CWL wants law to protect all the unborn

Human life must be protected at all stages of development

By RAMON GONZALEZ
WCR Staff Writer
Calgary

A resolution urging the feds to "introduce and support legislation prohibiting the killing of unborn human life" was given unanimous approval at the 57th annual convention of the CWL's Alberta-Mackenzie Provincial Council June 4-6.

"What we are looking for is legislation that protects unborn human life," said CWL president Mary Heinzlmeir from her Rockyford home June 7. "Presently there is no legislation that that protects unborn human life at any stage of development."

Accordingly, "we are calling on our members to urge their elected representatives to work towards introducing legislation that would protect all unborn human life," Heinzlmeir said.

"We are not only talking about abortion but stem cell research and a lot of other things that involve (the destruction of) unborn human life."

National consideration

If the council okays it, the resolution will be put to a vote at the CWL's national convention in August in London, Ont.

Some 140 delegates representing nearly 10,000 CWL members in 170 councils across Alberta and the Northwest Territories attended the provincial convention at Calgary's Executive Royal Inn.

"We should protect the unborn because it is human life and all human life is from God," Heinzlmeir said.

"It's a human being from the moment of conception and has a right to be protected just like you and I do."

Canada has been without abortion legislation since 1988 when the Supreme Court struck down a 1969 law on the grounds it violated the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Tories under Brian Mulroney tried to return abortion to the Criminal Code.

That bill narrowly passed the Commons, but was defeated in the Senate on a tie vote in 1991.

Since then, Ottawa has made no attempt to set limits on abortion, which is now treated like any other medical procedure.

Private clinics funded

In 2002 alone, Alberta taxpayers paid for more than 10,000 abortions at a cost of $6 million.

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