The comment section was full of weeping emojis, angry red faces, and hate for poachers. Words like “heartbreaking”, “unbelievable”, and “disturbing” are repeated over and over. And it’s true: this little rhino was a victim of poaching no less than her mother. But why should it bother us so much when we allow the same thing to happen to human fetuses killed when their mother is victimized?
We observed something similar just a few short years ago right here in Canada. As the result of a selfish act, Cassie Kaake was murdered, along with her 7-month old pre-born child. There was national outrage that someone could commit such a heinous crime, and genuine shock that our laws did not recognize Cassie’s child (who she had already named Molly) as a victim alongside her mother. When MP Cathay Wagantall had an opportunity, she put forward legislation that addressed this void in Canadian law. Her bill recognized Cassie’s choice, and honoured it by recognizing Molly as a victim too. Ms. Wagantall, and the family of Cassie Kaake, worked hard to ensure that the outrage manifested was translated into meaningful action.
Unfortunately, many lawmakers are only about words, not meaningful action to effect change. Cassie and Molly’s law, as Ms. Wagantall’s private member’s bill was called, was voted down in Parliament.
Just as this baby rhino does not count in poaching statistics, so Molly did not count in the murder charges laid against the perpetrator in her mother’s death.
When we see this rhino, perfectly formed, no one hesitates for a moment to call it a rhino, a baby, and a victim. Where is the disconnect of political correctness that makes this ok for a rhino, but not for one of our own kind? Why can we not recognize the humanity of the pre-born child, and value it accordingly?
I was not the only one to feel the painful irony here. Commenter @rhettmoffett stated, “Imagine how sad it would be if it was a human baby rather than a wild animal.” Another, @bmoneyjo16, said, “Interesting because you’ll say a baby rhino was lost but won’t consider a baby in the womb to be human. Double standard.”
Commenter @whycantibejohnyoung gets more direct: “Maybe if half of you people actually saw a human fetus in a jar after an abortion you might think twice about shedding your fake emoji tears on this post. There are no words that can describe the magnitude of the moral hypocrisy I’m seeing here. I challenge Nat Geo to put equal spotlight on human fetuses, and I challenge each one of you to observe.”
Among multiple pleas to be kind to animals and the planet, one commenter added, “We are their only voice.”
We are called to be a voice for the voiceless, defenders of those weaker than ourselves. One commenter writes, “I think this is the saddest photo I’ve ever seen. Maybe spread this across the world.” As @lishlange states, “It’s all wrong – human babies & animals being poached.”
Every day, babies’ lives are terminated in the wombs of their mothers, often for the same reason as this rhino: simple human self-interest. National Geographic knows the power of pictures, and they do an incredible job advocating for so many of the earth’s voiceless inhabitants. It is our job to continue to do the same for our pre-born neighbours. When people think of abortion, may their first responses also be weeping, anger, and a righteous demand for change.
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Jeff Durham and Nancy Kaake are pleading for justice – please send the following video to your MP from your personal email account: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlPv6spDN9Q
To find your MP, search here.
Please also copy your email to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Justin.Trudeau@parl.gc.ca) and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould (Jody.Wilson-Raybould@parl.gc.ca).
Here is a sample short message that we encourage you to send along with the video link. Feel free to copy and paste it directly into your email.
Dear [MP Name],
I would like to pass along this video because you will soon be voting on bill C-225, also known as Cassie and Molly’s Law.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlPv6spDN9Q
This short clip gives more context on the bill from those who were close to Molly, and I want to encourage you not to ignore their cries for justice.
Sincerely,
[Name, Postal Code]
]]>#WagantallWednesdays have been a great success so far, and we’re hoping to keep that momentum going as we come into the homestretch before the vote on the bill in early October.
This week we want to challenge you to take another action, slightly different than the last two weeks.
After hearing from some of you that your MPs responded positively that they will support Bill C-225, and from others that they will not out of an unwillingness to risk reopening the abortion debate, we have crafted 3 new letters in response. You can use these letters to send a note of encouragement and thanks to your supportive MP, or to put to rest the fears or challenge the assumptions of an MP looking at this from a pro-abortion angle, and to ask them to also talk to their colleagues about this bill.
