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WHMTY FREE PRESS. WIEDNEEDAY. JULY 21S.1989. PAGE 7 PAGE SEVEN NO ABSOLUTES Everybôdy else lis writing about abortion, so why shouldn't Il Not' that anything.,I« write will nake any difference. - everybody's mind was niade up long ago. The only point in writing about it or protesting or picketing or writing letters or iwhatever is ta pressure politicians. If there had beenla groundswell for one side or the other, the job of the pobiticians would have been a lot easier, but instead, they have delayèd and postponed in the hopes that someone, in-this case the courts, wouldtake the issue out of their hands.'But'the Supreme. Court said, 'Bey, whoa there, wedon't create lawv. We only interpret the laws that you, the politicians, create. In lour wisdlom, the country's abortionlaws are. inconsistant ,withi the Charter of Rights and sinca that lias precedence, youlguys better knuckle under and write some ind ofiaw that is consttutional." The problemn for Parliament is that they are being asked ta, legisate- morality '» which is 0K if there is a reasonably strong consensus.' Some. changes in our laws affecting marriage, divorce, wýomens rights, birth control, porno- graphy, children's rights and the like have been controversial but they generally responded ta changes in public attitudes. The abortion issue simply gets more and more polarized. Aithougli attitudes to abortion have libera]ized immeasurably in thelast thirty years, the issue remains te many a matter of life and death. The question of whether abortion is murder is a matter of faith. It is rooted in the Christian* concept of a soul - that spiritual element that separates man fromn the beasts. Killing animaIs for foodÇ-self.defence, sport or mere convenience is c'onsidered acceptable but killing humans is a crime. In strictly moral ternis, the abortion question cornes down to, not when life begins, but rather when human life begins, presumnably that pointin its development when it acquires a soul. Is it at conception? at implantation? at birth? three weeks after birth? 20 weeks after conception? This is not a question which can ho answered by any court or politician or aven by a priest or minister. Only God knows and He's: sending out confusing signaIs. Abortion as murder is a questiôn of faith and always will be. Anti abortionists should find ot ýer ways to do what they sincerely believe is God's work than trying ta impose their views on others. Even murder is defined by the social context of the tirne. Our society today puts much greater importance on hunian life than probably any other period in history. Just fifty years ago, it was not uncommon practise for sorne doctors to with- old medication or even food fromn deformed newborns. Such doctors were not murderers - they made judgements based on the ir professional knowledge, the likelihood of the child's eventual death of other causes, and the social burden for both the parents and the child should the child survive. Today, with far more sophisticated facilities, superhuman efforts are taken with even the most deforrned children - many survive and live reasonably normal lives. Appropriate medical care has ta ho defined in the context in which it is delivered. A hundred years ago life was very cheap - people were publicly executed for petty theft and men duelîed to the death over petty matters of honour. Murder was considered serious but was more likely to ho avenged by lynching than through the courts. People in that social context would find our concern about abortion rather baffling. Even in our present day context, many of the most avid anti-abortionists are strong supporters of capital punishment - how do they reconcile these positions? Abortion, life, death, riglit, wrong - there are no absolutes. Whiîe scientific and medical progress lias given Women numerous choices in planning their families and lives, the methods remain imperfect and the option of ending a pregancy once begun remains ý an elusive one, It is complicated even more by broken relationships in which men dlaim the riglit te protect their unborn children. Since our laws do not generally recognize any special riglits for genetic parenthood over adopted, these dlaims seemn somewhat frivolous. There is littîe reason to presume -that a brief moment of ejaculatory passion should impart any ability to control the actions of a woman. The;role of Parliament is to enact laws which serve the common good - e.g. provide services, protect riglits, keep criminals out of mischief, etc. Legislating mora]ity is only justifiad where the legisation fils a need - and the only need BROCK STREET LOOK[NG NOlifi FROM COLBORNE* STRET, 1918 Ail the buildings in this picture are stili standing, 71 years after it was taken. The brick building now housing Van Belle Flowers was stuccoed jr 1939. Tlhe dirt road shown in this picture, was first paved during the summer of 1921. Whitlby Acivoe phot~o 10 YEARS AGO frorn the Wednesday, July 25, 1979 edition of the WHIBY FREE PRESS " The developrnent of Brooklin will not be a financial deterrent ta the Town of Whitby or the Region of Durham, says Councillor Barry Evans. " Accessibility for the handicapped is being studied by four VWtby students. *A municipal bus service will be set up for a three-year trial period in Whitby. *An outbreak of food poisoning at Fairview Lodge is now under control. 25 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, July 23, 1964 edition of the WHITY WEEIKLY NEWS *The Rotary Club lias asked the Town of Whitby ta accept provisional ownership of its park where the lawn bowling green and tennis courts are located. " The Town of Whitby may seek a dump site in Whitb~y Township, as the Hopkins Street dump is nearly full. " Whitby lias a new anti-noise by-law. " Reconstruction of Thickson Road from Hlighway 2 ta, Brooklin is 50 per cent completed. 75 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, July'23, 1914 edition of the WHITBY GAZETTE AND CHRONICLE " Town Council bas granted $4,500 ta the Board of Education for repairs té the HI-gl School. " A cernent sidewalk lias been built along Brock Street from'John Street ta the. new CPR station. " A robber who held up a stare in Burketan was captured at Myrtle Station and turned over ta the police. " Grocer A. T. Lawler is selling maple syrup at $1.38 a gallon. 7 "-