Back to maternal health: Dr. Leiva in today’s Ottawa Citizen:

Proper choice should include options for those methods that respect the social, cultural and religious values of the people in the developing world. Abortion is certainly not one of them.

The only other G8 story I’ve seen is about nuclear partnerships. If I were Prime Minister, I’d be tired of the whole maternal health saga by now too. That said, people on our side should tire him out more by sending friendly letters in support of his position not to include abortion in a maternal health mandate.

If we profess certain principles, now is the time to voice them privately to the Prime Minister’s office, and publicly, too.

I like this ad, and I disagree with the criticism. We have way too many Hollywood starlets breaking up their families, for example, as if it works out hunky dory for everyone, when the reality is that wealth does smooth over some (not all) of the difficulties. Since personal trainers/make-up artists/nanny support etc. aren’t available to everyone, why shouldn’t we stare those facts in the face? Bristol Palin is in a unique situation. And it would be wrong not to acknowledge that.

That said, the next ad could address all the difficulties for a child, whether rich or poor, privileged or not, of growing up fatherless…

David Cameron, Conservative leader in the upcoming election, says he would support a reduction in the abortion limit from 24 to 22 or 20 weeks.

The usual suspects chime in. It’s so rare! And it’s only for those who are really disadvantaged! And our position is so precarious, we can’t suffer the smallest change.

I don’t think it takes a doctrinal expert to know that Catholics for Choice is a bit like Vegetarians for Meat. Come on. Really? You guys have been spending too much time with Nancy Pelosi. And on that note, I think it bears adding that this isn’t an active Canadian group, so far as I can tell.

Anyway, they are criticizing the maternal health mandate. I think it serves their purposes to do so, as part of the healthcare debate south of the border.

This is a reasonable proposal on the maternal health initiative, sure. It’s like this: If someone wants to kill their spouse, but decides they don’t actually want to do the dirty deed, then it is reasonable to hire someone else to do it. You see? Reasonable.

Why did Status of Women Canada fund a pro-abortion group to do a disinformation campaign about crisis pregnancy centres?

Your tax dollars at work.

This writer claims she is so very rational and logical and reasonable. Methinks she doth protest too much. 

She responds to someone who says she wants to broaden the discussion about The Pill, asking:

If you’re just asking questions and broadening the discussion, why is it so wrong to come to the conclusion that you want to be on the pill?  Why the self-flagellation, if this is about broadening the discussion?

The answer to that, I think, is pretty simple: A very high percentage of women are on The Pill and unaware of side effects of The Pill. They are unaware of any effective replacements for The Pill. I think statistics say 90 per cent of women will be on The Pill at some point in their lives. Therefore, any broadening of the discussion ain’t going to start with getting more women on it.

She’s allowed to rant and defend The Pill and call it natural and do whatever she wants… it’s her web site. I just somewhat resent her doing so as an ambassador of logic. She’s just as emotional as the rest of us.

This letter by a doctor in Oregon about euthanasia and assisted suicide is interesting. It made me think of those women I’ve heard of who wished they hadn’t had a choice because they felt like they were a burden, and were pressured into having abortions:

[The patient] acknowledged that multiple sclerosis was a major challenge and told me that if he got too much worse, he might want to “just end it.” “ It sounds like you are telling me this, because you might ultimately want assistance with your own suicide- if things got a worse,” I said.  He nodded affirmatively, and seemed relieved that I really understood what he was feeling. I told him that I could readily appreciate his fear and frustration and even his belief that assisted suicide might be a good option for him. At the same time, I told him that should he become sicker or weaker, I would work to give him the best care and support available. At the same time, I told him that no matter how debilitated he might become, that, at least to me, his life was, and would always be, inherently valuable. As such, I would not recommend, nor could I participate in his assisted-suicide.  In response, he simply said, “Thank you.”

Point being, I don’t think offering abortion offers too much hope or love to too many, in particular the very many who feel pressured into not keeping their babies in the first place, be it by boyfriends, spouses, parental expectations or self expectations.