Below you will find these 3 new letters. We challenge you to choose the one most applicable to your MP and either handwrite it out the good ol’ fashioned way, or copy and paste it into your personal email to send it to your MP. (The link below will help you find your MP’s name and email address).
MPs have told us that emails from personal accounts hold more weight than form letters, and handwritten letters are rare and always noticed – in this small way you can encourage your MP in their support of pre-born human rights, or ask them to consider again what kind of “choice” they are allowing in Canada.
Here are the letters to get you started:
Thank you for supporting Bill C-225!
Dear (MP name),
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your response and your willingness to support Bill C-225, Cassie and Molly’s Law. I want to encourage you to keep up the great work, and know that you are appreciated by those you represent.
I hope you will talk to your colleagues about this important issue, and encourage them also to stand up for the value of a woman’s choice to carry her child. People like you can make a big difference in our Parliament and I look forward to continuing to follow your work.
Sincerely,
(Your name and postal code)
On the fence about Bill C-225?
Dear (MP name),
I am unaware of whether you have decided whether to support Cathay Wagantall’s private member’s bill, Bill C-225 (also known as Cassie and Molly’s Law). There has been some pushback from the pro-abortion movement fearing that this bill, which would make it a separate crime or aggravating factor to kill an unborn child during an attack on its mother, will somehow infringe on a woman’s “right” to choose abortion.
It is absolutely clear from an independent legal opinion released by Wagantall’s office that this is not the case. Instead, the motivation for these arguments is a fear of recognizing that the unborn child is, in fact, more than just a lump of worthless cells. Unfortunately, this argument by those who claim to be “pro-choice” reveals that they aren’t pro-choice at all: the only choice they care about protecting is the choice of abortion.
Bill C-225 recognizes that many women make a choice to keep and carry their child, and that choice also needs to be protected. Pregnant women need the support of society to validate their choice to carry a child.
Bill C-225 clearly values a woman’s choice, including her choice to carry her child. If that choice is taken away from her, there should be consequences for the one who took it.
Will you please support this bill when it is voted on in October? I’d really appreciate hearing your thoughts on this and knowing I can count on you to represent me accurately in Parliament.
Sincerely,
(Your name and postal code)
Afraid Bill C-225 will affect abortion rights?
Dear (MP name),
Thank you for taking the time to consider whether to vote in favour of Bill C-225, Cassie and Molly’s Law. This bill would stand up for pregnant women whose choice to carry their child is taken away from them by a violent crime that damages or kills their child in the womb.
You may be feeling pressured by the “pro-choice” fear that recognizing the value of a wanted pregnancy will somehow infringe on abortion rights or access. In fact, an independent legal opinion on this bill makes it clear that this is in no way the case.
Only a third party can be charged under this bill, not the woman herself, and only in a case where the woman does not consent, such as when she is victimized by intimate partner violence or other violent crime. This protects abortion doctors who obtain consent prior to performing an abortion. In short, there is no possible impact on abortion through this bill.
The “pro-choice” fear, however, is that a bill such as Cassie and Molly’s Law will get into people’s minds and make them think about the unborn child as something other than a blob of tissue. This fear shows that the only choice they protect is abortion; they ignore a woman’s choice to carry her child and give it life. Voting against this bill means voting against choice, and tells women Canadians only care about them if their choice is abortion.
Please discuss this with any of your colleagues who may be uncertain on this issue, or making their choice based on fear, and so doing no service to Canadian women.
Can I count on you to represent me by supporting this bill, and so supporting women who choose the often-difficult path of keeping their child? Vote in favour of harsher consequences for those who violently take away a woman’s choice, and help fill a gap in our criminal code.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
(Your name and postal code)
Once you’ve chosen your letter and are ready to mail it out or press “send”, here’s what you need to know:
Postage to the House of Commons is FREE. Send your letter to:
(MP Name)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0A6
To find your MP’s name and/or email address, search by postal code at the Parliament of Canada website.
BONUS free gift for handwriters! If you handwrote a letter, take a picture and email it to us (info@test.weneedalaw.ca), and we’ll send you your choice of a free We Need a Law lanyard or rubber bracelet. Along with the image, send us your preferred mailing address and choice of gift and we’ll get it on it’s way to say THANK YOU for taking the time to get involved.
