Carleton students council bans 'anti-choice' activity: Knowledge Driven Revolution

Student groups at Ottawa's Carleton University that want to question abortion rights will not be able to receive money or recognition from the students council.

The Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA) voted in favour of a controversial change to its discrimination policy that requires that "no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding" be allocated for anti-abortion activities or displays.

The wording of the motion:

"CUSA further affirms that actions such as any campaign, distribution, solicitation, lobbying effort, display, event, etc., that seeks to limit or remove a woman's right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy will not be supported. As such, no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding will be allocated for this purpose."

The decision came after a five-hour debate in a meeting attended by more than 150 students and supervised by two security guards.

The motion was tabled after a student anti-abortion club, Carleton Lifeline, held an on-campus debate on abortion — an emotionally charged subject — in October. Some women's groups complained that female students were harassed during the debate.

Council executives argued that campaigning to criminalize abortion, which has been legal in Canada for more than two decades, discriminates against women.

Some students agreed, including graduate student John Baglow, who spoke in favour of the motion.

"This campus is supposed to be about human rights, diversity, mutual respect," Baglow said. "Well, there isn't respect when you want to throw women into jail for choosing abortion."

Stifle debate on campus?

But Adam Coombs, head of the Carleton University Debating Society, argued the motion will stifle debate on campus.

"You're preventing groups from organizing and assembling and effectively lobbying their particular view, which does limit their freedom of speech," he said.

Former student David MacDonald gave a personal story — about how he and his girlfriend decided 20 years ago that she would have an abortion.

"It was the worst mistake I ever made and she would say the same thing," he said. "And there was no voice on campus to represent that."

Meanwhile, some students asked what the motion would mean for religious groups on campus.

Council executives responded that those groups won't be affected because while the groups might include members who hold "anti-choice" views, limiting the right to choose an abortion is not the groups' main focus.

Isaac Cockburn, the council's vice-president of student issues, said religious groups have existed on campus in a "harmonious way" for over 30 years, and that should assure them that the new motion will not oust them from campus.

After the meeting, Carleton University issued a news release, stating the university "has always been committed to the free expression of ideas in an open and respectful way," and that groups that aren't recognized by CUSA will still have the opportunity to book space on campus that is not controlled by the student council.

Read Today's Knowledge Driven News
HOME Party Police, Party Courts and Concentration Camps P3s, Nazis and Polite Canadian Fascism The Ghost in the Machine - The Forced Chemical Evolution of Man Rouge States and the 9/11 Truth Terrorists Canadians Should Pay NOT to be Poisoned: NDP V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming ? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer Chicken Little Terrorist of the Week: Creating Fake Terrorists Shill of the Week: Paul Martin The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	Carleton students council bans 'anti-choice' activity CBC News December 08, 2006 Student groups at Ottawa's Carleton University that want to question abortion rights will not be able to receive money or recognition from the students council. The Carleton University Students' Association (CUSA) voted in favour of a controversial change to its discrimination policy that requires that "no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding" be allocated for anti-abortion activities or displays. The wording of the motion: "CUSA further affirms that actions such as any campaign, distribution, solicitation, lobbying effort, display, event, etc., that seeks to limit or remove a woman's right to choose her options in the case of pregnancy will not be supported. As such, no CUSA resources, space, recognition or funding will be allocated for this purpose." The decision came after a five-hour debate in a meeting attended by more than 150 students and supervised by two security guards. The motion was tabled after a student anti-abortion club, Carleton Lifeline, held an on-campus debate on abortion — an emotionally charged subject — in October. Some women's groups complained that female students were harassed during the debate. Council executives argued that campaigning to criminalize abortion, which has been legal in Canada for more than two decades, discriminates against women. Some students agreed, including graduate student John Baglow, who spoke in favour of the motion. "This campus is supposed to be about human rights, diversity, mutual respect," Baglow said. "Well, there isn't respect when you want to throw women into jail for choosing abortion." Stifle debate on campus? But Adam Coombs, head of the Carleton University Debating Society, argued the motion will stifle debate on campus. "You're preventing groups from organizing and assembling and effectively lobbying their particular view, which does limit their freedom of speech," he said. Former student David MacDonald gave a personal story — about how he and his girlfriend decided 20 years ago that she would have an abortion. "It was the worst mistake I ever made and she would say the same thing," he said. "And there was no voice on campus to represent that." Meanwhile, some students asked what the motion would mean for religious groups on campus. Council executives responded that those groups won't be affected because while the groups might include members who hold "anti-choice" views, limiting the right to choose an abortion is not the groups' main focus. Isaac Cockburn, the council's vice-president of student issues, said religious groups have existed on campus in a "harmonious way" for over 30 years, and that should assure them that the new motion will not oust them from campus. After the meeting, Carleton University issued a news release, stating the university "has always been committed to the free expression of ideas in an open and respectful way," and that groups that aren't recognized by CUSA will still have the opportunity to book space on campus that is not controlled by the student council. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
		What Is Wrong With Canada ? Recent 9-11 News Suppressed by the Media Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave Knowledge Driven Look at Your Favourite Canadian Political Parties
		October November December 2006 26 27 28 29 30 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Weekly Features 2006 2005 Read Today's Knowledge Driven News
		Counter
Copyright © 2005-6 KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com