric of the U.S. be outlawed.

Read the original here:
The pro-choice vs. pro-life argument - Vermont Cynic

1: Fourth Annual Central MA Science Festival

How do bees make honey? What makes a robot move? How are storms created? Get the answers to these questions and more at the Fourth Annual Central MA Science Festival, to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 15 at the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, located at 365 Lindell Ave. in Leominster. The Central MA Science Festival is a free event featuring more than 25 interactive science and technology exhibits. This years lineup of activities and events will inspire the scientist in all of us. Local scientists and educators will offer hands-on activities such as beekeeping, astronomy, robotics, oceanography aviation, gold mining, holograms, a Lazer Obstacle Course and embryology. The Central MA Science Festival is the largest Science Festival in North Central Massachusetts, and is held in affiliation with the Cambridge Science Festival. The festival is sponsored by the Jacqueline Lavallee Trust, Market Basket, Omnova and Digital Federal Credit Union. For more information about the festival, please visit http://www.CentralMAScienceFestival.org.

2: Easter Funday at City Hall

The City of Leominster is sponsoring an Easter Funday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 14 at Leominster City Hall. The event will include the Easter Bunny giving out eggs to the kids and taking photos, Debbie Richards doing story time, tables to decorate your own cookie, plant your own plant or make Fruit Loop necklaces, activities from Project Apples, bunnies and chicks from 4-H, a lamb from A Few of Ewe Farm, Lilyfaces with a backdrop taking free photos, and a new Peanuts cutout in which to take photos.

3: Dance2Swing with The Tom Nutile Big Band

Dance2Swing with The Tom Nutile Big Band will be held from 6:45-10:30 p.m. Sunday, April 16 at the Leominster-Fitchburg Lodge of Elks, 134 North Main St. (Route 12), Leominster. A Beginner Group Swing Dance Lesson will be offered at 6:45 p.m., followed by the show at 7:30 p.m. Admission for the band is $14. For more information, call (978) 728-4533 or visit http://www.dance2swing.com.

Read more here:
THREE THINGS TO DO | Leominster Champion - Leominster Champion

LEOMINSTER -- How do bees make honey? What makes a robot move? How are storms created?

Get the answers to those questions and more at the fourth annual Central MA Science Festival on Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Fitchburg and Leominster, 365 Lindell Ave.

The Central MA Science Festival is a free event featuring more than 25 interactive science and technology exhibits. This year's lineup of activities and events will inspire the scientist in all of us. Local scientists and educators will offer hands-on activities, including beekeeping, astronomy, robotics, oceanography, aviation, gold mining, holograms, laser obstacle course and embryology.

"This event is an opportunity for our club to share our passion for science, technology, Engineering, art and math (STEAM) with our community and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to develop their curiosity for science and discovery," said Donata Martin, executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner. "This is a day where kids, adults and families discover new ideas and technology, learn the answer to questions about science and nature, and become inspired."

The Central MA Science Festival is the largest festival of its kind in North Central Massachusetts and is held in affiliation with the Cambridge Science Festival. The festival is sponsored by the Jacqueline Lavallee Trust, Market Basket, Omnova and DCU.

For more information, visit http://www.CentralMAScienceFestival.org.

Link:
Central MA Science Festival on Saturday in Leominster - Sentinel ... - Sentinel & Enterprise

No this one isnt about Jonah. Rather it is about the fossil evidence and other evidence for the evolution of whales. Dennis Venema digs into this example in Adam and the Genome. Robert Asher has a chapter on whale evolution in his book Evolution of Belief. (Robert Asher is a paleontologist at Cambridge, specializing in the paleontology of mammals.) Gary Fugle also discusses whale evolution in his excellent book Laying Down Arms to Heal the Creation-Evolution Divide. As it happens some of my colleagues have been deeply involved in the study of whale evolution and we have several examples on display across the street.

Even Charles Darwin knew that whales were mammals. This led him to propose in his first edition of On the Origin of Species that they evolved from land animals perhaps from something like an aquatic bear. This proposal earned him a great deal of ridicule (Dennis quotes a rather acerbic example) and Darwin reduced his discussion of whale evolution in subsequent editions. While the identification of whales as mammals was once a poster child for anti-evolution forces, it has become one of the strongest examples of evolution available with a multitude of transitional fossils, most of them discovered in the last forty years. The whale also captures our imagination. Massive sea-faring mammals.

