Morgentaler became the central rallying
point and visual symbol of the Canadian pro-choice movement during the 1970s
and 80s, but he was much more than a pretty face. During his storied career, despite
being hounded, vilified, threatened, prosecuted and imprisoned, he was a very
hands-on activist. According to the Ottawa Citizen, “By his own estimation, Morgentaler
personally performed at least 80,000 abortions....”
In 1970 Morgentaler was charged with
performing an abortion. He countered, not by claiming innocence, but by
launching a media campaign to explain why he had performed the procedure. In
1973 a jury acquitted him. Then, in 1974, his acquittal was overturned by the
Quebec Court of Appeal. Morgentaler served 10 months in prison, after which he
was again acquitted by a jury. Then, in 1976, a third jury acquitted him and
the Government of Quebec conceded that the federal abortion law was unenforceable.
And finally, in 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the abortion
provision in the Criminal Code on the grounds it violated a woman’s
constitutional right to “security of person.”
In light of all
this it’s easy to understand why Henry Morgentaler is revered by so many but,
in reality, he remains a highly controversial figure. A great many people persist
in believing that a human being, whether born or unborn, is just that, a human
being. They believe the termination of a pregnancy by abortion is the
termination of an innocent human life. According to their understanding, a man who
has personally performed 80,000 abortions has actually killed 80,000 innocent human
beings. It’s understandable that these people are reluctant to accord hero
status to such a man.
I see no reason to
doubt that Henry Morgentaler was a courageous and compassionate man. He took
great personal risks and suffered many hardships to provide a service to
desperate women who did not know where to turn. In the interest of full
disclosure, of course, I’m sure he would want us to note that, along with being
a social activist, he was also pursuing a very lucrative business opportunity. Though
his supporters may deny the relevance of this fact, it does seem to warrant an asterisk
when he’s numbered among the Gandhis, Martin Luther Kings, Terry Foxes of the
world.
But courage, high
motives and a good business sense have never been a guarantee of virtue. If every
procedure resulted in the death of someone who also had desperate needs and
nowhere to turn, 80,000 procedures represent a horrifying cost. Admittedly
these nameless, faceless ciphers were unaware of their need and the
possibilities of life denied, but we are not. They trouble the unblinkered
conscience and put a serious crimp in the celebration of Henry Morgentaler’s life.
I believe the
Quebec Government was right when they declared abortion law unenforceable in
Canada, and I think those who oppose abortion must turn away from recourse to
legal sanction. The law is a blunt instrument, unsuited to such delicate work.
We cannot force anyone to bring a child safely into the world, but we just
might love them into doing so.
And this, in the
end, is the point of this post. According to the University of Ottawa, Society, the Individual and Medicine,
about 100,000 abortions take place in Canada every year. That’s about 31
abortions per 100 live births. About 50% of abortions are performed on women
under 25, 64% on single women, and 45% on women who already have children. This,
plus a wealth of anecdotal evidence, suggests that many of these women might
carry their babies to term if they had the support they needed to do so.
The real problem
is not enough love to go around. And that’s where the focus of the pro-life
movement needs to be for the foreseeable future.
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