Pat O’Brien
President, Humanist Association of Canada
humanist.canada@gmail.com
www.humanistcanada.com

HUMAN RIGHTS NOT UP FOR DEBATE

Vancouver, ON, Jan 2, 2009 – “Tory MP Rod Bruinooge (MP Winnipeg South) wants to turn back the clock on women’s rights in this country” says The Humanist Association of Canada (HAC) president Pat O’Brien. HAC stands behind the right of women to decide the fate of their bodies. The mark of any advanced civilized society, one in which all persons are treated equally is where the emancipation of women has been complete. Mr. Bruinooge wants to return to the days of patriarchal tyranny over women, in particular a women's right to choose.

As an aboriginal person, Mr. Bruinooge should understand better than most, the effects of a paternal state deciding what is best for others. Mr. Bruniooge and his secret caucus are looking to re-open the debate on abortion when there is clearly no need to. There is no need because the system is not broken; there is no need for life-threatening “back street” abortions and no need to deny people the freedom to make a choice as their conscience dictates. Do we want a secret caucus deciding the conscience of the nation? Are we to have confidence in the moral compass of those who would seek to control the lives of individual Canadians from behind a veil of secrecy? Can the members of this caucus not stand to have their views judged in the light of day? Do we want any government person, department, ministry or caucus climbing back into the private lives of Canadians?

Mr. Bruinooge and his ilk are attempting to introduce a George Bush, right-wing, evangelical Christian doctrine into Canadian public life.

WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT

We remind Mr. Bruinooge once again what happened to his own people when the church was allowed to become entwined with government policy. There was a time when children in residential schools were whipped with coat hangers Mr. Bruinooge forgets the other inhuman use for coat hangers.

In a pathetic attempt to garner support Mr. Bruinooge compares selling a kidney on eBay to having an abortion. Since it is also illegal and immoral to sell a baby on eBay but not immoral to donate a kidney or put up a baby for adoption, one wonders what Mr. Bruinooge is trying to say. Clearly his statement is an attempt to confuse the issue. Unfortunately for Mr. Bruinooge, the Canadian public is much smarter than he would give them credit for.

It is time for Canadians to stand up against this blatant attempt to impose public interference in a very private issue, to deny women their right of self-determination and to criminalize what is now a safe, effective medical procedure.