OrilliaMatters received the following letter from Greg Groen in response to a letter from Doug Lewis that was published earlier this week.
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Former MP Doug Lewis made a fundamental error in his recent letter on abortion.
It's true that it is fine for any individual, including MPs and MPPs, to have their own opinions and beliefs on this matter. It does not follow that it is OK to express or promote these beliefs, especially when to do so is in direct opposition to their ability to do their job, as is the case here.
There should be room in all parties for a wide range of ideas, opinions and thoughts. In fact one of the biggest problems we have in our system is the fact that party leadership do not allow independent discourse or voting among their elected members.
However, there is one fundamental issue that is beyond the scope of reasonable dissent, and that is upholding our fundamental rights, freedoms and equality, and that is exactly what this is about.
It must be pointed out that we are not talking about an individual’s personal position.
The reason the abortion issue is so prominent in the news is due to legislation that was introduced south of the border and the pledge by a young and misguided MPP. This is not holding a personal opinion; these are direct threats on the rights of women to control their own bodies.
While abortion is not in itself a Charter right, any attempt to remove a woman’s rights to control their body and reproduction would be a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, making abortion a de facto right for Canadian women.
Sam Oosterhoff’s comments that he wishes to abolish abortion rights are a direct attack on the Charter and on the rights of every single Canadian.
In the case of Oosterhoff, it goes even further than this. It is difficult to imagine anyone who is less qualified to speak out on this issue than he is.
This is a 21-year-old, male, homeschooled individual with almost no experience outside his small and isolated community circles.
This individual is going after our rights simply because he has no idea what he is talking about or what the issue entails, emboldened by strict religious training.
Full and unrestricted access to abortion is fundamental to a woman’s ability to control her future, to pursue a career and education, or even to start a business.
American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it best, “The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman’s life, to her well-being, and dignity. When the government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a full adult human responsible for her own choices.”
It is unacceptable for any MP or MPP in Canada to advocate stripping personal agency from any member of our society.
Greg Groen
Oro-Medonte
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