Margaret Somerville's honorary degree dishonoured.Toronto -- Dr. Margaret Somerville Margaret Anne Ganley Somerville, AM, FRSC (born April 13, 1942) is an Australian/Canadian ethicist and academic. She is the Samuel Gale Professor of Law, Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and the Founding Director of the Faculty of Law's Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law at is a member of the faculty at Montreal's McGill University McGill University, at Montreal, Que., Canada; coeducational; chartered 1821, opened 1829. It was named for James McGill, who left a bequest to establish it. Its real development dates from 1855 when John W. Dawson became principal. , known as a medical ethicist eth·i·cist also e·thi·cian n. A specialist in ethics. Noun 1. ethicist - a philosopher who specializes in ethics ethician philosopher - a specialist in philosophy in Canada and internationally. She was invited by Toronto's Ryerson University to receive an honorary science doctorate on June 20, 2006. However, at the convocation ceremony, "gay" activists protested loudly outside and inside the hall, while several rainbow-flag-draped professors on the stage actually turned their backs to the honoree. Dr. Somerville is not a public pro-family defender. On the contrary, she has expressed her support for so-called homosexual "rights" to the point of promoting civil unions for same-sex partners. But she has refused to take the final step and advocate same-sex "marriage." Her reason: such marriages contravene con·tra·vene tr.v. con·tra·vened, con·tra·ven·ing, con·tra·venes 1. To act or be counter to; violate: contravene a direct order. 2. the right of children to know both of their biological parents (for the same reason she also does not support artificial procreation PROCREATION. The generation of children; it is an act authorized by the law of nature: one of the principal ends of marriage is the procreation of children. Inst. tit. 2, in pr. ). The needs of children must not be subservient to the wants and desires of adults, she holds. In the homosexualists' book, this cannot be tolerated. Those who do not go the whole way with them must be denounced and humiliated hu·mil·i·ate tr.v. hu·mil·i·at·ed, hu·mil·i·at·ing, hu·mil·i·ates To lower the pride, dignity, or self-respect of. See Synonyms at degrade. . Margaret Somerville accepted the degree as a symbol of freedom of academic expression but, alas, felt compelled to remark that she "genuinely" regretted the hurt caused to her opponents. Ryerson President Sheldon Levy also distanced himself from Somerville's views, even as he defended the award on the grounds of her "great academic work" and applauded her right to speak out. The whole affair is a perfect example of the arrogance of the "gay" community in demanding that all Canadians must submit to their views or be turfed to the margins of society. What is worse, academics everywhere are groveling grov·el intr.v. grov·eled also grov·elled, grov·el·ing also grov·el·ling, grov·els also grov·els 1. To behave in a servile or demeaning manner; cringe. 2. to submit to their demands. To its credit, the Toronto Star, which is a strong supporter of same-sex "marriage," did not take kindly to the behaviour of the pro-"gay" academics, accusing them of creating a "chill" against freedom of speech. Also critical was the Sun. The Globe and Mail remained silent. |
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