Family Coalition Party, leader's response:

July 8, 2001 Dear Editor,

The recent case in Aylmer, where the CAS (Children's Aid Society - Family and Children's Services, St. Thomas and Elgin County) took away seven children from their loving (Christian) parents, is similar to last year's case in Ottawa, where nine children were placed with seven sets of foster parents, only to discover, months later, that their (Christian) home was the best place for them to be, and after their two year old toddler had been abused by a foster parent.

These cases emerge as more and more regional offices of the CAS realize that they have the legal power, thanks to the Ontario Law (Bill 6) passed early last year, to interfere with families not only in cases of abuse and perceived abuse, but whenever the CAS thinks there might be a problem. In the Ottawa case, in their opinion, the Mielke's house was "too dirty". It was then up to the parents to demonstrate their "innocence". It took them half a year and several thousand dollars to do that.

The Aylmer case was widely reported by the media as a "spanking" problem. However, it was soon discovered that the parents did not spank their children and there was no indication of any spanking or abuse. So, why were they taken?

One "justification" was that the father could not promise not to use spanking in the future, although he had never done it yet. Spanking, as they quote from the Bible, could include a rod, or a switch.

Whether you agree with spanking or not, the fact is that the CAS has the power of breaking a family apart if the opinions (not the actions) of the parents are not politically correct. Never mind that we have a Law, Section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which says that parents and guardians are "justified in using force" as long as it "doesn't exceed what is reasonable under the circumstances." Never mind that the law was upheld by the Ontario Superior Court. The CAS thinks that parents should not even contemplate spanking, and in Ontario they have the exceptional power to force their opinion on Christian families.

I wonder whether the people involved in passing and enforcing the Ontario Bill 6 are the same people who criticize Christians for the Inquisition.

Giuseppe Gori

Leader, Ontario Coalition

(905) 877 7473
RR #4 Acton, ON L7J 2M1

Email: Leader@FamilyParty.on.ca