The latest incident of violence against a member of the B.C. medical profession highlights the sorry state of west coast reporting. In early April, Dr. Michael Roburn, a Vancouver psychiatrist, was stabbed in the chest after confronting an arsonist who was trying to throw a Molotov cocktail into his house. Roburn’s attack follows on the heels of last fall’s shooting of abortionist Garson Romalis. Romalis survived the shooting and the local press was quick to pass judgment: “pro-life violence.” Romalis’ assailant has not yet been caught but, through a well-orchestrated media campaign, the pro-life movement’s guilt has always been assumed. Not once did the media look into alternative avenues. The press are now portraying the Roburn incident as an example of a trend of patient violence against doctors. Why wasn’t the Romalis shooting discussed in this light? Wouldn’t an abortionist likely have a long list of men angry at him for killing their girlfriends’ or wives’ unborn child? Why would the B.C. pro-life movement, which has no history of violence, suddenly begin taking potshots at abortionists? Pro-lifers have come to expect the Vancouver media to be unfriendly and biased but not downright shoddy.
