Doctor who censored pro-life speakers given Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal
Yonah Martin, left, awards Dr. Shelley Ross, right.
The medal was created to recognize Canadians who have contributed to society through their service and achievements.
Dr. Shelley Ross, secretary general of the Medical Women's International Association and past president of the BC Medical Association, was given the medal last week by Conservative Senator Yonah Martin at a ceremony in New Westminster City Hall.
The Korean Medical Women’s Association organized the MWIA conference in Seoul and invited doctors from around the world to discuss “Pregnancy and Abortion.”
Three well-known pro-life doctors from the U.S. – Dr. Mary Davenport, Dr. Donna Harrison, and Dr. Martha Shuping – were invited to speak.
Although their presentations were approved by the Scientific Committee of the conference, Dr. Ross and another leader in the MWIA, Claudia Morrissey Conlon, objected to the pro-life perspective being offered and canceled the presentations.
Dr. Ross released a statement calling the presentations by the pro-life doctors a “politicization” that lack “scientific merit” and “would deny women their basic right to choose,” according to a C-FAM report.
A first-hand report from Dr. Harrison, who is executive director of American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG), says that not only did Dr. Shelley Ross shut down the pro-life presentations, but interfered with a media interview set up by the Korean host of the pro-life doctors.
"With the cancellation of our talks, our host, Dr. Anna Choi, who heads of a group of 680 Korean OB/GYN physicians who stopped doing abortions, had decided to set up a radio and newspaper interview for us during the time that we were supposed to give our presentations," Dr. Harrison said.
"About 20 minutes into the interview,” Dr. Ross “burst into the room” and asked the interviewers, "Who gave you permission to interview these people?"
The reporters said, "We are the press, we don't need anyone's permission. We have freedom of the press."
She then "stood in front of the camera, and refused to move, and said, "The interview is over," according to Dr. Harrison. "The reporters said, 'You can't do this. You are interfering with the freedom of the press.' But the Secretary General would not move and repeated, 'The interview is over.'"
Dr. Harrison related that the interview was later completed in another location away from Dr. Ross' interference.
Senator Yonah Martin, who presented Dr. Ross with the Diamond Jubilee Medal, and who is herself of Korean descent, has faced criticism from the media for a lack of "communicating with the public about what they’re doing in Ottawa as legislators."
Martin was appointed to the Senate by PM Harper in 2009 after she failed in an attempt as a candidate for the House of Commons in 2008. Her bio describes her as "the first Canadian of Korean descent to serve in the Senate of Canada and the first Korean-Canadian Parliamentarian in Canadian history."
The Vancouver Sun's Ottawa correspondent Peter O'Neil rebuked Senator Martin for refusing to grant him an interview, twice.
He was hoping to establish "a working relationship" with her, as he has done with other BC Senators, "so when a matter important to the province [British Columbia] comes up I can canvass their views."
When he first approached Senator Martin, O'Neil said he got a message that she was "not available for an interview as her schedule is extremely hectic this session.” A second attempt was similarly rebuffed with the message, ”Please refer to our website for Senator Martin’s biography as she is not available for an interview.”
O'Neil titled his editorial "B.C.’s young $5.4 million Senator keeping a low profile."
Contact:
The Office of the Honourable Senator Yonah Martin
The Senate of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A4
Phone: 1-800-267-7362
1-613-947-4078
Email: martin@sen.parl.gc.ca
BC Medical Association
Dr. William Cunningham, President
115 - 1665 W Broadway
Vancouver BC V6J 5A4
Phone: 604-736-5551 or 1-800-665-2262
Email: president@bcma.bc.ca
Source: LifeSite News
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