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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-02-03, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1988. PAGE 5. Abortion decision Local leaders generally restrained in reaction to supreme court decision to strike down law Despite the storm of controversy unleashed nationally by last Thurs­ day’s Supreme Court decision to strike down Canada’s 20-year-old abortion law, local leaders appear undisturbed by the historic deci­ sion. MURRAY CARDIFF Huron-Bruce M.P. ‘Disappointed in decision’ Letters Writer urges action against Sunday shopping THE EDITOR, 1 would like to congratulate the Wingham Business Association on their unanimous decision against Sunday Shopping. It is very important and urgent that we at the grass roots notify our M.P.P. as well as Premier David Peterson of our stand on this issue. Since attending the organiza­ tional meeting of the Coalition Against Open Sunday Shopping (CAOSS or pronounced chaos) I have some facts I would like to share with everyone. Support was evident from all major church denominations, many Business Associations; retail and wholesale associations; trade unions; large companies such as Towers, Loblaws, Sears, Home Hardware and small business as well. There is also support for this from the Conservative and N.D.P. M.P.P.’s as well as some promi­ nent Liberal M.P.P.’s. David Peterson’s poll in 1987 showed that 71 per cent of those polled want a uniform law across Ontario. Some facts about open Sunday Shopping are: •1. It will be less convenient because stores will close earlier in the evenings so they can remain open on Sundays. Some people will HAVE to shop on Sundays whether they want to or not. •2. Sunday shopping will mean a price increase of up to 15 per cent to cover extra costs of labour, over­ head and depreciation. •3. Sunday shopping means no common pause day for thousands of families and the destruction of their quality of life. •4. The ripple effect of Sunday shopping will impact on one-third of the entire work force, such as Police, Public Transportation, Ser­ vice industries, Day Care Centres and Teachers. •5. Full-time staff will be reduced in favour of part-timers whoare paid less and require fewer benefits. In a telephone survey on Friday and Monday, The Citizen found that the heads of several organiza­ tions likely to be affected by the ruling were calm, believing for the most part that there would be little change in Huron County as a result of the law being no longer enforceable. “Weconsider(theruling)to be a disaster,” said Jim Bakelaarof RR 5, Brussels, chairman of the Wingham chapter of Voice for Life, whose mandate is to protect the rights of the unborn. ‘‘The decision may make abor­ tion legal, but it doesn’t make it right, ” he said. He adds that he expects the ruling to attract many more advocates to the anti-abor­ tion movement, which he says has more than 500 active members in northern Huron and southern Bruce Counties. ‘‘If anything, it will strengthen our organization,” he said. ‘‘I’ve talked to a great many people since Thursday.andmostofthemare saying ‘this has gone far enough.’ ” ‘‘Nothing much has changed (as Ask yourself these questions: Are you or the members of your family prepared to work on Sun­ days or Holidays? Would you support Sunday Shopping if it meant one-third of the workforce had to work? Would you support Sunday shopping if prices increased up to 15 per cent? The CAOSS needs the support of 'Lift' committee says thanks THE EDITOR, The time has come to announce thatour projectat the Blyth and District Community Centre is finally ready for use. The inspec­ tors have come and gone and the long road to raising $30,000 for the Handicapped Lift will officially come to a close. A grand opening for the lift will be February 20 at 8 p.m. at a private ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by the Legion Committee to canvass for Heart Fund THE EDITOR, Once again February is Heart month. Many people don’t realize that heart disease and stroke kill amost 80,000 Canadians a year, more than any other cause. Through research and education, progress is being made against this killer. Women suffer trauma from abortion THE EDITOR, During my campaign at the last provincial election a letter was dropped off at my home. I was very moved by what this lady, who had an abortion, had to say. Unable to see her and hoping I had her approval, I read it out to several hundred people at two meetings. Her letter reinforced my belief that the mental anguish and a result ot the Supreme Court decision),” added Adrian Keet of Whitechurch, a candidate for the new Family Coalition Party who garnered more than 2,000 votes when he ran as a candidate in Bruce County in last June’s provincial election, and a former president of the local Voice for Life organiza­ tion. ‘ ‘We are still protected under Section 33 of the (Canadian) Charter of Rights, which pledges protection of the unborn.” He said that advocates of the pro-life movement will be lobbying toget the world “health” removed from this section of the charter, making it legal for doctors to perform abortions only if a wo­ men’s life is in danger. “Health is part of the provincial jurisdiction, sothe way is now open for the provinces to go forward to protect the unborn,’’ he said. “There are still heavy costs involved in having an abortion: both the doctor and the mother have to continue to live with their decision - ultimately, our sense of dignity will prevail.” He added that the abortion issue all local Business Associations and local organizations interested in this effort. I can provide your organization or Business Associa­ tion with a form to register with the CAOSS. They need toknow by Feb. 18, 1988. I would like to urge everyone to write to their M.P.P., Premier David Peterson, Solicitor General Joan Smithor Attorney General Ladies Auxiliary and their guest. A dance open to the public for the Community Centre Deficit will follow. We wish to express to you the people of Blyth