Bill C-225 was introduced in February 2016 in response to a void in Canadian law that offers no recognition to the preborn child of a woman who has chosen to carry that child. This devalues both that woman and her choice. Statistics Canada reports that domestic violence affects more than 10,000 pregnant women per year. This law would be a step in addressing violence against pregnant women by making it clear that her choice to carry her child is respected and protected.
According to the independent poll, nearly 70% of Canadians say that they support a law that would make it a separate crime to harm or cause the death of a preborn child while harming a pregnant woman. Cassie and Molly’s Law has also been publicly endorsed by the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime.
MP Wagantall was encouraged by the clear results of the poll, stating in a press release that, “Ultimately a comprehensive strategy to end violence against women must include many targeted initiatives and legal reforms, including new penalties for those who target pregnant women.” Her proposed legislation will create a new offence that would apply when crimes committed against pregnant women result in the injury or death of their preborn child. The bill also codifies into law pregnancy as an aggravating factor for the purposes of sentencing.
ACTION: We have two new Simple Mails to send to your MP drawing their attention to these poll results and asking them to support Cassie & Molly’s Law with their vote. Please take 10 minutes of your time to send one of these letters, or, better yet, give your MP a phone call!
You can see the full poll results, including the questions asked, at the link below.
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MP Cathay Wagantall & Dr Dawn Lavell Harvard from the Native Women’s Association of Canada, posted on Wagantall’s Facebook page.
The endorsed bill is C-225, a private member’s bill introduced by Member of Parliament Cathay Wagantall earlier this year. According to Wagantall, her bill would “add new sentences for criminals who knowingly harm a pregnant woman and her fetus.” As indicated by the short name of the bill – Cassie and Molly’s Law – the genesis for C-225 is the tragic story of Cassandra Kaake and her daughter Molly who were brutally murdered nearly eighteen months ago.
Since December 2014 the families of the murder victims have been protesting the fact that Canadian law refuses to recognize the life and value of little Molly – even though she had been very much alive for thirty weeks prior to being murdered.
Jeff Durham, the partner of Cassandra Kaake,father of Molly and spokesperson for the Molly Matters campaign, summarizes the campaign by saying, “The premise of our cause, first and foremost, is that a woman who has chosen to become a mother deserves and should have the protection of law for the life that represents her choice.”
C-225 does nothing to change the status quo on abortion in Canada (abortion remains legal for any reason up to the moment of birth). It is a common sense piece of legislation that would simply level the playing field when it comes to protecting a woman’s choice. After all, if we are going to protect the right to choose to abort a child, shouldn’t we also protect a woman’s choice to carry her child to term safely?
Nearly a decade ago, when a similar bill was introduced, it had overwhelming support from the Canadian public. While that bill failed to pass due to a federal election it appears that Wagantall is working hard to ensure that the overwhelming public support for such a law translates into policy this time around.
The endorsement from the Native Women’s Association – whose collective goal is to enhance, promote, and foster the social, economic, cultural and political well-being of First Nations and Métis women within First Nation, Métis and Canadian societies – should go a long way in silencing some of the critics of Cassie and Molly’s law. In spite of Wagantall’s bill being a commonsense piece of legislation, there is a small handful of self-proclaimed women’s rights activists who apparently only advocate for the right to have an abortion, and not the right to give birth to a child. Standing up for women should include protecting their right to carry a child to term. A cursory glance at the Molly Matters website shows that Cassandra Kaake and her family were excited about Molly’s birth. Yet the law refuses to protect that choice.
We should not accept that abortion of unwanted preborn children is such a sacrosanct act that we refuse to protect wanted preborn children and their pregnant mothers from injury or death at the hands of violent criminals. Clearly Wagantall and Durham are not satisfied with the status quo and are working hard to enact legislative changes. The endorsement from the powerful voice of the Native Women’s Association of Canada provides a welcome boost to their efforts.
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Jeff Durham and Cassie Kaake were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their daughter Molly. However, in December 2014, about two months from Molly’s due date, Kaake was bludgeoned to death in her apartment in Windsor, Ontario, and her pre-born daughter was killed along with her.
