dear rona ambrose...
my politics are simple: be good to each other, don't steal from the poor, don't harm the earth and treat each other as you would like to be treated. yes, compassion is political. at the end of the day we all share this space and we need to make it as rad as we possibly can. i vote-i have voted since the first election i could once i turned 18 and have voted in every election since. i love voting. and i vote for the environment and for the status of all people who aren't able to protect themselves from a vile government body. at the end of the day i want my country to be a place where my friends' children feel safe for their entire lives. safe to fall in love and make mistakes and smoke pot and breathe fresh air for their whole lives-and the lives of their children. and what i want, more than i want any of these other things, is a government that stays out of my bedroom and out of my uterus. there is not a single political issue that gets my proverbial panties in a twist like the abortion debate. i understand that not all women WANT to have abortions; hell, i don't WANT to have an abortion. BUT, i want the right to CHOOSE to have an abortion should i find myself in a position where i felt i was unable to see a pregnancy through to its natural conclusion (ie: birth and in my case, adoption).
there have been two occasions in my life where i was certain that an abortion was in my near future and while i was neither happy nor excited about but i felt so protected knowing that a clean and safe abortion was available to me without fear of bombing, death or potential infertility at the hands of a rusty, back alley coat-hanger.
and last night friends, something very scary happened... the FEMALE minister for the rights and status of women voted in favour of a bill that would eventually see the way clear to reopen the abortion debate in canada. while the bill was never expected to pass (and thankfully it didn't) our minister, elected by her constituents and mandated to protect ME (though I did not, could not and WOULD NEVER vote for her) voted in favour of this deceptive private-members bill.
so today i sent ms. ambrose an email (cc'd to the prime minister and my MP -the glorious linda duncan) and requested that perhaps she might need to resign.
here is that letter:
Dear Ms. Ambrose,
Your vote in support of bill M312 this evening, to reopen the abortion
debate is a total betrayal to all women who suffered, were killed or
mutilated during the time when
abortion was illegal. Those women lost their lives to protect what is
most valuable to us; our health and safety, and autonomy over our own
bodies. What makes your vote even more grotesque is that your are
the Minister for the Status of women who's express and mandated job is
to protect our basic and inalienable rights.
Your attempts, and that of certain members of the Conservative Party,
to reopen this issue, with the apparent hope of eventually criminalizing
abortion, will NOT stop abortions from happening, it will simply drive
it back underground and endanger the lives and health of women in the
future and destroy Canada's reputation as a compassionate and generous
country.
By your actions, you have proven yourself to be totally unfit to represent women in Canada and if you have any character at all you would resign your position as Minister and apologies to the women you claim to represent, 70% of whom continue to believe in and campaign for legal abortions.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Michelle Kennedy
michellekennedy@me.com
780-907-9892
Edmonton-Strathcona
if you feel passionate about this issue please consider emailing ms. ambrose as well. i augmented an already existing email and please feel free to steal this one!
ms. ambrose can be reached at rona.ambrose@parl.gc.ca
prime minister harper is at pm@pm.gc.ca
and please don't forget to cc your MP too!
xo michelle