The ship arrives!

The ship arrived today in Valencia harbor!  Hundreds of supporters and protesters were there for the arrival.  As the Medina tried to dock, a harbor authority attempted to block us from the dock, attaching to the ship and trying to drag us back out into the harbor, away from the crowds.  Their ship, being much smaller than the WOW vessel, was no match for the Medina’s engine, nor the WOW volunteers, who repeatedly untied their lines, ultimately slicing the connection with a large knife the crew had on board!

More to come but here’s a taste…

Back at the Ranch…McCain on Women’s Health

Here in the United States, the abortion debate simmers quietly as the failing economy and the presidential race have absorbed the attention of the media.

But lat night in the presidential debates, Obama and McCain sparred briefly over their positions on abortion and their votes on bills that addressed abortion. Much of the conversation dealt with McCain attacking Obama on prior votes on abortion-related issues that, taken out of context, can sound quite monstrous.

Obama defended his past votes by offering clear context – partially practical, and partially ideological.

The most stunning statement made was when Obama explained that he voted against a ban on late term, or “partial birth,” abortion because the ban did not make an exception in the case of the mother’s life or health.

McCain responded that the “health of the Mother…(has been) stretched by the pro-abortion movement to mean just about anything.” And that was that on women’s health.

Such a cavalier dismissal of women’s health shouldn’t go unchallenged. I wish that Obama had followed up and made him clarify, and asked him if he meant that he didn’t think a woman’s health should be taken into consideration at all. He also should have asked McCain about his position on danger to a woman’s life – an exception that the GOP platform doesn’t support.

McCain is on record as supporting exceptions to an abortion ban in the case of rape, incest, or a woman’s life, but he has shied away from restating his position since he started trying to woo the extreme right.