Darwin picked the wrong land animal, rather than a bear he should have chosen a pig, or a hippopotamus. Whales and porpoises (cetaceans) are even-toed ungulates like both of these mammals. The evidence for evolution of whales from an early even-toed ungulate comes in multiple threads.

(1) The fossil record. A string of intermediate forms have been identified (image above is a Basilosaurus fossil). Many of these fossils retain clear evidence of hind limbs gradually disappearing through the millions of generations. If you click on the image above you can see the hind limbs in the lower right corner. These are rudimentary, perhaps of use in reproduction, but certainly not for locomotion. The ankle bones of these ancient whale precursors have a structure similar to that of even-toed hoofed animals and one distinctive from other mammals.

The whale fin has the same external hydrodynamic structure as fish but the bone structure found in vertebrates, especially mammals with a humerus, ulna, radius, carpals. The whale fin if functionally similar to, but structurally distinct from the fin of a fish.

The fossil record shows a progression of whales with nostrils at various locations along the snout. Dennis notes that The nostrils in Protocetids, are not at the tip of the snout but are shifted back along the skull, and the hind-limb skeleton appears insufficient to bear the full weight of these mammals. Scientists believe these species behaved in a way analogous to modern sea lions: hunting and feeding in the oceans, but hauling themselves out to rest, mate, and bear young. (p. 17)

Robert Asher highlights a less commonly mentioned element of whale evolution; the divergence of toothed and baleen whales. The oldest whales were toothed like their land dwelling ancestors. The Basilosaurus above had some pretty impressive teeth. The baleen whales (filter feeders like the blue whale and the humpback) diverged from this line, likely beginning some forty million years ago or so. Paleontologists have identified a series of fossils exhibiting the development of the baleen and the loss of teeth as well as the gradual development of other features observed in baleen whales.

The features characteristic of todays baleen whales did not appear fully formed all at once. Many fossil species exhibit a mixture of features. Some early ancestors had both teeth and what appears to be the beginning of baleen. There is substantial evidence that whales with a combination of baleen and teeth existed for some ten million years alongside both toothed and baleen whales before going extinct.

The fossil record contains many transitional forms, with more no doubt remaining to be discovered. There isnt a complete linear path from tetrapod to whale, but given the nature of fossilization as a rare event, the number we do have is impressive.

(2) Embryology. The embryos of many whales develop hind limb buds that are reabsorbed, as well as external ear lobes, also reabsorbed. But there is more:

Modern cetaceans have two nostrils on the fronts of their face as embryos, like all mammals do. Over the course of development, the nostrils migrate from this starting location at the top of the head to form a blowhole, with the process complete before birth. And strikingly, modern cetaceans are true tetrapods for a short period as embryos. Cetacean embryos develop forelimbs and hind limbs at the same stage that all mammals do, but later the hind limbs stop developing and regress back into the body wall. Studies have shown that the basic biological machinery for making hind limbs is properly activated in young cetacean embryos, but that a second set of instructions later causes the process to stop and regress. (p. 17-18)

Robert Asher likewise discusses the significant embryological evidence. Concerning the development of baleen, he notes modern baleen whales begin the process of tooth formation prior to birth. Teeth in a minke whale never fully form or break the gums, but they do at least begin to develop and their rudiments can be seen in fetal specimens. (Asher p. 137) Figure 7.4 in his book illustrates the presence of rudimentary teeth in a fetus.

The modifications that result in different species often arise from changes in the signals an embryo receives in development and the timing of these signals. Here is one pathway for the accumulation of modest changes over time.

(3) Genetics. The genome project confirms the connections between whales and other mammals. Whale and dolphin DNA is most similar to the hippopotamus, then cow, sheep, deer and giraffes. All consistent with evolution from an even-toed hoofed precursor. Coming back to baleen, Robert Asher cites a study of three major genes important for the formation of enameled teeth.

