R v Morgentaler, 21 and counting

It’s been 21 years since women’s freedom in Canada took a giant leap forward with the Supreme Court of Canada decision R. v. Morgentaler, which took reproductive issues out of the hands of the state and put them back where they belong, with women, their families, and their doctors.

Since then, Canada has blazed a trail of reproductive freedom and led the world in being the only country where the government is not allowed to intrude into the wombs of its citizens:

Abortion laws vary widely by country, ranging from Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Malta, and Vatican City, which ban the procedure entirely, to Canada, which places no restrictions on the provision of abortion whatsoever.

“No restrictions on the provision of abortion whatsoever” — should be followed with “by the government”. Rather, restrictions are self-imposed by women and doctors; there’s been no need for the state’s “helpful” intervention, and our 21-year experiment in “lawless” abortion has proven that beyond any shadow of doubt.

They said abortion rates would go up: the abortion rate has been continuously declining… and without regressive legislation.

They said women would go batshit crazy and abort viable late-term fetuses with wreckless abandon right up to the moment before birth: 99.6% of abortions are performed early-term, and the late-term only for medical or health reasons. Not only are women NOT batshit crazy (but thanks for the vote of confidence, fetus fetishists — misogyny much?), but doctors, guided by ethics, won’t perform such procedures… and without regressive legislation.

They said, and continue to say, a lot of rotten gibberish that ultimately has little impact in the real world. Because the evidence is in that the status quo works — 21 years of it.

Here’s to another 21! And thanks again, Dr. M!