Some Limits Needed

My sister's letter in the Ottawa Citizen today


http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Some+limits+needed/2560671/story.html

The Ottawa Citizen February 13, 2010

Re: Don't ignore reproductive rights, Feb. 11.
Columnist Elizabeth Payne writes that "This government can't talk about improving global maternal health without talking about access to contraception and abortion." I think that she assumes our sad Canadian reality of no abortion law is a good thing and should now be exported to Third World countries, too.
Most Canadians, including many who call themselves pro-choice, believe that there should be some limits on abortion. As did the Supreme Court justices in their Morgentaler decision in 1988 when they said it was up to Parliament to provide protection for the unborn. Parliament, sadly, continues to not heed the Supreme Court's advice.
Then in an astonishing display of irony, Payne writes that "For Canada to lead a G8 campaign promoting maternal and child health in the poorest parts of the world that ignores reproductive rights would be both counterproductive and paternalistic."
For Canadians to impose our any-time, any-reason, or no-reason, abortion realities to Third World countries, takes the notion of being paternalistic to new lows.Patricia Maloney,

Ottawa
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen