-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, July 12, 1999 11:16 To: Kathleen Fahy Subject: Undeliverable mail This message was addressed to a user that does not exist at this address. Please verify the name and domain in the original message that follows. The message was addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original message follows ----- Received: from leisure.seagull.net ([208.146.36.129]) by petos.com.au (wcSMTP [445]) with SMTP id 345172501; Mon, 12 Jul 1999 01:15:59 GMT Received: from leisure.seagull.net ([EMAIL PROTECTED] [208.146.36.146]) by acegraphics.com.au (8.9.0) with ESMTP id RAA16062 sender [EMAIL PROTECTED] for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sun, 11 Jul 1999 17:41:17 -0700 Received: (majordom@localhost) by leisure.seagull.net (8.9.0) id RAA16052 sender [EMAIL PROTECTED] for [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Sun, 11 Jul 1999 17:41:15 -0700 Received: from zeus.usq.edu.au (zeus.usq.edu.au [139.86.128.2]) by acegraphics.com.au (8.9.0) with ESMTP id RAA16045 sender [EMAIL PROTECTED] for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Sun, 11 Jul 1999 17:41:10 -0700 Received: from NEMESIS.usq.edu.au ([139.86.146.23]) by zeus.usq.edu.au (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id KAA08319 for <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Mon, 12 Jul 1999 10:41:02 +1000 (EST) Received: by NEMESIS.usq.edu.au with Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0) id <L19APTMZ>; Mon, 12 Jul 1999 10:43:16 +1000 Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> From: Kathleen Fahy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: I hate the term "witch hunt" Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 10:41:00 +1000 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Precedence: bulk Dear Kerry, I understand why midwives hate to be associated with the term 'witch'. I also understand that the concept of a 'witch hunt' implies an organised system of terror and oppression such as witch hunts in the middle ages which is clearly not what is happening now. So why use the concept of witch hunt at all? Because in today's world the forms of oppression and suppression are much more covert and subtle. They operate at the psychic level to engender fear, silence and passivity. Oppression against midwives and women operates pervasively in our culture. This means that unless an individual has freed themselves from all the misinformation about the dangers of birth and midwifery then each of us, to a greater or lesser extent, participates in the oppression and suppression of midwives and childbearing women; even when this means we participate in our own oppression and we silence and terrify ourselves and each other. I think the concept of the witch hunt is still a useful concept because (even without the proof) I KNOW that the practice of independent midwives is much more scrutinised in ways of that lead to the attachment of blame when things go wrong, than are obstetricians or midwives who work in institutions. When I see midwives in independent practice picked off (however randomly) and made to answer charges, so that the pool of independently practising midwives gets smaller and smaller I think the concept of a witch hunt helps us to conceptualised what is going on because we certainly can't SEE that oppression and suppression working and yet we KNOW it is happening. I'd be happy to drop the concept of a witch hunt if anyone can provide a better concept to describe the cases against so many IP midwives and the resultant fear in the remaining ones. If we, as midwives, deny that there is anything sinister occurring this will lead inexorably, I believe, to midwifery being practised in only in institutions, under medical protocols and the demise of midwifery as an independent discipline. No midwife, I believe, wants to see this but maybe I'm wrong? Kathleen Fahy -----Original Message----- From: Kerry McGovern [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, July 09, 1999 3:58 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: I hate the term "witch hunt" Hi all!! I'm a fairly "conservative" person when it comes to dealing with the bureaucracy and seeing what needs to be done and understanding why things are done. I can weave a good reasoning for most bureaucratic bungles. And, in doing so, I hope I can lead us out of the mire. But this one has me spitting chips. I heard a TV announcement this afternoon that a doctor has been charged with manslaughter for the death of a baby girl. The cyncial bit of me says "Well. There you go. Finally a doctor is being held accountable. Not before time. That proves the witch hunt thing is rubbish. Great." Then I heard the doctor's name. Guess what??? A doctor supportive of women birthing at home. Seems the witch hunt is alive and well What do you reckon??? With reluctance Kerry -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