DMP I (dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein), AMBN (ameloblastin) and ENAM (enamelin). DMP I is known to contribute to the development of not only dentine but also other tissues such as bone and cartilage. The AMBN and ENAM proteins appear to express most strongly in the process of enamel formation in developing teeth. (Asher p. 137)

All three genes (DMP I, AMBN, ENAM) are present in baleen whales, but the two enamel-specific ones, AMBN and ENAM, have lost their enamel-producing function. Unlike the sequences in toothed whales (dolphin), even-toed ungulates (hippo, cow, pig, camel), and other mammals (human, mouse, rat, dog), their samples of these genes in modern baleen whales exhibited what are called frameshift mutations. That is, the basic sequences of AMBN and ENAM are present, but are missing critical elements that keep them from finishing what they do in other mammals, namely, synthesize proteins relevant to the formation of tooth enamel. Interestingly, such mutations were not present in the third protein [probably a typo should be gene], DMP I, which is demonstrably involved in processes besides tooth formation, such as bone and cartilage development. (Asher p. 138)

These genetic remnants are entirely consistent with evolution.

Certainly the leap from land animal like Indohyus or Pakicetid requires many concurrent and complementary changes. From feet to fins, nostrils to blow holes, and more. No such change could be made in one large step. The offspring would die. Each difference we see today required a number of modest intermediate changes. Every child resembled its parents. Grandparent, parent, child were all the same species. But over time the changes accumulate and new species appears. The whale is not the same species as its Pakicetid precursor just as Anglo Saxon is not the same as modern English. But as with the evolution of language, the evolution of species is imperceptible from the ground, the perspective of time is required.

If you wish to contact me directly, you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net

If interested you can subscribe to a full text feed of my posts at Musings on Science and Theology.

Continue reading here:
A Whale of a Story (RJS) - Patheos (blog)

ATALK will be held in Frome in November exploring the history of how animals have been domesticated and how they have changed the lives of people.

Professor Alice Roberts, known to fans for BBCTwo programmes Coast, The Incredible Human Journey and Horizon, will bring her brand new live show, Tamed, to Fromes Cheese and Grain on 7th November.

How do you tame wildness? For hundreds of thousands of years human ancestors depended on wild plants and animals. They were hunter-gatherers consummate survival experts, but taking the world as they found it.

Then a revolution happened: people started to domesticate wild species. The human population boomed, and civilization took off.

Join Alice Roberts as she delves into archaeology, history and genetics to reveal the amazing stories of the species that became our allies. From dogs, cattle and horses to wheat, potatoes and apples, find out how taming these species has left its mark on them and us.

Alice is an anthropologist and professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She has written seven popular science and archaeology books. Her book about embryology and evolution, The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize in 2015.

The show on Tuesday 7th November will start at 7pm and tickets cost 17.50 or 15.50 for concessions.

Tickets are available online at http://www.cheeseandgrain.com or from 01373 455420.

Continued here:
TV professor to talk in Frome - Frome Times

The Court of Appeal last month created a new compensation award for "loss of genetic affinity" in the case of a baby conceived with the wrong sperm following an IVF mix-up.

Genetic affinity loss refers to the cost and hurt to a parent of being deprived of having a baby with her spouse via reproductive technology through the negligence of a third party.

In the 2010 incident, the woman and her husband went to the Thomson Medical Centre for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment but a stranger's sperm - instead of her husband's - was used to fertilise her extracted eggs.

The mistake resulted in her giving birth to a baby girl with her genetic make-up but not her husband's. She sued the centre for negligence in 2012 seeking, among other things, damages for the baby's upkeep until she grew up.

The end result: The apex court rejected her upkeep claim but recognised she had suffered loss termed as "genetic affinity". The court said her desire to have a child of her own with her husband "is a basic human impulse, and its loss is keenly and deeply felt".

It pointed out ordinary human parents and children are bound by ties of blood and this fact of biological experience - heredity - carries deep socio-cultural significance. "And when, as in the present case, a person has been denied this experience due to the negligence of others then she has lost something of profound significance and has suffered a serious wrong. This loss of 'affinity' can also result in social stigma and embarrassment arising out of the misperceptions of others, as was the case here."

The five-judge panel placed the compensation sum at 30 per cent of the financial costs of raising Baby P, with the precise sum to be assessed by the High Court. The ground- breaking judgment, unprecedented here or elsewhere, suggests the court is prepared to address compensation for loss in an uncharted area.

