Petition against Bill c-484, Unborn Victims of Crime Act

There's a bill under consideration at Parliament right now that purports to protect pregnant women by making it an offence to cause injury to an unborn fetus, but which, quite obviously, will merely make it easier to impose restrictions on women's right to choose to abort their pregnancies.

The bill has passed second reading, so it's well on its way to becoming law. Canada has not had any legal restriction on abortion since 1988 (although procedural policies have certainly restricted many women's access to facilities where safe and timely abortions can be performed).

I was involved in a Students for Choice club in my last year of law school, and the vitriolic opposition to the concept of choice frankly shocked me. Just to be clear: I don't advocate abortion. I think having to choose whether or not to end your pregnancy must be the worst experience any human being could ever go through. But if the choice has to be made, the decision should rest solely within the power of the women who have to make it, not within the power of men in suits in Ottawa or anywhere else (well, unless they're the father... you know what I mean).

Anyway, sign the petition here. Read more about it here, here, here and here.