Order of Canada smells to high heaven

Look who also joined the order on the day Morgentaler’s award was announced. “Prime Minister For A Summer” Kim Campbell, a politician with a solid pro-abortion voting record. Only two federally appointed government members were against giving Morgentaler the award. The chair of the nine-person advisory committee, Chief Justice of Canada, Beverley McLachlin, orchestrated the whole mess and is obviously a member of the Henry Morgentaler fan club.

Looking over the list of members of the Order of Canada, you will not likely find many of them out on a Life Chain. (Past recipients include birth control advocates, population control promoters and a minister who “married” gay couples.)

Letters to the media, e-mails, faxes, petitions and websites with comments made regarding Morgentaler being named to the Order of Canada indicate a heated controversy. An Ipsos Reid poll taken recently surveyed 1,023 adults across Canada and indicated that 65 per cent supported Morgentaler for the honour.

I’ve always been suspicious of polls. It all depends on how the question is asked: “Do you favour killing unborn babies in the womb?” 80 per cent would probably say “No.” But if you asked: “Do you believe in reproductive choice for women?” 80 per cent would probably say “Yes.” Choice is a feminist buzzword that hides what they’re doing. Anyway, many Canadians like to defer to the political and social elite or feel there is no use protesting what appears to be a done deal.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty defended Morgentaler getting the Order of Canada honour and spoke, presumably about a women’s right to have an abortion: “I believe it’s a women’s right to make a very difficult decision.” True, Dalton, but don’t forget that we Catholics have the church to give us guidance.

Alistair MacKenzie of Toronto: “The good doctor, aided and abetted by the Supreme Court and successive spineless governments, changed our country forever. They have deemed that women are no longer the cradle of life, but merely a trash can to be emptied at will. For this we award a medal?”

Barton Jessup, Gabriola Island, B.C.: “The feminist and socialist pro-death advocates have overthrown Canadians’ most basic right: the right to life itself. Incredibly, they claim that this is in the name of women, ignoring the unborn women whose deaths they celebrate.”

Terry McDermott, Toronto: “On one hand, Marc Kielburger is being honoured for his work in saving the lives of children. On the other hand, Henry Morgentaler is being honoured when his only claim to fame is destroying the lives of children before they even have a chance to be born.”

Ian W. Craig, Toronto: “The council has made a really bad decision by honouring Henry Morgentaler. The value of the medal to those who have really earned it through service to all Canadians has certainly been seriously diminished.”

Jimmy Hagarty, Hespeler, Ont.: “In honouring Dr. Morgentaler with the Order of Canada, the selectors have taken the order from irrelevant to repugnant.”

Garnet A. Parr, Duncan, B.C.: “It is now better named the ‘Odour’ of Canada.”

It was just a few months ago that Morgentaler made an astounding announcement in the media that he was against partial-birth abortions, saying that at a late stage, it was the killing of a baby. The media gave it scant coverage.

Jim Hughes, national president of Campaign Life Coalition, got in touch with Morgentaler and asked him if we could, because of his newly announced position disapproving of partial-birth abortion, make common cause with pro-life advocates. Morgentaler said: “Nice try, Jim, nice try.”

Contrary to popular belief, pro-lifers don’t want Morgentaler dead, we want Morgentaler saved. Jim Hughes has been praying for Morgentaler for over 20 years. Let’s keep praying! Maybe Henry will send back that snowflake.