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TORONTO, March 22, 2004 (LifeSiteNews.com) – After dragging the matter on for a year, the Ontario Press Council (OPC) has decided to not even consider a complaint about an article and two columns by the Globe and Mail’s Heather Mallick. Among other things, Mallick urged that Henry Morgentaler be given the Order of Canada, incorrectly described a 12-week-old fetus as a “dot,” labeled pro-life members of Parliament in good standing as “stooges” and “daft,” depicted abortuaries as places of merriment and music and suggested that pro-life Canadians are prone to violence.  In a March 5 letter, the OPC said it “saw the column (sic) as falling within the bounds of its policy statement, which says it believes it is appropriate for columnists to exercise wide latitude in expressing their opinions, no matter how controversial or unpopular the opinions may be.”  However, the original article, “Why doesn’t this man have the Order of Canada?” published in the Jan. 18, 2003 Globe, was neither a column nor an opinion piece. In fact, it was published in the form of a biography, complete with numerous photographs, on the front page of the newspaper’s Focus section. The intent was to portray Morgentaler as a hero, overcoming opposition from religion, politics, law and pro-life Canadians in his quest to win “rights” for women.  Interim associate editor Tony Gosnach filed a formal complaint with the OPC citing seven separate journalistic conventions that were violated by the Globe and Mallick, none of which moved the OPC to even consider the complaint.  To reach the OPC with your concerns:  THE ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL   E-mail: [email protected]