Noise pollution and choices

I will not enter into the merits or demerits of in vitro fertilisation but suffice it to say that today in America alone there are some "400,000 frozen embryos at clinics around the country, with more being added every day". The burning question is: What is their final destination?

Way back I had written a piece entitled Frozen Hearts (The Times, August 17, 1996), which referred to the destruction of thousands of frozen embryos in the UK. The more things change the more they remain the same. Now we have a movement, Make Noise For Free Choice, lobbying to have abortion legislated throughout the EU (July 19). Oh what a sad world!

I believe that the strong majority in Malta abhor abortion and, although I stand to be corrected, all local political parties, including the Labour Party, have wholeheartedly condemned this one-sided decision. But, although our politicians have taken a firm stand against legalising abortion, it is still worrying to read that a group of European politicians are mounting an internet campaign to collect a million signatures in a bid to exert pressure on the EU to force countries like Malta to introduce the "right of abortion".

The campaigners attempting to pollute our sovereignty claim: "When a state denies a woman the right to her own body, integrity and health, it is a violation of her human rights". I am no legal guru but may I ask where do the human rights of the unborn child come into this equation?

Also, fathers, speak up for crying out loud; paternity starts at conception!

Mothers to be who conceive do so freely and are not victims of rape. I am in no position to judge or condemn those who choose to abort but I believe that all actions bear responsibilities and carrying a "human" child full term is one of them. So why should the innocent child fall victim to a female's caprice?

May I also ask who will make noise for the right of unborn children's own bodies, integrity and health? Who is going to mount a counter-campaign to exert pressure on the EU to force countries like Sweden, etc to illegalise abortion? Or, better still, to lobby for a "new" human right to be placed in the EU Constitution as in the right of the unborn child to continue to live?

The campaign is being launched by Brigitta Ohisson, an extreme left member of Sweden's Liberal People's Party and feminist activist. "If successful, we could see abortion enshrined as a 'human right' across the EU - potentially forcing Ireland, as well as Malta and Poland, to abolish their protections for the unborn".

May I ask Ms Ohisson what her stand is vis-à-vis China's open secret that aborting "female" unborn children is the order of the day? So, is that ok with her? If not, who, when and where according to her can mothers abort? Where does one draw the line?

Theoretically speaking, of course, how would Ms Ohisson feel if her own mother had aborted her? How would she feel had her grandparents aborted her parents, her brothers and sisters? Moreover, how will she feel if her daughters chose to abort any grandchildren of hers?

The population of all Europe tops the 830 million mark and the population making up the European Union reached 499 million in 2008.

"Through the 'citizen's initiative', a million people can call upon the European Commission to legislate on a particular area".

What I cannot digest is, why should these citizens decide to take it upon themselves to do away with a country's "free" (their words) choice forcing abortion legalisation on other sovereign states? This totalitarian attitude is simply deplorable in a democratic Union.

In fact "the EU Treaty does not give any right to the Union to impose abortion legislation on any member state as this is considered as the exclusive right of the individual sovereign nations".

Ironically, these paladins for free choice want to force other countries to give up their freedom to choose.

If the concept of a "free choice" is understood clearly by all and sundry, then citizens of every race, colour or creed in any country should not be forced to do anything by anyone in any way, ergo, no EU legislation on abortion must ever be made compulsory. Dictatorships are well past their expiry date, thank you very much.