Issues of heredity and family become all the more important in an era when IVF is increasingly common and genetic manipulation is well on the way to becoming reality. Gene-editing technology, for example, could in future be used to tweak a child's traits more in favour of one parent than the other.

Problems arise when plans go awry and the court has in a way served notice it will not back away from looking at losses not hitherto compensated within the traditional categories of civil claims. Such issues were highlighted by National University of Singapore (NUS) biomedical ethics researcher G. Owen Schaefer, who underlined the importance of the concept in this "genomic era".

Even family publication parentsworld flagged that after the incident, "it is expected that couples who are seeking alternative methods to conceive would be greatly concerned about this issue".

One practical effect in the immediate case is whether the father could also have been eligible to be compensated for the loss of genetic affinity, just like Baby P's mother. "By recognising loss of genetic affinity as a head, it would appear that the husband as the legal father has also suffered a loss, perhaps even more acutely than the mother as he has no genetic connection with the child," said NUS law faculty professor A. Kumaralingam.

Baby P's father, as her legal parent, has rights and obligations but the rights of her biological father remain to be established or clarified. Lawyers point out that the man has not surfaced to make any civil claim for potential compensa- tion for over six years - the recognised deadline in civil claims - which means that the case is moot.

Medical confidentiality constrains him from being identified to third parties without consent but what of his rights as a biological parent? Parliament passed the Status of Children (Assisted Reproduction Technology) Act in 2013 and it states that interested parties involved in such mix-ups can apply to the court to be declared as parents of the child within two years of the mistake being discovered. The Act does not apply in his case which preceded the Act and one possible unknown is that he could have relinquished his rights formally despite the nexus.

If that were to happen, it would not be without precedent as in the case of the twins at the centre of a custody battle between their Singapore mum and American dad in 2011. It emerged while the twins were here that the biological father was someone else who was understood to have signed his rights away, according to the twins' mother then. Interestingly, the twins knew of this when they were court-ordered to return to the US accompanied by their legal father six years ago. The access tussle between the divorced mum and dad is still ongoing in the US to date.

While the litigation in the case of Baby P is over, it is possible that the biological father may surface at some point in time in the future, for whatever reason, for example, should Baby P gain some prominence that bears notice. Such is the sad saga that while all appears over in the court arena, the affected parties will continue to court the consequences for good.

Such prospects, in this area of law that is in its infancy, bear contemplation, given that the numbers resorting to IVF techniques are expected to rise, and the need to minimise incidents.

In its annual report issued last October, Britain's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) said it received reports of 517 incidents, out of approximately 72,000 cycles of fertilisation treatment in 2015. "Whilst incidents make up less than 1 per cent of treatment, any incident is one too many and is one of the reasons we produce this report," added HFEA.

For the year under review, there were no Grade A incidents for the first time in the five years since HFEA was established in Britain. A Grade A category error or incident includes events such as the death of a patient, being implanted with the wrong embryo, or something that affects a large number of patients, such as a storage-unit malfunction.

As IVF continues in an important way to help couples with reproductive difficulties and the numbers multiply, the British examples and the case of Singapore's Baby P illustrate this is a difficult area when incidents arise - as the Court of Appeal suggested in dealing with the case - with ongoing ramifications.

Like others elsewhere, the court here has shied away from the claim for upkeep of the baby on principle, but unlike others, it has inched forward to detect the need for redress by recognising "loss of genetic affinity". What a signal gain for the law's development indeed in finding such an inventive loss.

See the rest here:
New award for loss of genetic affinity a gain for IVF law - The Straits Times

A man who froze his sperm more than two decades before having twins with his partner has claimed a world record.

The Scottishmusician, who did not want to be named, had his sperm frozen when he was 21, before starting chemotherapy treatment for cancer, as doctors warned him he would become infertile.

After his sperm had been kept in cold storage for 26 years and 243 days, his partner underwent in-vitro fertilisation in 2010.

Its quite a big deal for a woman to take that on, he told The Times.

The couple gave birth to a girl and a boy the following year. He was 47, and his partner was 37.

Now 54, he knew he held a world record, but did not want to go public.

The previous world record holder, Alex Powell, had had his sperm frozen for 23 years and the story was reported around the globe. Hewas also about to undergo chemotherapy.

