I just completed reading 20th Anniversary of Regina v. Morgentaler Of What Difference? Reflections on the Judgment and Abortion in Canada Today. This was a feminist symposium in 2008 to celebrate (their word) the twenty year anniversary of the Morgentaler court case; the case that opened the flood gates for fully funded nationally available abortion that gave women their "right" to abortion on demand.
(As I've stated elsewhere, the ruling never actually granted a Charter right to abortion but abortion advocates like to pretend it did. They believe that if they say something long enough and often enough, people will think it’s true.)
After I read the document I was left with a feeling of immense sadness.
This phenomenal increase in women’s rights was accomplished by a corresponding elimination of all rights to the unborn child.
The word "Rights" is used 75 times in the document: it talks about Charter rights, Sexual rights, Reproductive rights, Equality rights, Human rights, Abortion rights, Women's rights, Fundamental rights and Our rights--all as they relate to women.
The only nod to father’s rights was preceded by a "so-called" as in "so-called fathers rights", the common derogatory term we use when we want to belittle or make fun of something.
Any mention of the unborn or fetal rights was again always in the negative sense as in:
"if we acknowledge the current ascendant discourse is one of the unborn child, then we as feminists and supporters of choice for women must re-insert the women in the social vernacular, and start again from the premise that the pregnant woman and the unborn child speak with one voice, and that voice is hers."
It's always about the woman.
I imagined a Martian sitting at the back of the room watching the proceedings and listening to the speeches as one half of this foreign human species--the half that is the carrier of the offspring of the species--celebrated their rights to be allowed to kill the newest members of their own species.
(to be continued...)
Part 1...Women's "Rights"
Part 2...When the truth isn't the truth
Part 3...Translating Dr. Henry Morgentaler
Part 4...Why late-term abortions are not inconsequential
Thank you Pat, for going through this document ( what a task) and commenting on it. It certainly goes to show how cowardly we have become as a society. Not something to be proud of. Very sad indeed!
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