Letters to the Editor: Government Censorship of Statistics
ARPA Canada’s Legal Counsel André Schutten and WeNeedaLaw.ca director Mike Schouten have had their letters published in the National Post on Saturday and Monday (see below). They come in response to the public finally becoming aware of the fact that the Ontario government snuck through legislation that censors any information about abortion. Letters to the editor are a free and very effective way to be a voice for truth and love. If you want help with writing a letter, contact us.
Patrick Henry, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once wrote, “The liberties of people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.” The attempts of the Ontario government to hide not only how many abortions are happening but also how much Ontarians are paying for them, is anathema to a free and democratic society. This issue goes beyond the morally repugnant practice of abortion; it goes to the heart of what it means to be a free and democratic country and smacks of paternalism in a bureaucracy that decides what information the plebs can and can’t handle.
André Schutten, legal counsel, Association for Reformed Political Action, Ottawa.
The news that yet another province has seen fit to hide abortion data should not only prompt criticism from some anti-abortion groups, but should concern pro-choice groups as well. The censoring of abortion data is problematic because it places a stumbling block to any progress being made in addressing unwanted pregnancies from an educational perspective.
All preventative programs that allow us to care for our fellow citizens (everything from mandatory helmets on ski hills and bicycles to DUI laws) are developed using data from such incidents. Considering that Ontario has followed British Columbia in concealing abortion data, how can proper strategies to prevent and care for women in crisis pregnancies be put in place in these two provinces? For example, why implement safe-sex programs in schools if we have no idea whether unplanned pregnancies, and the abortions that often accompany them, are even a problem?
Pro-life and pro-choice alike agree that abortion is not a desired option. We can work together to minimize the occurrences of abortions committed when we have access to the records which indicate the effectiveness of strategies implemented.
Mike Schouten, Surrey, B.C.
