For my 99th Entry, I am going to share with you two newspaper articles from the local paper, The Telegram. These relate to something I referenced in my entry last night regarding the pro-lifer who visited a Junior High School. I'm not sure why I'm sharing them. Perhaps because the full matter has shocked and bothered me. Perhaps because when I think of pro-life and all of the arguements that pro-lifers make, this goes beyond my imaginings. And perhaps it's because I want to get the word out on these two so that if anyone reading this is tempted to book them, they think twice. So here they are, two articles regarding a 'pro-life' talk that junior high students recieved. Enjoy. Perhaps to let people know that misinformation is happening and that we have to find a way to counter this, present the truth and allow people to decide for themselves what side they want to be on.

Some parents of Leary�s Brook junior high students in St. John�s were �horrified� this week to learn their children were subjected to a one-sided presentation by members of the pro-life movement.

The concerned parents, who plan to send a letter expressing their concerns to Avalon East School Board director Brian Shortall, are appalled to learn the school did not review the material prior to the presentation.

Further, the school didn�t ask for parental permission for the children to attend the 90-minute afternoon session. Some parents are equally disgusted about the manner in which John and Gaetanne Hetherington of Longueuil, Que., described an abortion to the grades 7-9 children � 11- to 14-year-olds.

Parents claim the pro-lifers told their children that when abortions occur, the fetus is turned in the womb so that the feet are delivered first. That physicians then reach in, cut the head from the neck and suck the brain out.

Some children placed their hands over their ears while others were reduced to tears by what they heard, a parent said, noting the presenters also showed the students a model of a fetus.

�My son was so horrified and gripped by this story that I don�t think he can get it out of his mind,� a mother said Thursday.

The woman agrees children have to learn the facts of life at some point, �but they do not need to be exposed to what is in fact fear-mongering.�

The presentation on how an abortion takes place isn�t factual, she said.

�This was clearly not appropriate, nor was it fair, nor was it objective, nor did it consider medical, moral, or legal realities in this country.�

Another parent said she was flabbergasted to hear her child associate the word �murder� with abortions. This goes well beyond whether someone is pro-life or not, she said.

She�s also annoyed the pro-life supporters got into the school without any review of the material.

�We are apologizing, we�re accepting full responsibility, we share parents� concerns that this presentation was not appropriate, (and) a letter of apology is going home to all parents today from the principal of the school,� said Mary Tucker, the school board�s manager of communications.

The board and school officials also plan to take some corrective action to deal with it. If it�s necessary for followup instruction with the students from qualified people, such as a public health nurse or medical professional, it will be done, she said.

The board will also ensure that information being presented to children in the future is �age-appropriate, tasteful and balanced,� she said.

Tucker said material brought into the schools must be reviewed and sanctioned by the board and must be linked to the curriculum.

Tuesday�s presentation was not a well-rounded discussion as was expected, school officials claim, adding the Hetheringtons planned to focus on abortion, drugs, alcohol, leadership and values.

But many admit the afternoon session went off course when the floor was opened up to a question-and-answer session between the Hetheringtons and the students.

So who are the Hetheringtons?

They were in contact with the school before the end of the 2000-2001 school year about making a presentation. School staff claim the couple showed up Tuesday out of the blue from Quebec and wanted to do a presentation.

A parent said school officials could have easily found out about the Hetheringtons using the Internet.

The 100 Huntley Street page clearly shows that the couple appeared on its Sept. 6 show.

They attend Eglise Nouvelle Vie in Longueuil (the New Life Church). The Web site goes on to say �John is an abortion survivor and musician, and Gaetanne, a broadcast journalist.�

It says the couple returned to their Quebec roots �to be planted there in answer to God�s call on their lives, which is to bring the message of revival and the promised harvest of souls through the repentance for the sin of abortion.�

They have spoken to more than 300 churches and schools.

Some parents, meanwhile, have raised concerns to the Newfoundland and Labrador Human Rights Association about Tuesday�s presentation.

�One-sided�

Jerry Vink, the association�s executive director, said the issue does raise questions of human rights.

