March 19: Letters to the editor

Contraception divide

The government is trying to get to the roots of health-care problems in developing countries (Anti-Contraception Policy Sparks Uproar – March 18). Infant health care, nutritional advances and clean water are essential, and we should try to ensure every society has these. Contraception is not essential in the same way, and should not be included.

The article states critics accuse the government of “infecting Canadian foreign policy with right-wing religious conservatism.” Is “infecting” meant to suggest religious conservatism (whatever that means) is a disease? Your editorial, Contraception and Mothers’ Lives (March 18), refers to “extremely conservative voters” who oppose birth control. Such rhetoric and reductionism are unwarranted. Many disagree with abortion and euthanasia (right wing?) but support essential, universal health care (left?). It’s never that simple.

As for the vapid comment that some women believe religious and/or socially conservative women “should be confined to Tea Parties and Fox News,” I will confine myself to pointing out that many of us prefer coffee.

Moira McQueen, executive director, Canadian Catholic Bioethics Institute

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