But the musician learnt he could be listed anonymously in Guinness World Records, and he agreed to speak to one newspaper to highlight how long sperm can be frozen and then used to produce healthy children.

For people going through chemotherapy, they should keep hope, he said.

Marco Gaudoin, director of the GCRM medical clinic where the treatment took place, said that frozen sperm could theoretically be stored indefinitely.

Melissa Etheridge reveals that she asked Brad Pitt to donate sperm

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority claims sperm can be frozen for more than 40 years, but that not all sperm survive the process.

It has to be frozen for at least six months before it can be used for treatment, to screen the donor for infections.

See original here:
Couple has twins from sperm frozen 26 years ago | The Independent - The Independent

More than 60 volunteers contributed to successful Farm Day in Prince George

We asked our research team to find out why so many people do not volunteer and the resounding response was, Because they were not asked.

Willie Bresko is a farmer in Prince George County, Virginia, who has volunteered his time and his farm with Virginia Cooperative Extension/Prince George 4-H for over a decade. I asked him why and he replied, Because I was asked.

This past week, Willie hosted our thirteenth annual Farm Day as he has done every year for the past 13 years. Second-graders from all the elementary schools in Prince George County about 450 students came to Willies farm last Tuesday to discover some of the major roles that agriculture plays in our daily lives.

As one of the teachers was leading her students back to the school bus, she told me, I have been to all of them (Farm Day events) this one was the best one ever!

The volunteers are the ones I have to thank for this great report.Volunteers like Willie Bresko who volunteered because he was asked.

Over 60 volunteers from Prince George Master Gardeners, Prince George 4-H, Prince George Farm Bureau, Virginia State University, Prince George Public Schools, Natural Resource Conservation Service, James River Soil and Water Conservation Service, Prince George Fire and EMS, Farm Bureau Womens Committee and a host of local citizens gave their time, energy and resources to make Farm Day a success.

Volunteers helped to provide eight learning stations: dairy cows, embryology, aquaculture, farm animals, field crops, vegetables, farm economics and soils. Volunteers provided lunch, served as mentors/guides, transported students, and an array of other tasks necessary to make the event a smashing success.

Director of Virginia Cooperative Extension Edwin Jones said, "The tremendous difference Virginia Cooperative Extension has made in the lives of Virginians over the past 100 years has been due in large measure to the contributions of the many dedicated and tireless volunteers."

Over 30,000 volunteers provided approximately 966,000 hours of service with Virginia Cooperative Extension in a single year. In that same year, 13,000 adult and youth volunteers served more than 185,000 youth ages 5 to 18 in hands-on educational programs designed to build leadership, citizenship, and life skills through Virginia 4-H.

Our volunteers are carefully screened and trained. Extension offers several master volunteer programs that provide training opportunities in gardening and horticulture; food, nutrition, and safety; natural resources management; water supply systems; financial management; and energy conservation.

If you are interested in volunteering, but not sure in what way, contact your local Extension office. They will be happy to help you find a way to share your time and talents.

Hermon Maclin is a Virginia Cooperative Extension Agent, specializing in 4-H youth development, with the Prince George County Extension Office. He can be reached at804-733-2686 ext. 102 or by email at hmaclin@vt.edu .

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Why people do not volunteer - Progress Index

It shouldn't take a car crash for us to react. It shouldn't take sensationalist journalism and broadcasting to prick up your ear. It shouldn't take a parent losing their child for common sense to takeover the driving seat.

Society and the law are interesting bedfellows. One is usually reacting to the other in an eternal race to stay ahead. In the case of surrogacy, it could easily be argued that after 30 years since the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act was introduced, society's views and understanding on the composition of a family has somewhat changed. Is surrogacy a law that time forgot? There was an update in 2008 to include same-sex parental couples the recognition deserved, but most academics agree that something based on a flawed assumption from the start cannot be corrected without a more detailed overhaul.

Recent research in a report commission by Surrogacy UK and comments from senior judges mark this as a thoroughly confusing area of law in dire need for reform. As a practitioner, I witness some marvellous contortions of law in order to fit with the most basic of principles: the best interests of the child. Words which mean one thing are manipulated almost beyond recognition to achieve the right result, provisions are extended and lawyers navigate their way through the corkscrew of statute, caught up in the hurricane of public policy. That judges tell us time and again the statute is not fit for purpose comes as no surprise, but it is a metaphorical car crash when they are forced to judgments, which are not only against in the best interests of the child but also the intended parents or surrogate too.

