The DISorder of Canada

JENNIFER DICK
Guest Commentary

Each year on this day we celebrate the birth of our country. It seems rather ironic and sickening to me that the man responsible for preventing the birth of so many Canadians will be awarded Canada’s most prestigious Order of Canada. On Canada Day, abortionist Henry Morgentaler was honoured for being Canada's Father of Abortion. Not everyone will feel as I do, but in my opinion, and in the opinion of millions of other Canadians, it is a disgrace to my country to call such a man a hero in our nation. Canadian Pro Life groups are absolutely appalled at this decision. I’m with Douglas Farrow of the National Post, who wrote, “Henry Morgentaler’s Canada is not my Canada.”
This is the first time in history that the Order of Canada Advisory Committee has appointed someone without their normal unanimous consent. Back in February of this year, it was reported by LifeSiteNews that a group of abortion supporters were attempting to force an Order of Canada nomination of Dr. Morgentaler. This was followed by public outrage, which quickly dissipated with the media release from the office of the Governor General, who is responsible for granting the award, demonstrating that the list for 2008 nominations did not include Dr. Morgentaler. However, the regular Order of Canada Advisory Committee process may have been changed in order to ensure a Morgentaler nomination. In a June 28 email bulletin 4MYCANADA reported that "Normally anyone who receives this award does so by unanimous consent of the committee that approves nominees. From what we understand at this point, this committee, headed by Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin, PC, decided to override that protocol and take this one to a democratic vote on the committee. The majority of the committee voted in favour of Morgentaler's nomination and so, for (what we understand) may be the first time in history, the committee appointed someone without their normal unanimous consent - someone who millions of Canadians would not consider a hero in our nation."
In his article in the National Post on Monday, columnist Douglas Farrow reported that the decision is clearly not driven by popular demand: “For example, an online poll by the Globe and Mail, with over 300,000 respondents, went 92 per cent to 8 per cent against giving the award to Morgentaler.”
It is extremely disrespectful to the people of Canada for the committee to decide to give out such a controversial award, when it so gravely offends a very substantial number of Canadians. What does this say about the state of democracy in Canada?
It is well known that Morgentaler, more than any other person, is accountable for the fact that Canada currently has absolutely no law restricting or regulating abortion. Many people are unaware that this means up until the full delivery of an infant, or “fetus” as the medical community would like for me to call it (and clearly scientific terminology is used as a rather effective means of depersonalization and in this case dehumanization) a doctor can legally take the life of him or her. In simple terminology, this means the baby’s brains may legally be sucked out of its head, so long as part of the baby is still within the birth canal. They call this partial-birth abortion.
I don’t know about you, but I find this horrific and nauseating. Even most people who are pro-abortion agree that this procedure is unnecessary and brutal. However, Canadian legislation allows it, thanks to Dr. Morgentaler. Although some argue that Morgentaler’s “bravery” in bringing down an “unjust” law restricting abortions must not go unrewarded, many others argue that the real injustice is that Canada has no law at all against cutting up babies in the womb, or even half way exposed from the birth canal — indeed ours is the only “civilized” country without such a law.
I, for one, have lost my desire to celebrate Canada Day.