Give them Access
Tune: Clementine Give them access, give them medicines We have passed that Bill before But Big Pharma won’t make money And that makes them really sore. Well, Big Pharma, let us tell you That no money comes from stone When you’re sick and when you’re poor, then You depend on friends alone. C’mon, pass C-398 and Cut the tape and clear the way Send the meds to those who need them Get them moving right...
Read MoreGet Sick You’ll make Big Pharma richer
Tune: Battle Hymn Get sick in other countries and you cannot get the meds Even though they’ve made the right arrangements with the Feds The bill was passed and everything received the proper creds But we all know this rhyme – Get sick you’ll make Big Pharma richer (x3) And we think that’s a crime. So here we go again with yet another Bill to fix a problem that has been around since umpteen 96, Can we unwind and then untie red tape that really sticks And all that’s taking time. Get sick you’ll make Big Pharma richer (x3) And we don’t spend a...
Read MoreThe African Grandma
Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean All praise to the African Grandma Her daughters are dying of AIDS Her HIV sons will not be there Her hope for the future now fades. Grandma, Grandma We salute you, the road is hard Grandma, Grandma Our model for standing on guard. There’s nobody else to rely on But African Grandmas are strong They don’t have a shoulder to cry on But for little ones they’ll carry on. Grandkids, Grandkids Your Grandma will be there to give you care Grandkids, Grandkids Fear not, your Grandma is...
Read MoreWhite Poppy Ceremony, 2012
The fifth annual White Poppy Ceremony took place today at 12:45 pm without a hitch. Whereas there were more people from the 11:00 am ceremony milling about the Cenotaph than former years, there was no police presence at the north side so tension was reduced and people were quiet and respectful. Pat and Bessa spoke after the laying of the wreath, in addition to Brenda Carr Vellino, Heather Menzies and several others, all evoking peace and co-operation as an alternative to combat. Heather read John McCrae’s iconic poem, In Flanders Fields, interpreting it as a lament and not the bellicose...
Read MoreGrandmothers Rally for Bill C 398
On November 1, 2012, Canadian Grandmothers supporting African Grandmothers rallied in support of Bill C 398 intended to make inexpensive medicines available in poorer countries. On a rainy day in Ottawa, they gathered on the hill for a touching rally. The Ottawa Raging Grannies joined them and took to the stage at the end to sing three appropriate songs: The African Grandma, Get Sick, Give them Access. This was greatly appreciated.
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