To the editor:
Re: Oct. 13 column by Carli Berry Pro life propaganda disturbing
I thank Ms. Berry for her column on this very divisive subject of abortion rights in our community.
As I walked past the demonstration at the college on Thursday, Oct. 12, I was heartened to see the many pro choice supporters milling about. It is good to see young people defending reproductive rights/women’s rights at such a volatile time when we can see just how quickly such freedoms can be swept away.
Each time these anti-abortion demonstrations appear I wonder just what their true intent is. What would the world look like if they succeeded in stopping all access to abortion? It seems to me it would look an awful lot like the culture portrayed in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. If that is an inaccurate depiction, then I would like to hear just what their vision is. What I see is subjugation of women and that is just not acceptable in a country that prides itself in supporting gender equality.
As far as the anti-abortion attempt to grant the fetus rights, another of their tactics, I think the following statement sums up why that would be a backward move. “Any provision to ascribe “person” status to a developing fetus brings with it an equal and opposite diminishment of the rights of the pregnant woman to control her own body.”
There is much that can be done to foster healthy, loving relationships in which a woman would choose to carry a pregnancy to term if health concerns are not an issue. Removing access to abortion services is not the answer in a progressive culture.
Also, I personally don’t consider my pro-choice position to be anti-life so I’m not willing to allow them to define language around this serious and complex issue. I believe the term anti abortion would be a more accurate reflection of what it is these demonstrators are about. They are no more pro-life than the rest of us.
If you want to add your voice for choice, join the Kelowna & District Pro-Choice Action Society which has been advocating for reproductive choice since 1990. The more members involved, the better the message gets out. Go to the website: http://www.kelownaprochoice.com/ or like the group on Facebook for more information.
Donna Campbell, West Kelowna
