The Victorian abortion debate
The Victorian Parliament is currently debating a bill to legalise abortion in that state. It is technically illegal now, I believe, but has been allowed for many years through a Supreme Court ruling.
There are some sensitive politicians in Victoria, it seems, and some journalists at The Age who struggle to understand English.
The headline on page 8 today was “Abusive emails target pro-choice MPs minutes after having their say”.
The word “abusive” appears twice more in the first few paragraphs.
And the so-called abuse? It was an email from a lobby group called Tell the Truth Coalition. The email to cabinet minister Lynne Kosky read:
You have become deeply disconnected from the maternal instinct which is to protect human life. Very sad indeed, Lynne. Your Mum stood by you when you were little.”
It’s bizarre anyone considers that email abusive. I bet most politicians receive far worse every day on a host of issues.
A quick look online suggests a pretty standard definition of abusive: “Using, containing, or characterized by harshly or coarsely insulting language.”
No doubt Ms Kosky and the feminazi brigade are leaking emails to sympathetic journalists.
I oppose abortion, but recognise there are some circumstances where it may unfortunately be necessary.
There is no way though, if I were given a parliamentary vote, my conscience would allow abortion at 24 weeks as the Victorian bill proposes.
I remember when Juliet had a threat of miscarriage with the twins at 19 weeks. We were praying she’d get through to 21 weeks, the time when doctors may be able to save the babies. As it was, she went full term.
It’s incongruous too that MPs have a conscience vote, but they won’t accept an amendment that gives medical professionals an option to withdraw from performing the procedure.
I'm a 41-year-old father of four working as a newspaper editor at Mount Gambier in South Australia.
