This past Friday, Jan. 28, I spent an hour with 14 Chilliwack youth holding signs at the roundabout on Lickman Road. These signs read, “Canada has no abortion law,” and “34 Years is Enough.” We got a lot of reaction from people driving by, both positive and negative, and I want to explain why we were there.
Abortion is allowed in Canada at any stage of pregnancy, for any reason. Jan. 28 marked 34 years since the Supreme Court decision in the Morgentaler case, the case that removed abortion restrictions from the Criminal Code. The Court saw value in a law protecting the fetus but said that the way the law was worded at the time was unconstitutional. Parliament had the responsibility to create a new law that considered both the rights of women and the right to life of all human beings, including pre-born children. But Parliament never did that, and now they actively thwart any meaningful conversation on the issue.
Abortion is a difficult topic for many reasons. But if we can’t talk about it, we will remain the only democracy in the world that gives no legal protection to vulnerable pre-born children. Science demonstrates conclusively that the fetus is a separate living entity. That tiny human being has human rights and deserves legal protection. I spent a day holding signs for them precisely because they can’t do it themselves. In 34 years our scientific understanding has advanced. Our legal protection for the unborn hasn’t! We need a law!
Ron Neels
Chilliwack
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