They’ve signed a law banning late term abortions:

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin on Wednesday signed into law a prohibition on abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, making it the fourth state to ban such late-term abortions. She also signed a law preventing health insurers from covering elective abortions.

And way to go, Gov. Mary Fallin. See? Some women do have gumption. Although I can imagine the political pressures in Oklahoma are very different from here.

It hit the news today that a Conservative MP seeking re-election, Brad Trost (SK) said that Planned Parenthood was denied funding because they support abortion.

First of all, we don’t actually know that Planned Parenthood was denied funding.

Secondly, there are pro-life MPs in this country because there are pro-lifers in this country. This is not shocking. Pro-life Canadians look for pro-life candidates to represent them. Brad Trost is one of them.

 Thirdly, too bad Stephen Harper is more concerned with control than free speech. Brad Trost should be allowed to say what he wants, because he represents pro-life constituents, and is pro-life. There are pro-lifers, both Liberal and Conservative (and even NDP! gasp!) and this is, again, not shocking. They should be allowed to speak freely. And they should work to defund pro-abortion agencies of government money. In point of fact, we should not be paying for abortions through state-funded medical care. Talk about controversial politics, but that would be my first move if I were a politician, which I’m not. If you want abortion, don’t make me pay for it. (It’s the pro-life version of “if you don’t like abortion, don’t have one” so often thrust my way by angry pro-choicers.) I digress.

It’s entirely disappointing when abortion becomes so taboo that no one can mention it, period, without the media and some politicos getting their knickers in a knot.

A final thought: This will continue to happen, every single election campaign so long as we continue to pretend that the “issue is settled.”

Here ends the rant.

You know, all it would take is one strong woman. That’s all. For Pete’s sake. I know abortion is the third rail in politics but it really doesn’t have to be and I don’t understand why even women like Elizabeth May who previously have said reasonable things on abortion (“I don’t think a woman has a frivolous right to choose. What I don’t want is a desperate woman to die in an illegal abortion”) feels she has to backpeddle so furiously. As she does, here.

You know, there are those who criticize the American political scene because there are politicians who become pro-life in order to run. Yes, it’s true. They aren’t really pro-life but they say they are, in order to win votes. (Unheard of!) In any event, that is just as bad as the Canadian scene where politicians apparently would rather jam a fork in their eye than say they are pro-life, even if they are.  Simple truths like “abortion is wrong,” or “partial-birth abortion is deplorable” should not be so hard to say. Or how about a simple “I’m pro-life, so deal with it”?

You’ll recall Ruth Lobo for standing up to the Ottawa police before she was handcuffed and taken away in a police van for wanting to do a pro-life display on her own university campus. If you found that inspiring, as I did, then here’s a good opportunity to support her as she continues to combat the injustice of abortion:

A fundraising dinner and Silent Auction, to
support Pro-Life missionaries Ruth Lobo and James Shaw

April 30th, 2011
Dinner Served at 7:15 PM

Notre Dame Cathedral 375 Sussex Dr. Ottawa, Ontario
•Keynote Speaker: Jason Jones (producer of award-winning film Bella)
•Dinner includes Green Salad, Pasta (Vegetarian and Meat), Cinnamon
sponge cake, Wine, Cheese
•Only 100 Tickets at $20
•email PMLauzon at gmail.com or ruthie.lobo at gmail.com to reserve
•Silent Auction (Looking for Donated Items of $20-$50 value, or more)

Apparently, Heritage Minister James Moore wrote an article when he was a student decrying late term abortions and also the media’s biased reporting of abortion. There’s a couple of deplorable things going on here.

One is that the media saw fit to print this story. If ever there was a desperate, fear-mongering political strategy going on in unearthing this article from ten plus years ago, this is it. Also, if there ever was one Conservative who is without a doubt, completely and totally NOT socially conservative, aka pro-life, it is James Moore.

Secondly, it’s deplorable and sad that decrying partial birth abortions would somehow tarnish one’s political reputation in this country.

Finally, it’s deplorable that James Moore isn’t standing by his original piece, which sounds to have been entirely reasonable.

