The Road That Leads to Change

I was astonished to find the number two story on the running ticker for MSN.com was about a the death of an Irish woman after her abortion was denied. My shock resides in the fact that most of the world knows that Ireland is one of the strictest countries in the free world on abortion laws. So why is this news? Well above all, I and most people following the media across the globe are naturally suspicious. I look for scandal in most stories and my intuition is almost never off kilter. The standing fact that Savita Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, was denied an "abortion" in mid-October after the doctors told her the foetus would not survive and that she consequently died a few days later from blood poisoning is about as sketchy of a story as they come. The saddest part of all? Her husband will not participate in an investigation because he feels it is pointless-- "He has said he would not cooperate with an investigation already launched by the country's health service because he did not believe it would be neutral." (full story link)

The reality of our world is that each country has it's stance on abortion and America is a fluke in comparison. Most countries do not have the battle for pro-choice and pro-life that we Americans almost live for. The reality is that America and its media are based on liberal democra-z-y ideals; we are not run by religious obligations or ethically bound by our country's over-arching morals. It is, however, so refreshing to see a little controversy surrounding abortion being reported on from a country like Ireland. Moments, stories, headlines like these are way and reason that laws/morals/stances change. Media is the outlet for change. Whether I agree or happen to not agree with the resulting change is a moot point; the fact that our worlds and our countries and our people are driven by the media is a phenonmenon, in and of itself. For that reason alone, I believe that this class (RGMM) is critical to the foundations of my degree and more importantly, to my overall collegiate education. To be informed, to be knowing, is to have power.