Brian Jenkins

Reading Mario Roy in last Friday's Lapresse one would think so.

His commentary focusses upon the diminishing trend in crime not only in Canada but also across North America. In so doing, he quotes from the American study by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner entitled Freakonomics (2005).

He writes:

According to the authors (i.e., Levitt and Dubner) it is the decision in Roe v Wade (The US spereme Court ruling) legalising abortion in 1973 that, fifteen years later, largely contributed to the freefall in crime. And this, in diminishing (there are 1.5 million abortions per year in the United States) the number of undesirable children, often in dysfuncitonal families, and thus fated to a shady future. It is an shocking analysis, yet may not be void of some truth.

Selon les auteurs, c'est l'arrêt Roe v. Wade ayant légalisé l'avortement en 1973 qui, 15 ans plus tard, a largement fait chuter la criminalité. Et ce, en diminuant (1,5 million d'avortements par année aux États-Unis) le nombre d'enfants non désirés, souvent dans des familles dysfonctionnelles, et donc promis à un sombre avenir. C'est une analyse d'une froideur choquante, mais peut-être pas dénuée de vérité.

A couple of things I wish to point out that undersocere this limited analysis of Mr. Levitt and Dubner, and in turn Mr. Roy.