It seems that the Ontario Attorney General’s commitment to enforcing the law operates on a double standard these days. Look at the continued prosecution of store owners opening illegally on Sunday and the lack of similar action against Toronto’s two illegal abortuaries.
Paul Magder is a Toronto furrier who has been challenging Sunday-closing laws for many years. His case is now being decided by the Supreme Court and yet police officers continue to lay charges regularly for his continuing violations of the law.
Henry Morgentaler and Robert Scott, in contrast, have been violating Canadian abortion laws for many years. Morgentaler’s appeal is now being decided by the Supreme Court and yet Attorney General Ian Scott blocks new charges and refuses to allow charges already laid from proceeding through the courts, until the Supreme Court rules.
While it is unpopular in many quarters to state it, Canada is just over 90 per cent Christian and Christians have a serious obligation to preserve a day of rest and worship. In this culture Sunday has always been that day and should remain so. Members of other faiths, with other days of worship, equally have a right to have their religious needs recognized and accommodated.
When it comes to Sunday shopping, we are glad that the current law is being enforced. When it comes to abortion, we want the 1969 legislation reversed. But, in the meantime, we expect that at the very least the abortion law should be enforced by the police and politicians. Hospital therapeutic abortion committees must stop rubber-stamping abortions for socio-economic reasons – reasons which are not allowed in the law – and the illegal abortuaries must be charged and kept closed until the judicial process is complete.
Attorney General Ian Scott full well that he cannot please all the people all the time. He should also know that he cannot please any of the people when he so irrationally chooses which laws he will ignore.
