I don’t know anything about Mayor Ron Wallace.  But I would like to shake his hand.  I do not know whether he is a Catholic, a Protestant, a Jew or an atheist.  But he would get my vote in an election, because he is a man of principle – so unlike the majority of our politicians today.

According to December’s Interim, Mr. Wallace was an amateur boxing champion.  At the age of 73, he has transferred his physical courage in the boxing ring to moral courage in the political arena on a far more important issue – the defence of babies in their mothers’ wombs.

In case any of my readers are wondering what and about whom I am writing, here are some of the pertinent facts.

Straight from the Shoulder

Ron Wallace is Mayor of Halifax, the city in which abortionist Henry Morgentaler wants to go into the business of killing the pre-born.  The Mayor and council opposed the application and have, so far, been successful in preventing the opening of another house of death.

The Mayor was asked by a confrontational CBC-TV anchorman if his strong pro-life stance isn’t “politically dangerous.”  The Mayor replied with a right to the jaw, “Yes, but it is bigger than the office.”  I think that is the most succinct and superb summing up of the principle “Morals versus Votes” I have heard.  There is an echo of the famous statement of Thomas More as he prepared to lay his head on the block – “I die, the King’s good servant, but God’s first.”

I sincerely hope that Mr. Wallace’s courageous statement has been read and digested by the “Catholic” Prime Minister, the “Catholic” Minister for External Affairs, the “Catholic” Leader of the Opposition and the many other so-called “Christian” politicians, who see political office as much bigger than moral principle, moral integrity and even the value of thousands of human lives.

A Challenge to the Prime Minister

In an exclusive interview with The Interim, Ron Wallace expanded on his TV statement by issuing a direct challenge to Brian Mulroney.  He said, “There is no safe political position in abortion.  But the middle of the road is where the white line is and that’s where you get hit.”  I presume he was referring to Mr. Mulroney’s “milk and water” statement about mixing “water with his wine.”  The Mayor went on to say that he can’t understand Mulroney in his demand for cabinet solidarity.  He explained, “You can’t forget your conscience just because you are in the cabinet.  No matter how strong his control of the cabinet is, he should not control the conscience of any member of the cabinet.” Wallace added, “They should not give him control of their consciences when they are dealing with a matter of life and death.”  If the penalty for voting against the proposed abortion bill is being dismissed from the cabinet it is, in my opinion, blackmail of the most despicable kind.  If any member of the cabinet votes for the bill against the dictate of his or her conscience, such a person is unworthy to represent a constituency in Canada or anywhere else.

Herod

The lucid and forthright statements made by Mayor Wallace should be self-evident.  But, unfortunately, in the current muddled and compromising atmosphere of our parliament, they are far from it.  In Canada today, the destruction of unborn baby seals is illegal.  The destruction of our unborn human babies is legal.  Judged by present moral standards, King Herod would be a very suitable candidate for Prime Minister of Canada!

Fr. Ted’s December 1989 column should have included the following information.  “St. Rita’s is a Spiritan parish, the first in Canada.”