The Rights of the Child, which was enacted by both the Government of Canada and United Nations, speaks to the appropriateness of education, including �the development of respect for the child�s parents.�

�In human rights one of the things that we recognize is the education of a child should involve the parents and they should be aware of what goes on in the school,� Vink said.

Vink said the activities, which occurred Tuesday, did not � in his opinion � present a message of understanding, peace and tolerance as identified in the Rights of the Child.

�It�s the kind of one-sided, biased views that have no place in the educational process,� he said.

The Telegram could not reach the Hetheringtons Thursday.

A decision by Leary�s Brook junior high school to pay two pro-life advocates a $300 �honorarium� for speaking to students Tuesday about abortion has further upset some parents.

The parents were already angered by the couple�s one-sided and graphic presentation to their children.

And, contrary to comments by school staff Thursday that the couple showed up unannounced to make the presentation, a school official confirmed the two presenters � John and Gaetanne Hetherington of Longueuil, Que. � were tentatively scheduled to speak on Tuesday to the grades 7-9 students.

However, the principal only discovered the night before that the Hetheringtons were actually going to show up for the presentation.

Parents say the school had more than enough time to send home permission forms asking if their children could attend what they claim was a �one-sided� discussion on abortion from pro-life advocates.

It isn�t unusual for a school principal to give an honorarium to people who make special presentations.

Bert Tulk, an assistant director with the Avalon East School Board who is responsible for programs, said approval would not have to come from the district office. �From time to time, it does happen that groups/presenters do receive an honorarium in appreciation, or in support, of their visits to schools,� he said.

As for parental concerns that no permission forms were sent home, Tulk said: �I would even go back a step prior to that. Should such a session have been held on Tuesday? Why would you notify parents of a session which you deem to be inappropriate?

�So, my question would be, is this an appropriate educational opportunity or program for students? If it is of a controversial or potentially high-profile nature, then parents should be notified.�

Tulk said there was a serious error in judgment in this case.

The information provided to the board indicates the presentation was supposed to be well-rounded and balanced, dealing with abortion, drugs, alcohol, leadership and values.

Some of the discussion was lost when the 90-minute presentation got into a question-and-answer session, he said.

The Hetheringtons told the junior high students that during an abortion the fetus is turned in the womb so that the feet are delivered first. They said the head is cut from the neck and the brain is sucked out.

Tulk said the board has apologized to parents and admits the comment about how an abortion is performed was �inappropriate, graphic and certainly upsetting to parents, as well as to us.�

Madeline Chaytor, manager and nurse at the Morgentaler abortion clinic in St. John�s, said the Hetheringtons� description of how an abortion is performed isn�t factual. �That is not the medical procedure that�s used here at this clinic and in any other clinic that I know of,� she said.

Pro-life demonstrators, who can often be seen outside the Morgentaler clinic on LeMarchant Road, �don�t have placards that are graphic like that,� she said.

Chaytor said what happened Tuesday gives the pro-life movement a bad rap because of the misinformation. It isn�t fair to raise abortion in such a light with young children who have difficulty filtering out what�s right and wrong, she said.

Peggy Matchim, executive director of Planned Parenthood Sexual Health Centre in St. John�s, said there�s no question the information the Hetheringtons presented on abortion was inaccurate.

Matchim said there are many professionals in St. John�s who can provide a balanced presentation on sexual and reproductive health.

Tulk, meanwhile, said parents will be notified of the short-term and long-term plans to address Tuesday�s incident.

In the short term, there will be balanced presentations to all students by professionals so that the Tuesday event is placed in a broader context, he said.

Parents will be asked to discuss the issue with their children, and if there�s a sense the students are bothered or experiencing trauma as a result of it, the school will organize either individual or group counselling sessions, he said.

Tulk said the long-term plan is to ensure such a presentation doesn�t occur in the future.

The board and principals will review the criteria pertaining to presentations from outside groups and ensure they are sanctioned by either the board office or Department of Education, he said.

Asked whether just a handful of parents are lodging complaints about the presentation, Tulk said, �I would think that it is more widespread than just a few parents.�

The school, however, has received calls of support, he said, but regardless of the size of the outcry, the board has concerns the incident occurred in the school.

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