Morgentaler and The Order Of Canada

So, the debate is whether he deserves it and if Doc Abort is a Canadian "hero."

This is one divisive issue and one in which I fear I don't possess the intellectual capacity to effectively wrestle with. Still, I'm The Commentator and so I must try!

And by that virtue alone I'm not sure I would consider him for the OC. Unless the population is in total agreement that his work is for the greater good, then it's best to not bestow such an honour on a person clearly many Canadians don't feel comfortable with.

He's most certainly not a hero. Terry Fox was a hero. Hero's don't divide. He is a hero to one-side of the equation that assumes it's in the right.

What's at the heart of it all? Is he a defender of women's rights? Certainly, the argument of a rape victim as having the right to choose makes logical sense. The belief that an "unprepared" mother bringing in a child is an economic drag on society resonates less with me. What if the child actually becomes an active and productive member of society? How many "illegitimate" children have made history?

Some may argue all he's done is "legitimize" irresponsible sexual behviour. To say nothing of the post-abortion psychological affects that has been documented by doctors. On the other hand, it's a fact of life and he's prevented many women from having "back-alley" abortions.

He certainly serves as useful function for the rationalization that "people are gonna do it anyway may as well help them."

To me, an abortion is an act of destroying the potential of life. I know. It's a dicey call to make. But I'm a man and have no say in this matter - apparently.

The real hero to me is the person who accepts her fate, faces her responsibilities, takes account of her decisions, gives birth and raises a child to the best of her abilities.

Such people rarely get praised. Then again, when is anything about humans? All these debates have ideological overtones that muddy the whole process.