…you are the furthest removed from being “unbiased” that you could possibly be. The simple fact that you work in an abortion clinic means you don’t see anything at all wrong with women killing their unborn children. In fact, you likely view it as “compassionate”–again, not unbiased at all. They are encouraging women to be completely distant from their own child, from their own bodies in which the child is living so that they can experience a short-term relief from what could be a bigger, broader problem.
“Accurate information” I’ll grant you–is hard to come by in this area–again, those working in an abortion clinic are not well-placed to offer it.
No, being “pro-choice” does not mean being “unbiased”. That’s all I’ll say about this letter to the editor from the director of a (the?) Calgary abortion clinic:
Dr. Stanislaw Iwanicki’s letter is a prime example of the anti-choice movement’s conceited attitudes. He makes the tiresome mistake of equating pro-choice with pro-abortion by saying women should be counselled by an unbiased third party. Pro-choice is the unbiased position.
It means you believe women should be free to choose to continue a pregnancy or terminate it. Pro-choice counsellors are respectful of the decision-making process and provide accurate information to women. They do not seek to influence through scare tactics and junk science as pro-life doctors and pro-life counselling agencies do. Pro-choice counsellors would never refuse referrals or assistance to a woman choosing to continue her pregnancy.
Refusing to refer or assist is unethical; a practice engaged in by those who lack respect for women and their reproductive rights.
His patronizing suggestion of a time out to “allow the patient an opportunity to reflect upon her decision” dismisses women’s intelligence and moral agency.
It is ignorant of the decision-making process women go through when faced with an unwanted pregnancy, the wait times to obtain abortions, and the counselling they receive prior to the procedure. His criticism of doctors who have the courage, skill and compassion to provide abortions can easily be redirected back to those me-first, anti-choice doctors who abandon pregnant women who choose to terminate their pregnancies–after billing for their services, of course.
Celia Posyniak, Calgary
Celia Posyniak Is Executive Director Of The Kensington Clinic.
by 
Wow, that’s so patronizing, wanting people to have sufficient time to think before making a life-changing decision.
Pro-choice is not the unbiased decision, not by a long shot. How many stories have we heard about women who went into Planned Parenthood, found out the pregnancy test was positive, and the next thing they heard was “we can schedule you for an abortion next week”?
Oh, have you guys seen this in The Onion? Proof that satire can be hard-hitting…
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/son_its_time_we_have_a_talk?utm_source=b-section
Perhaps Celia should be asked to how many girls has she suggested adoption.
Oh my. I never thought The Onion would reduce me to tears.
Is it even possible to be truly unbiased when it comes to abortion? The intensity of what abortion actually is makes it a very polarizing issue. The closest thing to being unbiased would be complete indifference, and I doubt a person who is apathetic to the abortion debate would be in any position to offer advice.
Since I believe that any self labeled pro-life or pro-choice person is necessarily biased, I would then be more interested in what a counselor stands to gain by converting me to their position. A pro-choice counselor is employed by an agency that profits from abortion. A pro-life counselor is (usually) an unpaid volunteer.
Who, then, better fits the description of “unbiased”? Someone who is motivated by a paycheck and is required to be there or someone who is motivated by personal convictions and is sacrificing their time? The answer seems pretty obvious to me.
There’s so much wrong with this….
“me-first, anti-choice doctors”
What do they seek to gain?
“after billing for their services, of course.”
I could almost laugh. almost. I realize she is speaking about doctors here, but how many crises pregnancy centers charge for their services? None that I know about. How many planned parenthoods and the like charge for their services? Think about it.
This is how pro-choicers stifle debate: by redefining terms. If pro-choice becomes neutral, than pro-life is not an equal and opposing side but some kind of ultra-conservative, reactionary position.