Heads In The Sand

Do we really believe that ignoring the facts is the right way to go? Two different stories this week have spotlighted the same old story in Canada - we just can't bring ourselves to deal with the truth about abortion.

This week in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth introduced a motion that would see a special House committee review the Federal Criminal Code's definition of a human being. Currently, Canadian law (written 400 years ago) states that a child becomes a human being only at the moment of complete birth.

Anyone with an IQ above 60 knows that this definition is horribly wrong, yet Canada will continue to have this on the books as the pro-abortion lobby, the NDP and the Liberals scream bloody murder (pun intended). We can't have this discussion because it just might lend weight to the pro-life argument - and we certainly can't have that discussion in our civilized society.

For his part, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been backpedaling as fast as possible in order not to be painted as a radical conservative. During question period Harper noted that every private member is allowed to table bills and motions, but "This particular motion was deemed votable by an all-party committee of the House. I think that was unfortunate. In my case, I will be voting against the motion." (Emphasis mine.)

We don't have to ask what Harper's afraid of, that's been clear for a while. The media tried to paint him as a radical for years with a "secret agenda" to make abortion illegal. He has bent over backwards at every turn to demonstrate that this is simply not true. In doing so, he's grabbed hold of the center of the political spectrum and has no intention of letting it go, regardless of the truth. Sad, especially when the fact of the matter is that Canadians don't know the facts.

The second story is related. The National Post printed an article by Natalie Hudson Sonnen detailing the sham that is our country's abortion statistics. Last week the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) released the abortion stats for 2010 in Canada. They cited that there were some 64,000+ abortions in Canada, down a remarkable 40% over the last eight years. I'm sure that these stats will be used to demonstrate that sex ed is working and people's habits are changing and yada, yada, yada.

But are these stats accurate? Uh, no. In '04 there were over 100,000 abortions reported in Canada, and even then they admitted those figures were likely 10% low, as private clinics are not required to report. How far off are the statistics today? Take Quebec for example, with usually one of the highest yearly abortion figures - at least 30,000. This year's stats show that they had precisely 0 abortions. Yes, that's zero.

Ontario reported a total of 28,765 abortions in 2010, yet a freedom of information request showed that there were actually 43,997. You do the math. The so-called drop in abortions is actually an increase to well over 110,000. We just don't know how much because the clinics (and even the provinces) don't have to report. I guess if we don't report it then it didn't happen and we don't really have a problem.

This whole issue is beyond shameful for Canada. We are deliberately allowing the murder of viable babies in their mother's wombs and squelching all public debate because we find it uncomfortable. How Canadian of us. I have to agree with Mother Teresa here, who said "Any country that accepts abortion is the poorest of the poor." Civilized? I don't think so.

Related Articles:
Can We Talk? I Guess Not.
What is a "wrongful birth?"
When is Killing Your Baby Okay?
Why the abortion issue won't go away
Canada Now an Abortion Destination