and area our sincere thanks for all your help and donations. Our project hit its peak with these recent donations: Lon- desboro Lions $1,500; Triple K Resataurnt, 100; Elaine Scrim- geour, $180; Industrial Hockey, 1 his is funded almost exclusively by personal donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. The chances are someone you know has lived longer as a result of research and education - perhaps even an loved one. When the canvassers call on you, please, “Have a Heart”. In Blyth they will be: Melda McElroy, trauma an abortion brings about is far greater than even our research reveals. Premier David Peterson ann­ ounced he would spread an additional 81.7 million over three years for men tai health because mental illness had risen to the extent that now one in three people have some sort of mental health problem. It is fair to surmise that a could likely have a very de finite impact on the political process, agreeing with Mr. Bakelaar that the controversy will attract many more people to the pro-life move­ ment and to political parties pledged to protect “traditional family values.” He said that the Family Coalition Party has a candidate who will be running in an upcoming provincial by-election in London, and that the federal Christian Heritage Party, which is strongly pro-life, will run at least 50 candidates in Ontario in the next federal election, expected some time this year. “Some of our members (of the Family Coalition Party) are pretty upset over the decision to legalize abortion, but some are unconcern­ ed,” he concluded. “It is still so fresh that nobody knows what is going to happen yet.” Huron-Bruce Progressive Con­ servative MP Murray Cardiff, in a telephone interview from his home at RR 1, Ethel, said that personally he was very disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision, but added that the entire issue has created a lot of confusion in all sectors. Ian Scott, all at Queen’s Park, Toronto Ont. (no stamp necessary) asking them to reconsider their intention of passing this decision on to the local municipalities. This is one way to support the quality of life we desire in our communities. Mrs. Muriel Coultes RR #5, Brussels, Ont. NOG 1H0. $500; and Carl Nesbit $800 giving us a grand total of $31,146.25 raised. Many people gave of their time and talent unselfishly with no personal gains expected, to all of you we say thanks. Working together is something our com­ munity can be proud of. Blyth Legion Ladies Auxiliary Branch 420 Janice Henry, President. Linda Stewart, Susan Howson, Mary Holland, Mary Lou Stuart. Marjorie East, Sheron Stadcl- mann, Kathy Bromley, Bonnie Bcarss and Lois van Vliet. Lois van Vliet Co-ordinator, Heart & Stroke Foundation for the Village of Blyth. substantial numberofthosearethc ones who suffer from post abortion trauma. Instead of prevention the Liberal government is accelerating the problem by making abortions accessible, thus creating more illness of the mind. I cannot accept the fact that women with deep feelings of motherhood could Continued on page 22 He said that since no clause of the Charter of Rights may be changed without the consent of several provinces, there may still be some protection for the rights of the foetus. “Does the whole issue now become a health issue?” he asked, indicating that if so, it would fall to the provinces tomakethe final decision in all matters affecting abortion. “It’s going to take quite a while to find out just where we do go from here,” Mr. Cardiff said. Beth Fulton of RR 1, Belgrave, president of the Huron County women’s advocacy group Women Today, with an office in Clinton, refused to comment on the issue. “Women Today has always made a point of not taking sides in the abortion issue,’’ she said Friday. “I assume that some of our members have very strong feelings on both sides of the (abortion) issue.” By press time, The Citizen had been unable to contact either Dr. Maartin Bokhout, Huron County Medical Officer of Health (MOH) or administrators at the Clinton, Wingham, Goderich or Listowel hospitals for comment. But Sea­ forth Community Hospital admini­ strator Gordon McKenzie said Monday that he doubted if any­ body at his hospital had given the abortion issue much thought. “I doubt if any abortions would ever be done here (in Seaforth),” he said. ‘ ‘The issue has never been raised once in the 20 years I have been on staff, and 1 doubt if any of our doctors would want to do (an abortion) here. “If the issue did arise, it would have to go before (the hospital’s) Medical Advisory Committee first, which would likely take some time. But the physician involved would have to make a personal decision first, and 1 think 95 per cent of the doctors in Huron would prefer to anonymity of a larger centre for an operation of that nature.” According toan item in a London paper Friday, the Listowel Memor­ ial, Stratford General and Alexan­ dra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich are the only local hospitals to have had therapeutic abortion committees in the past year. In a chart indicating the number of therapeutic abortions performed on residents of several counties in southwestern Ontario, Huron residents h^d the lowest number, only 55 out of the entire county population, while Perth County residents had the. next lowest number, at 69; these figures translate into .99 per thousand population in Huron and 1.04 per thousand population in Perth. The figures denote the county of residenceof the applicant only, and are not meant to imply that the abortion was actually performed in the county. Mabel's Continued from page 4 for each of the members as soon as she saw them coming in the door she made them all wait. When everybody had arrived she told them that before she served she wanted it known that there would be no discussion on the abortion decision of the Supreme Court in her restaurant this morning. She didn’t have enough insurance to pay for the damage if emotions got out of control and people started breaking chairs over each others heads.