Canadian MP decries censorship against pro-life students

OTTAWA, March 12, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) – by Thaddeus Baklinski

Conservative MP Leon Benoit spoke out in Parliament on March 6 denouncing the censorship of pro-life students in Canadian universities.

“Universities in Canada are often thought of as the bastions of free speech and expression. Certainly they are the last places where censorship should occur. I wish this were true, but sadly, it is not,” Mr. Benoit stated.  “When it comes to some of the most sensitive issues, such as pro-life issues, many universities are exactly the opposite.”

Mr. Benoit reminded the House of the arrest under a charge of trespassing of pro-life students at Ottawa’s Carleton University on October 4, 2010, for conducting a peaceful pro-life demonstration on the university campus.  “When students at Ottawa’s Carleton University put up a pro-life display, some students found the photos offensive and complained. I expect that most Canadians would find such photos offensive but that was the point the group was making: that abortion and particularly late stage abortion is offensive,” Mr. Benoit said.

“What is of concern is how the university reacted. It demanded that the group remove its display and then charged the students when they refused.”  “Similar censorship has occurred at universities in Toronto, Calgary, Fredericton and, most recently, Victoria where students are banned from carrying out pro-life activities and were forced to apologize to groups that were offended by their display,” Mr. Benoit pointed out.

“I call on all universities,” Mr. Benoit concluded, “to truly become places where students and society can count on free speech and free expression being allowed and, in fact, encouraged.”