On Canada Day, the rumours that had been circulating for the preceding few days turned out to be true. Dr. Henry Morgentaler, Canada’s most preeminent abortionist was named to the prestigious (or previously prestigious) Order of Canada.
Abortion is, was, and always will be a controversial issue. It is one of the few issues that is present in society to which there can simply be no compromise. Morgentaler is by far the most controversial person to receive the award since the Order of Canada was created in 1967. To his supporters, the doctor is a fully blown hero, making it possible and legal for women to safely terminate their pregnancies. To his foes, who believe that life begins at conception he is a baby killer and is responsible for deaths in numbers that would make Stalin and Hitler blush.
The reality is that although pro life forces will never end their quest to stop the practice, abortion has not been an issue in Canada since 1988 when the Supreme Court ruled that the Criminal Code provisions outlawing abortion were unconstitutional. And there is absolutely no indication that this government or a future government will attempt to reverse that decision in the near future. In the brief flicker of a flame that was Paul Martin’s reign as prime minister, he constantly floated the idea that if Stephen Harper and the Tories ever formed the government, they would introduce legislation to once again make abortions illegal. Even today there are those who believe that if Harper ever wins a majority, legal abortions in Canada will end. The truth of course is that Harper has had a de facto majority government; simply labeling a motion as one of confidence had the Liberals running away from the House en masse, leaving the Bloc and the NDP powerless to oppose the government. Abortion is not even on the radar screen.
The naming of Henry Morgentaler as a member of the Order of Canada speaks more about what Canada is as a country than it does about abortion. Governor General Michaëlle Jean and most of those who sit on the panel that recommends those who should receive the Order of Canada, are elite leftists. While many Canadians are naturally upset over the naming of Morgentaler, no one should actually be surprised.
The awarding of the Order of Canada to Henry Morgentaler was bound to be divisive and there is simply no doubt that the Governor General and those on the panel who recommended Morgentaler knew this. They just didn’t care. These elites are always preaching tolerance and diversity but this tolerance only extends to those with whom they agree. The great Canadian concept of diversity was never meant to include Christians and others who believe that life begins at conception. Those who constantly preach diversity are the same ones who vehemently oppose the diversity of ideas. It’s not that the liberal elites don’t agree with what those who champion the right to life believe; they deny that their opinions and views are even legitimate. Those who believe in the right to life are, as are fetuses, non persons. They really have no place in this country.
Anyone who thought that Michaëlle Jean might have overridden her panel’s recommendations is living in a parallel universe. Jean was appointed to her post by Paul Martin, who chose her because she was a black woman who came to Canada as a refugee. She was a living example of Canada’s tolerance and diversity. Of course she worked for the CBC so Martin didn’t have to worry about the possibility of her having a diversity of ideas. And speaking once again of Paul Martin, he expressed the viewpoint of the elite left when he said those who hold views such as social conservatives do are “un-Canadian”.
The motto of the Order of Canada is “DESIDERANTES MELIOREM PATRIAM” – “They desire a better country”. The real issue is not abortion. It is that the views and beliefs of people who hold contrary views to Jean and her ilk simply don’t matter. The elites’ view of a “better country” is one free from anyone who dares to disagree with them.
Looked at in this way, Henry Morgentaler is the perfect choice to be inducted into the Order of Canada.
