Liberals Whip It Good

The debate about abortion is over.  The question about a woman’s rights over her own body are actually not in question, any effort to reopen this issue should be met with solidarity, a united front.  Whatever personal views a MP may have about the nature of an abortion is irrelevant to the wider questions revolving around personal freedoms.  No “Liberal” can consider themselves as such if they can’t separate their own personal stance with the wider questions.  I actually have no qualms with people who have a problem with abortions, perhaps one day we can have civil disagreement on this score.  That said, whatever your own view, it doesn’t extrapolate to the wider issues at hand, issues that are so fundamental and unequivocal, any wavered presentation is simply offensive:

“If there are individuals in my caucus who feel strongly for moral reasons one way or the other, we’re not going to whip the vote,” Rae said.

Cop out. It is time for the Liberal Party of Canada to stop playing this game on these particular issues. It is time for the Liberals to draw a line in the sand around the “big red tent” and make it clear, you are free to personally hold whatever view you choose, which is actually in accordance with the similar freedom to have ultimate governance over your own body. Hiding behind feeling “strongly”, voting your conscience, is contradictory because it applauds the openness with voting that attacks another core right of citizens. Freedom of expression isn’t much different than freedom of choice, at least the underlying ideological belief system seems consistent in my mind. Therefore, yes have an opinion, have a feeling, go so far as to express your displeasure, but when it comes down to sanctioning squashing another right, stand down and vote for that freedom. There is no contradiction here, it is entirely consistent, that’s the bottom line. Mr. Rae must whip the vote, again the Liberals need to meet this Conservative backdoor nonsense head on and offer a firm rebuke. If an MP can’t see that one right supersedes another then perhaps this party isn’t an appropriate home, perhaps the days of trying to be everything to everyone need to end and we plant our flags, proudly, unabashed, this is who we are and this is what we stand for, PERIOD. You want a real world example of why the Liberals fail to resonate, why our wishy washy ways have led to erosion, indifference, a worry ambiguity of purpose? Look no further than this “debate”, which a strong party wants NO part of and demands a certain responsibility beyond some personal view of a preferred world. I appreciate tough choices, but sometimes they must be made, this is one occasion. Whip it, whip it good!