On May 5, my workplace is hosting a conference. Brad Wilcox and Mark Regnerus are the big name speakers, and I know they will be interesting. But I’m actually most looking forward to hearing Jonas Himmelstrand discuss family matters in Sweden.

For so long we’ve heard much rhetoric about how successful the socialist Swedish model is (particularly with regards to providing daycare for all and long parental leaves) but Jonas actually lives there and he has a different take. And has written a book about it, soon to be coming out in English.

In any event, this conference is open to the public. That’s all of you. So if you are in Ottawa on May 5, stop on by. What better way to fill your post-election hours? Early bird registration rate ends on Sunday, April 17.

This article is about still borns and how difficult it is. That is, of course, true. I just couldn’t help but think about all the aborted babies when I read this:

…[M]ost babies born still are quickly “disposed of” without being held, named or given a funeral. …These lives that will never be lived, this source of incalculable heartbreak, cries out for attention.

Babies disposed of. Incalculable heartbreak. Crying out for attention. Really? This from André Picard, the Globe and Mail health reporter who acted as a shill so that Morgentaler could get his Order of Canada.

I believe abortion is not solely a women’s issue because I think men ought to be involved with and responsible for their unborn children, too.

Others believe it because they think men have babies. No really.

I like the fact that Carleton Lifeline is looking to make positive and permanent changes to the environment students face on campus. They are asking for a judicial review of the student association’s policies. The press release below explains it all. By the way, clarifying the student union’s contradictory actions will help all students, not just pro-life students. Other student groups, for example, those who support Israel, are often the target of student union discrimination, as well.

For Immediate Release: Pro life clubs asks Court to Judicially Review student union’s decisions and policies

Ottawa—After their club status was denied November 15, 2010, Carleton Lifeline has filed a Notice of Application for Judicial Review of the Carleton University Students Association’s (CUSA) decisions and policies.

The clubs status was revoked after CUSA acted on sections 5 and 6 of their Discrimination on Campus Policy. Section 6 reads, “CUSA further affirms that actions such as any campaign, distribution, solicitation, lobbying effort, display, event etc. that seeks to limit or remove a woman’s right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy will not be supported. As such, no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding will be allocated for the purpose of promoting these actions”.

This section is in direct contravention of CUSA’s Constitution, which declares that CUSA will “promote and assist in maintaining an academic environment free from prejudice, exploitation, abuse or violence on the basis of… political affiliation or belief” (Article 2.1.d).

Carleton Lifeline exhausted the internal appeal mechanisms, culminating in a challenge of the decision and policy in a hearing before the CUSA Constitutional Board. In a meeting that did not follow CUSA’s own protocol, and violated policies, the Constitutional Board unanimously ruled against Carleton Lifeline’s challenge.  On December 16, 2010, the Constitutional Board ruled in favour of the policies and upheld the ban on pro-life groups on campus.

Ruth Lobo, Carleton Lifeline president, stated, “Lifeline deserves to be treated the same way as other clubs. For this reason, we are asking a panel of judges to review CUSA’s decisions and policies. We hoped that we could not have had to proceed this way, but we feel very strongly that we have been treated unjustly”.

Carleton Lifeline sought to have the appeal reheard due to the Constitutional Board’s violation of board rules. However, CUSA refused. John Mcleod said, “This is overt discrimination. After our club was banned on the basis of our political beliefs were then banned from a fair hearing. The fact that CUSA cannot respect their own policies shows its inability to function as a voice for the student body”.  As a result, the club has filed a Notice of Application for Judicial Review.

This letter, by one Thomas Ross of Calgary, longs for the day when people will begin “thinking rationally.” Here’s his view now:

A seed is not a plant. An egg is not a chicken. A fetus is not a human. A fetus does not become a living human until after birth when it takes its first breath of air. Before that, it is a parasite living in its mother’s environment and feeding off of her nutrients. You cannot murder something that is not living; that would be like if I stabbed a pop can and was arrested for assault. I long for the day when people realize it is not their business to tell others what they can and can’t do in their lives, and start thinking rationally. Sadly, I think we will all be long gone before anything like that happens.

Thomas Ross, Calgary

 I cannot tell a lie: I laughed out loud when I hit the “thinking rationally” part.