Globe writer idolizes Morgentaler

Canadian pro-lifers were infuriated by a series of recent articles and an editorial in the Globe and Mail newspaper that, among other things, suggested Henry Morgentaler should be named to the Order of Canada.

"Why doesn't this man have the order of Canada?" (Jan. 18) "Music, warmth and relief at the Morgentaler clinic" (Jan. 18) and "Stuff 'n' nonsense about abortion" (Feb. 1) were written by Globe columnist Heather Mallick, who in a previous piece published last August, described Morgentaler as "the hero of my youth." "The abortion debate and where it rests," meanwhile, was an editorial published by the newspaper on Jan. 21.

"Why doesn't this man have the order of Canada?" consisted of more than 3,000 words and basically whitewashedMorgentaler's history while presenting Mallick's protagonist in quasi-heroic terms. It was splashed across the front page of the Globe's Jan. 18 Focus section, and continued on an inside page, accompanied by photographs portraying the hero in a most positive light.

Morgentaler is "a prophet without honour fizzling with energy his charm is legendary he continues to inspire intense loyalty among female employees and friends his omission (from the Order of Canada) is puzzling," Mallick wrote.

In "Music, warmth and relief at the Morgentaler clinic," Mallick trivialized the committal of an abortion. "There is no recognizable fetus," wrote Mallick. "It's a dot." (According to Dr. and Mrs. J.C. Willke's book, Love Them Both, however, even a 12-week pre-born child is a perfectly developed human being who, among other things, breathes, swallows, and has a beating heart, eyes, ears and respiratory system. He or she has teeth, can suck his or her thumb, move and make a fist.)

To add salt to the wound, the Globe's editorial on Jan. 21 suggested "disagreements about abortion remain, but they are low on the radar. In the main, it seems, Canadians have come to a broad accommodation " The remark sounded disquietingly similar to Prime Minister Jean Chretien's claims that "social peace" has been reached on abortion in Canada.

The Globe wasn't through with its pro-abortion proselytization, however. In subsequent letters to the editor and in a "Feedback" feature, it highlighted comments from pro-abortion advocates. Exceptions were letters from Tim. R. Heaslip of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Pro-Life Caucus - Maurice Vellacott, Elsie Wayne and Paul Steckle.

The letter from the MPs prompted Mallick to abuse her "As If" column by using it for a personal attack on the MPs, labelling them "the Three Stooges" and "fools."

Mallick is no stranger to scurrilous attacks; last August, she maligned Australian Catholic Archbishop George Pell by attempting to link his orthodox Catholic and pro-life beliefs with the allegations of sex abuse that he was under at the time. The allegations were later proven unfounded and Pell was entirely cleared, but neither Mallick nor the Globe published retractions.

Bill Mullally of Campaign Life Coalition in Toronto characterized the Globe's recent articles on Morgentaler as "most inappropriate" and said there were numerous other Canadians who should be considered for the Order of Canada before him. Mullally was attempting to arrange a telephone conversation with Globe editor-in-chief Edward Greenspon; however, the conference was delayed by Greenspon's departure to the U.S. for coverage of the Columbia space shuttle disaster.

In response to one complainant, the Globe's deputy editor Sylvia Stead said while she understood Morgentaler's work is "contentious" and "brings out strong emotions in readers," the articles on him were commissioned because Morgentaler's 80th birthday is approaching, there is a movie being made of his life and abortion "rights" are in the news. "We felt there was reader interest in such a story," she said.

She also implied the Globe handled the situation fairly because it published two letters opposing the naming of Morgentaler to the Order of Canada. However, Stead didn't address a number of other pressing questions about how the Globe ignored or ran roughshod over journalistic conventions:

• Why was Heather Mallick - who, by her own admission, considers Morgentaler "the hero of my youth" - given the task of writing lengthy and intensive pieces on that controversial individual?
• Why was only a pro-Morgentaler point-of-view provided throughout those same, lengthy pieces, with not even a token attempt made to obtain opposing input?
• Why was loaded pro-abortion language used throughout Mallick's pieces (such as "anti-choice"), while pro-life advocates were demonized with references to "anti-choice fanatics" and the like?
• Why were more letters supporting Morgentaler and the pro-abortion point of view published than pro-life ones?
• Why was Mallick allowed to use her column to launch personal attacks against individuals who took issue with her biased writing?
• Why was Mallick allowed to dismiss concerns about which solid scientific evidence exists, such as the link between abortion and increased incidence of breast cancer?
• If the Globe truly believes in its current promotional slogan of "Perspective is Everything," then why doesn't it allow similarly lengthy pieces to be published from the pro-life point of view?