Friday, 04 July 2008
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Order of Canada for Ezra Levant!
Ok - being a citizen of Canada just became creepy.
The Order of Canada - our highest civilian honor is being awarded to Henry Morgentaler. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a Pro-Life advocate (or Anti-Choice for that matter) - and while attending law school, and reviewing the pro and anti abortion challenges, I generally found more favor with Morgentaler’s position than with that of his antithesis, Joe Borrowski.
But, that being said, the idea of giving Morgentaler the Order of Canada - well, sorry, but that's just creepy. Creepy in a sense that, well, while I may be pro-choice, what if I'm wrong? What if, say, a decade or two from now, the prevailing wisdom is that abortion IS in fact a form of mass-murder? Think about the reflection on our culture then and what it will say to future generations. I mean, it would be sort of the sort of feeling one might have in being told the Order of Canada was awarded for the person starting the residential school system, or the person responsible for the internment of the Japanese in the Second World War.
This is the problem with so many "broad minded" politicians and activists today - they are so absolutely sure of their "rightness" (no pun intended) that their narrow mind leads them to, well, asinine decisions. Yes, Henry did a lot of work that many women thank him for - helping to change the view of woman as property or her husband, as having a right of privacy and control over her own body - however, Joe Borowski did a lot of work to raise the contra side of Morgentaler’s position, ensuring that Canadians understood his side of the debate too - but I'm not advocating an Order of Canada posthumously to Joe Borowski in response.
Why not? Well, as indicated, who knows which of them is truly advocating for the right thing? I sure don't. Our own Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, as right wing as he might be, also understands this - making it very clear that the issue of abortion is not up for debate in this country - leaving it as a matter of conscience for each individual. However, when we direct an Order of Canada, there is no conclusion but that we are advocating and approving, and in fact, applauding, the position of one side of a seriously divisive debate - and in so doing, marginalize all of those Canadians who feel so strongly on the other side of the issue.
Well - if standing for conviction in the face of the might of the state, for something you believe in allows for the award of the Order of Canada - then I believe we should strongly be considering Ezra Levant for that award.
He tirelessly advocates for freedom from the oppression of the state, for freedom of expression - to the extent of being threatened and in fact being charged under Human Rights legislation - yet, he continues to soldier on. No freedom is more fundamental to a democracy than that of freedom of speech. It is a freedom that our society seeks to, and in fact does, curtail daily - and those who stand up, are often branded zealots or racists or fascists or whatever the derogatory term of the day is for people who honestly express their feelings - and I seriously would suggest that someone who seeks to protect our freedom of speech is much more deserving than someone who helped women terminate pregnancies deemed inconvenient.So - I encourage all Canadians to nominate Ezra for the Order. The link to the html form is:
http://www.gg.ca/forms/ocnom_e.html
Fill it out, send it in! Good luck Ezra!
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