It was deeply upsetting to read the judgment in Re AB (Surrogacy: Consent) [2016] where the surrogate felt that she was not appreciated or acknowledged enough by the intended parents. She therefore refused to give her vital consent to the parental order which would have granted the intended parents the recognition as the legal parents. Despite not wishing to look after and care for the twins herself, having no biological connection to the children nor any apparent long term goal other than to thwart the intended parent's application so completely and effectively, the court was left muted and unable to proceed. Mrs Justice Theis, an extremely experienced judge in these matters, could do nothing other than urge the surrogate to remember why she undertook the selfless act in the first place and consider the situation from the point of view of these young children.

In a remarkable sense of foresight and acknowledgment of the issues, Baroness Barker and other peers of the House of Lords made similar observations in a debate on 14 December 2016 and also highlighted that without reform, the judges can only do so much contortionism. In May 2016, a judgement of incompatibility with the Human Rights Act was handed down because the right answer was just not possible, however they tried to square the circle. The current system causes incredible difficulties not just for those genuine surrogates who need the help to remove themselves as the legal parent, but also intended parents from those less cooperative surrogates where the best interests of the child have been forgotten.

I have seen in practice and met face-to-face the real misery and heartbreak that childlessness causes couples and individuals alike: Ovarian cancer stripping away your chances of a family; genetic anomalies causing impotence; sexual orientation causing people to give up on ever having a family; graphic road traffic accidents causing losses and pain beyond imagination. There are women in the world who are helping these people fulfil their dreams yet antiquated laws can cause a car crash. These individuals are committed and passionate about becoming parents and to give a child a loving home; not every case before the family courts is so uplifting.

As we forge forward to deal with this head on, are there risks to be considered? Of course there are. We would be blind not to acknowledge the need to protect vulnerable would-be-surrogates and any child, but there are risks in everything we do, including having children the usual way. To follow and quote the words of a cross-bench peer, Lord Berkeley of Knighton, "The imperative to procreate, next to birth and death, is one of the great evolutionary acts of being human--it should belong to all of us."

It is time for reform, and to empower the courts with the tools to reach the right decision for everyone involved and before there is a car crash from which we cannot recover.

Andrew Spearman is an award-winning Surrogacy Lawyer

More here:
Surrogacy Reform - Huffington Post UK

Barbie Thomas is hatching chickens for the first time. And she can't help but be excited that one of those in her flock is a Delaware Blue Hen. Thomas graduated from University of Delaware and having her college's mascot in her classroom is a perfect fit.

Once again, the peep show is alive and well in kindergarten classes throughout the county. "I taught Pre-K and now I'm teaching kindergarten so this is my first time (hatching chickens). It has been amazing. I was really scared yesterday but it was so cool. We saw cracks (in the incubated egg) and in 25 minutes we had a chick. I am as excited as the kids. It's really cool," said Kenmore Elementary kindergarten teacher Barbie Thomas. Through Maryland Extension and grant funds, Cecil County 4-H is providing an incubation and embryology project at all the local elementary schools and at a few community sites. For chickens, the incubation period takes about three weeks until they hatch. Each classroom has received or will receive the pre-incubated eggs two weeks into the incubation period. Students and teachers care for and monitor the eggs. After hatching, the newborn chicks remain in classrooms for observation for up to three weeks. Extension staffer 4-H program assistant Victoria Stone was in all three kindergarten classes at Kenmore last week teaching the second lesson in the embryology unit. These were the practical lessons of feeding, bedding, and warming the peeps. Stone explained that about 60 classrooms are receiving these lessons. Teacher Amanda Hobson said the snow impacted the hatching process. The students watched for signs of hatching all during the school day. She then set up a time lapse camera to capture any action that happened after school. That's when one decided to hatch. "This is a really good learning experience for the kids. This teaches them to be caregivers. This is amazing and one of my favorite things in kindergarten. We began talking about it in October," said Hobson. Once the lesson is over, Hobson will give the chickens a permanent home at her house. She can then provide students with updates.

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New pecking order in kindergarten - HeraldandChronicle.com