Re: “Banner policy flawed,” Editorial, November 16
After pondering this issue, I tend to agree with your editorialist.
I am sure the banner’s proponents see this as a human rights issue, that the human rights of a fetus are being curtailed. But, as usual, this banner comes from people who want to curtail the rights of already-living-outside-the womb humans. Once again, we see the “pro-life” view that life begins at conception. I would hasten to advise these people that abortion is legal in Canada.
Still, the issue is troubling to me morally and legally, because gagging the so-called “pro-life” forces seems an infringement of our rights of freedom of expression. I certainly did not support the actions of people who vandalized the “pro-life” billboards near Grohman Narrows. Nor would I curtail the free speech of Holocaust deniers like Jim Kiegstra, although I in no way endorse his views on the Holocaust.
The key point for me is that Christian “pro-life” fundamentalists do not want to regulate only the policies of “pro-lifers.” Rather, they want to regulate everyone’s actions to their satisfaction: they want to regulate the actions of other Christian fundamentalists with contrary views, of other Christians, of the non-observant, of Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Jains, etc. In short, they want to impose their religious will on all Canadians. I call that a theocracy.
Kim Krakty
Nelson