Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ROTHENBURGER -- Abortion certainly isn’t a non-issue in this country, but there’s no sign it will become a serious issue in this year’s federal election


An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
Used with permission -- credit to CFJC Today

WILL THE ANTI-ABORTION DEBATE return to a neighbourhood near us?

A lot of people seem to be asking that question as the issue suddenly returns to the headlines south of the border, where several states have approved pro-life legislation aimed at turning back the clock.


Using so-called “heartbeat bills,” they impose ridiculous penalties on those who participate in abortions after set time limits of a few weeks of pregnancy. And several other states are preparing to jump on the bandwagon.

There was a time, 30 years ago, when the abortion debate raged in B.C. and in this community. Nobody wants to be “anti” something, so the anti-abortion advocates took on the name “Pro Life.” And nobody wants to be “pro” something like abortion, either, so the other side assumed the moniker “pro choice.”

The actual meaning of “pro choice” is now part of the renewed debate, with pro-choicers saying they don’t advocate abortion for everyone, so that’s pro-choice. And on it goes.

Unless your old like Methuselah, you probably don’t remember the days when Royal Inland Hospital was ruled by its own board, and when elections to that board were fought on the abortion issue.

And when pro-lifers planted pretend-tombstones in front of the hospital, each representing an abortion carried out at the hospital, and then rallied with placards.

Those weren’t pleasant times. They were the times of Dr. Henry Morgentaler and his chain of abortion clinics, and finally winning a constitutional challenge. He was awarded the Order of Canada for that.

Abortion certainly isn’t a non-issue in this country, but there’s no sign it will become a serious issue in this year’s federal election.

In a country that pays for abortions with medicare, it’s hard to imagine going back; but never say never.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.


Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BC cannot regulate, redesign, and reinterpret its way to a stable forestry sector. Communities need clear rules, predictable timelines, and accountability for results.

Photo credit:  Atli Resources LP   BC’s Forestry Crisis Continues with Closure of Beaver Cove Chip Facility   As industry leaders, Indigenous partners, and contractors gather this week at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George, the gap between government rhetoric and reality could not be clearer. Just hours after the Eby government once again touted reconciliation, certainty, and economic opportunity under DRIPA, Atli Chip Ltd, a company wholly owned by the ’Na̱mg̱is First Nation, announced it is managing the orderly closure of its Beaver Cove chip facility. The closure comes despite public tax dollars, repeated government announcements, and assurances that new policy frameworks would stabilize forestry employment and create long-term opportunity in rural and coastal British Columbia. “British Columbians are being told one story, while communities are living another,” said Ward Stamer, Critic for Forests. “This closure makes it clear that announcement...
Post a Comment
Read more

Stamer: Hope for Forestry Completely Shattered After Another Provincial Review Driven by DRIPA

IMAGE CREDIT:  Provincial Forestry Advisory Council Conservative Critic for Forests Ward Stamer says the final report from the Provincial Forestry Advisory Council confirms the worst fears of forestry workers and communities; instead of addressing the real issues driving mill closures and job losses, the NDP has produced a report that ignores industry realities and doubles down on governance restructuring. Despite years of warnings from forestry workers, contractors, and industry organizations about permitting delays, regulatory costs, fibre access, and the failure of BC Timber Sales, the PFAC report offers no urgency, no timelines, and no concrete action to stop the ongoing decline of the sector. “ This report completely shatters any remaining hope that the government is serious about saving forestry ,” said Stamer.  “ We didn’t need another study to tell us what industry has been saying for years. While mills close and workers lose their livelihoods, the NDP is focused on re...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH – My question is, ‘How do we decide who is blue enough to be called a Conservative?’

How do we decide who’s blue enough to be a Conservative? AS OF TODAY (Friday January 30 th ), there are now eight individuals who have put their names forward to lead the Conservative Party of British Columbia. Having been involved with BC’s Conservatives since 2010, and having seen MANY ups and downs, having 8 people say “I want to lead the party” is to me, an incredible turn-around from the past. Sadly, however, it seems that our party cannot seem to shake what I, and others, call a purity test of ‘what is a Conservative’. And that seems to have already come to the forefront of the campaign by a couple of candidates. Let me just say as a Conservative Party of BC member, and as someone active in the party, that frustrates me to no end. Conservatives, more than any other political philosophy or belief, at least to me, seems to have the widest and broadest spectrum of ideals.   For the most part, they are anchored by these central thoughts --- smaller and less intru...
1 comment
Read more

Labels

Show more