GOL welcomes MEPs' vote
Gift of Life, the pro-life group, has welcomed the stand taken by all Maltese MEPs who on Thursday voted for amendments to a European Parliament motion which would have banned the transfer of EU funds to countries or organisations which could have used them for coercive family planning programmes which include pressure on women to have an abortion, forced sterilization programmes as well as sex selective abortions.
"It is unfortunate that despite very strong support, these amendments still did not pass. The vote was very close however a qualified majority was not attained. These amendments were more about human rights than pro-life or pro-abortion ideologies. Consequently, there is now no mechanism in place which restricts the use of funds from the EU budget for 2010 by countries and organisations, for coercive family planning programnmes," GOL said.
"Had they passed, the amendments would have further protected a women's real choice to decide whether or not to have children without pressure or coercion," GOL said.
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William P Flynn
Oct 24th 2009, 20:47
James de Giorgio
There should be no coercion either way. Simple.
James De Giorgio
Oct 24th 2009, 15:28
So William P Flynn, what about the baby? Should the mother be coerced to kill the baby?
Erin Ciantar
Oct 24th 2009, 14:15
@ Gerry Cowie
I do not support the stand taken by our MEPs.
margaret richards
Oct 24th 2009, 13:55
To continue what Mr. W. Flynn is saying what about violent rape, a severely deformed baby, incest or danger to the mother - aren't these cases to be duly considered??? Does Mr. Vincenti holier than thou means to continue with a pregnancy started from violent rape, or incest, or to know that you are going to have a severely deformed baby or that the mother's health in is dire straits if she continues with the pregnancy.
G Vella
Oct 24th 2009, 13:10
Mr Cowie,
I resent your implication that humanists and secularists have no conscience, and that the ability to distinguish between right and wrong is the sole prerogative of those who believe that our moral code is handed down to us a deity that according to Sacred Scriptures has shown itself capable of being jealous and proud of it, petty, misogynistic, homophobic, vindictive and bloodthirsty.
There is indeed something cowardly in the assumption that somebody or something else has a responsibility to give one's life meaning and direction.
Gerry Cowie
Oct 24th 2009, 11:35
One would hope that even those who are in favour of abortion in general would at least support the stand taken by these Maltese MEPs. Even if they push the line that abortion should be allowed, even they must baulk at the idea of coercion, forced sterlization and sex selective abortion. Even the most hard-nosed secularists and humanists must surely have a conscience when it comes to such issues!
William P Flynn
Oct 24th 2009, 09:29
So, GOL, what about Coercive Pregnancies? Should a woman be forced to continue with pregnancy she doesn't want?