The protest rally held at Queen's Park March 29th by Concerned Catholic Parents of Ontario was attended by roughly 2,000 people. They were there to tell the Premier, Dalton McGuinty that they are against Bill 13. Kim Galvao who is the chair of CCPO had this to say, "I am alarmed to see a sexual agenda imposed on our schools by the Liberal government. ... As a mom I do not want my children taught that there are seven different genders. As a mom, I do no want my young children taught the disputed theory that a person's gender is not connected to their physical anatomy. As a Catholic, I strongly object that our religious schools are being forced to permit clubs that contradict its Christian mission. Bill 13 does all these things. It violates parental rights and attacks the freedom of religion."
There were a number of other speakers there to protest the proposed legislation that has now passed second reading in the legislative assembly. Fr. Alphonse de Valk, editor of Catholic Insight, opened the rally with a prayer. Charles McVety, from the Institute for Canadian Values spoke about sections of Bill 13 that his organization cannot accept. Holding a copy of the Bill 13 and a copy of the resource guide from the Toronto District School Board titled, Challenging Homophobia and Heterosexism, he said there were three main things he strongly rejected: the violation of parental rights, the attack on religious liberty and the restriction that any person or group renting schools would have in that they too would have to abide by the new legislation.
The speakers' agenda included Reverend Dominic Tse from the North York Chinese Community Church, Jack Fonseca with Campaign Life Coalition, Kim Galvao, Teresa Pierre, representing Parents As First Educators, Allan Tam, trustee with the York District school Board and representing the Chinese community in Toronto, and Phil Lees, Leader of the Family Coalition Party. As well, a number of MPPs joined the crowd with Rick Nicholls, MPP from Chattam-Essex, briefly addressing the crowd with words of encouragement and support.
Nearly every speaker stressed the need to allow parents to play a prominent and influential role in their children's moral education. Teresa Pierre reminded everyone that it's parents who are the primary educators of their children. The Catholic Church teaches that this is an important role for parents, but Bill 13 threatens to remove all parental input on the issue of sexuality and do away with religious freedom.
In the Vatican II document, Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education) the Church invites parents, students, teachers and the government of the day that everyone, "should be open to dialogue with others and willingly devote themselves to the promotion of the Common Good." Bill 13 is neither open to dialogue nor is it open to promoting the building of the Common Good. One protestor has it right with this reaction, "Since when is it democratic and just to listen to the will of the few at the expense of the majority of parents and children?"
In the Vatican II document, Gravissimum Educationis (Declaration on Christian Education) the Church invites parents, students, teachers and the government of the day that everyone, "should be open to dialogue with others and willingly devote themselves to the promotion of the Common Good." Bill 13 is neither open to dialogue nor is it open to promoting the building of the Common Good. One protestor has it right with this reaction, "Since when is it democratic and just to listen to the will of the few at the expense of the majority of parents and children?"
In the same quoted document, under the heading of "The Duties and Rights of Parents" we also find this empowering statement, "Parents who have the primary and inalienable right and duty to educate their children must enjoy true liberty in their choice of schools. Consequently, the public power, which has the obligation to protect and defend the rights of citizens, must see to it, in its concern for distributive justice, that public subsidies are paid out in such a way that parents are truly free to choose according to their conscience the schools they want for their children." (20)
This is moral thinking and religion at its best. Mr. McGuinty, and all those who agree with your radical immoral policies, will you please listen to the will of the majority of parents in Ontario.
