by Ashley Beaudin


The abortion debate is currently lingering in Canada’s national atmosphere, initiated by the bold move made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in recent weeks. Harper stood alone among the G8 in opposing abortion as part of family-planning projects in poor nations. This one decision has given Canada an anti-abortion stance on the world stage.

As a young person, I want to speak into a debate that has created more noise than it needs. In a global time of experiencing more death, disease, and disaster on children than ever before in history, it would be wise to value life in the womb. As a Canadian society, we have always presumed that we would be gifted with the ability to bear the greatest gift, children. It demands the question be asked, would it take complete barrenness of mankind in order for the human race to realize this treasure called life that lies in the womb?

It seems ironic to me for abortion to even be included in family planning. Abortion is not planning for a family. Abortion is planning for no family. The debate of abortion has been transformed into a debate of choice. Yet I find it intriguing how the third world had no choice to whether the aborting of their babies would even be funded. We see injustice in a set of first world nations making a decision for a set of third world nations who have no voice, yet we see complete reason in a woman making a decision for a child who has no voice? Perspective is precious.

Choice is a powerful thing. Suddenly, we find in our hands the option to give life or to take life and the option to protect little ones or completely exploit them. The difficulty about choice is that our decisions now are creating the legacy for future generations, whether that legacy is wanted or unwanted. When the generations shift places, we will hand to the younger generation a legacy, and it will not be our choice what that legacy looks like then, but it is our choice what that legacy looks like now.

I must say, as it is my generation who has experienced higher abortion rates than in any other generation, I look around and see half my generation missing and it causes me to wonder: what was so good about me that I could live? 


Published in Yorkton