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Nursing Association Attempts to Silence Christian Activist, Fellow Nurse at Supreme Court

By Hilary White

REGINA, Saskatchewan, March 25, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses (SALPN) will attempt to take a Christian activist member to the Supreme Court of Canada to attempt to silence his objections to abortion, "sex education" and Planned Parenthood.

Six years ago, Bill Whatcott, a licensed practical nurse, protested outside Planned Parenthood offices in Regina, Saskatchewan. SALPN retaliated by suspending his license and levelling a $15,000 fine, calling the protest "professional misconduct".

In January, after years of court battles, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal ruled that the attempt by SALPN to silence Mr. Whatcott was unconstitutional. The ruling said, "The Discipline Committee did not engage in any of the balancing necessary to weigh Mr. Whatcott's right to work, the high standards to which nurses must aspire and free speech."

Whatcott said that he picketed Planned Parenthood because the group's "sexual health" philosophy "promotes teen promiscuity, perversion and abortion". This view is in accordance the statistics that show rates of sexual promiscuity among young people have risen dramatically, along with rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unwed teen pregnancies and abortion since sex education was widely implemented in schools. Whatcott said that he particularly objected to the organization's practice of abortion referral and contraceptive dissemination to girls as young as 11 without their parent's consent.

Whatcott's lawyer, Tom Schuck, said that SALPN cannot automatically appeal the decision, but must apply to the Supreme Court for permission. Three judges will examine the material and decide if the case is in the public interest to pursue. Schuck said that only one case in twenty is judged to be of sufficient interest. In the meantime Whatcott is appealing for financial donations to help cover the anticipated costs.

Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Precedent Setting Ruling Reinstates Canadian Pro-Life Activist's Nursing License, Cancels Fine
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