Abortion
Letter to the Toronto Star
By Lou Iacobelli

Hardcopy Issue Date:
Online Publication Date: Aug 10, 2010, 14:13

The article, “A silent war on abortion” by Joanna Smith, in Saturday’s Toronto Star, August 7, 2010 has just one objective: to paint the position, held by those who advocate and counsel pregnant women to have their babies, the pro-life side, as deceptive and misinformed. May I suggest that if the Toronto Star is truly interested in balanced journalism to now send out another reporter to eight abortion clinics and check for the accuracy of the information being offered to women in those places. Probably this won’t happen, but my guess is that expectant mothers who go for counselling at abortions centres will be told that they can go ahead and destroy their child because it’s all very safe and legal. After the abortion there’s no need to worry about any future increased risk of breast cancer, emotional trauma and fertility problems. And every woman can afford it because the costs are all covered by the taxpayer.

If there are any risks to abortion, the article makes sure to give the reader a “reality check” against the facts and concludes definitively that any suggestion of risks are just myths. I would like to ask Joanna Smith, the Toronto Star Editor and those working in abortion clinics what do you tell a pregnant woman who asks whether she is ending the life of her baby? The pro-abortion side is eager to advance the idea that there are few risks, but why does it never explain the risk to the child?

What about the cost to taxpayers? and the bleak Canadian demographic future? It seems to me that the charge you hurl at the pro-life side (deceptive and misinformed) can be more truthfully applied to those who promote, without compromise, the pro-abortion argument: it’s untruthful and misleading. For example, you point out that many of the crisis pregnancy centres in the Greater Toronto Area are registered charities and have received a total of $546,851 in tax-receipted gifts since 2008. But the fact is that people have to donate their own money before they can get a receipt for tax purposes. A donation is a choice of support citizens are free to make.

However, abortion clinics are paid about $800 to $1000 for each abortion by provincial governments. It costs Ontario well over $50 million a year (not counting hospital costs and late term abortions which are sent to Kansas at $5,000 per abortion). Canadians who pay that tax money presently have no say in the matter. So the question for the pro-abortionist is: why is our tax money being used to pay for an abortion, which is essentially elective surgery? This is the silent lie behind the pro-abortion side.

If we were going to be fair, we should give abortion clinics the same treatment as the registered charities. First, let’s stop paying for abortions with our tax money. Let those responsible for the pregnancy pay for it. Clinics could give out receipts, which, as in the case of charitable contributions, would be tax-deductible. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for that Toronto Star journalist visiting eight abortion centres. Let me know when you have that report. Thank you.