According to the criminal code in Canada, charges could only be laid for the death of Cassie, and not her pre-born child, a fact that shocked and saddened Durham. Since the tragedy, Durham has been on a crusade to obtain justice for the murder of his daughter. He started a campaign called Molly Matters, and began collecting signatures for petitions to bring about increased severity of the legal consequences for committing a crime against a pregnant woman.
When Cathay Wagantall, MP for the Yorkton-Melville riding in Saskatchewan, heard about Durham’s cause she offered to help him create this legislation. She became passionate about justice for pregnant women and their babies. This resulted in Wagantall presenting her first private member’s bill in the House of Commons: Bill C-225 – the Protection of Pregnant Women and Their Preborn Children Act (Cassie and Molly’s Law).
What Bill C-225 isn’t
MP Wagantall began by emphasizing the importance of understanding the nature of this bill when responding to it. Major opponents of Bill C-225 claim the bill attempts to ‘humanize a fetus’ or criminalize abortion. However, Wagantall reiterated time and again that this is not the case.
“There are lots of laws in our criminal code that are there, but do not apply to human beings,” says Wagantall, “For example, we have laws against harming an animal. They’re not human beings, but we have laws against that. We have laws against doing an injustice to a dead body… Now just like we have laws in those circumstances where it doesn’t apply to a human being, we’re saying that these laws, certainly when you’re dealing with the life inside of a mother who’s choosing to carry her child to term, certainly that should be as important in our criminal code as it is for animals, or other things.”
Wagantall also stresses that this bill could not possibly be used against women who have abortions, or the doctors who give them. “This bill is to deal with a third party who commits a criminal offense against a woman,” she explained. “We’re not in any way incriminating doctors who are giving abortions because the woman is consenting to the abortion.”
In addition, she points out that Cassie and Molly’s Law does not allow for charges to be laid in relation to the pre-born child independent of the mother. This law would only make it possible for additional charges when someone commits a crime against a pregnant woman. In other words, if a woman is consenting to an abortion, no crime has been committed according to the criminal code, and no charges can be laid.
What Bill C-225 is
According to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, homicide accounts for 20% of all deaths of women who were pregnant. This means that a woman is more likely to be murdered during her pregnancy than she is to die in childbirth. In addition, the United Nations suggests that as many as 1 in 4 women experience violence during their pregnancy. Despite these serious numbers, there is, as of yet, no additional consideration given to the unique and special circumstances of pregnancy. In fact, pregnancy is not even an official aggravating factor under the Criminal Code, and has seldom been used to increase the sentence for a crime against a pregnant woman. “Across the country people are shocked to learn that we have nothing in our criminal code in regards to the life of a child that a woman is choosing to carry to term,” says Wagantall. It is imperative, therefore, that legal safeguards are implemented to prevent these crimes and ensure justice for the victims.
One word that is used frequently in the abortion debate is the word choice. Those who believe abortion is a fundamental right speak about a woman’s ‘right to choose’. However, there are currently no laws that protect a woman’s right to choose to give birth to her child. One purpose of Bill C-225, therefore, is to make the sentences for attacking a pregnant woman properly reflect the loss of a child who was wanted by his or her parents.
Wagantall described situations where a pregnant woman may endure an assault by a partner or other family member who was opposed to her carrying her child to term. In this situation, if the woman did not lose her life but her pre-born child was injured or killed, in the current legal context, the likely charges would only be assault or aggravated assault against the woman. Her child would receive no recognition by the criminal justice system.
With the implementation of Cassie and Molly’s law, the perpetrator would be charged for assault, and additional charges would be given for the death of the fetus. It wouldn’t be a murder sentence, Wagantall acknowledged, because if the bill is going to pass, the definition of a human being cannot change. According to the Criminal Code, a baby becomes a human being when it is fully removed from the womb, and so murder sentences cannot be given for the deaths of pre-born children. However, Wagantall believes that this law would more fully solve this ‘gap in the Criminal Code’ as it pertains to the loss of pre-born children to crime.
The Response
Mrs. Wagantall expressed how happy she has been with the general response from the public. People from both sides of the abortion debate have been coming together to support Cassie and Molly’s law. In fact, Durham, the founder of Molly Matters, is pro-choice himself. This is because the emphasis in this law is on protecting women and their right to bear children safely. “[The Molly Matters bill] is not a pro-life or pro-choice issue,” Wagantall noted. “It’s an issue for all women.”
Despite the overwhelming support from the general public, many of the Liberal and NDP MPs showed some reluctance when it came to supporting the bill in the recent discussion in the House of Commons. Many of them, rather than coming out in favor of Cassie and Molly’s law, suggested implementing a national strategy to prevent violence against women, a fact that disappointed Wagantall. “The reality is that a lot of women face this type of violence, and [Bill C-225] is a specific way we can deal with that, so we shouldn’t just be talking in platitudes and bigger-picture issues, we need to do everything we can.”
Wagantall also requested the support of the everyday Canadians in bringing this bill to pass. She suggested first of all, to contact a local parliamentarian to express your thoughts on the matter, and second of all, to print off the petitions available on the Molly Matters website to share around your community and send to the MP for your riding. “That kind of action on the part of everyday Canadians really makes a difference,” said Wagantall.
Molly Does Matter!
Clearly Wagantall’s passion comes from the understanding that, when so many women worldwide become the targets of violence because of their pregnancy, it becomes unthinkable to simply stand by. We need to protect these women, protect the rights of the family, and protect the next generation. One particular point that Wagantall made was that the bill would help protect the family. As she said in her motion for leave to introduce Bill C-225, “Families are the foundation of our country. Canadians deserve a legal system that protects all aspects of a family.”
When so many women worldwide become the targets of violence because of their pregnancy, it becomes unthinkable to simply stand by. We need to protect these women, protect the rights of the family, and protect the next generation. One particular point that Wagantall made was that the bill would help protect the family. As she said in her motion for leave to introduce Bill C-225, “Families are the foundation of our country. Canadians deserve a legal system that protects all aspects of a family.” If Bill C-225 passes, the laws of Canada will better reflect the value of women, family, and life.
]]>Now it’s your turn to make a difference by ensuring that the MPs know there is support from across Canada for the bill to become law!
In cooperation with the Molly Matters team we have developed a postcard campaign with the goal of reaching as many MPs as possible over the coming months. You can do this on your own, or get together with a bunch of friends or family and have a postcard and pizza party. 
Here is what we will send you:
- One (or more) pack of 25 postcards
- A list of 25 MPs to whom you will address and send you postcards
- Talking points to help you in writing a message on the reverse side of the postcards
Postage to the House of Commons is free and this method ensures that every MP will receive a stack of postcards on his or her desk. All you need to do is order your postcards and tell all your friends about it!
We have a limited time-frame for this campaign, so place your order now! Please send an email to cassy@test.weneedalaw.ca and let her know your address and the number of packages you would like to receive!
See below for an example of what you might write:
Building support for a pre-born victims of crime law is a unique opportunity to work with a broad range of Canadians from across the pro-life/pro-choice spectrum as we seek to advance legislation recognizing the worth of children in the womb.
There are many ways in which we can help this hurting family. Today we are asking you to commit to these three actions:
1. Please watch the short 3-minute YouTube video and share it with as many people as you can.
2. Set aside another 3 minutes to send a link for the Molly Matters video directly from your email to your Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister (Justin.Trudeau@parl.gc.ca). You can find your MPs email address here.
3. Take another 3 minutes to send this Simple Mail letter to your Member of Parliament.
Do you have 9 minutes to help make a difference? Molly matters!
]]>TOMORROW, Bill C-225 will be voted on by our Members of Parliament.
TODAY, you can make a difference.
This is your last opportunity to make a difference on the outcome of Cassie and Molly’s Law.
We know that calling your MP is not the easiest thing to do so here are a few things to keep in mind. You will most likely speak to a staff member. If there is no answer please leave a message. Introduce yourself and inform the staff member that you are calling because there is an important vote in the House of Commons this week and you want your MP to support Bill C-225, or Cassie and Molly’s Law.
There is no need to explain the bill as they will have heard the specifics of the bill during the debate, so you do not need to expand – simply ask them to please remember Cassie and Molly when they cast their vote tomorrow!
TYPE IN YOUR POSTAL CODE BELOW AND WE’LL CONNECT YOU WITH YOUR MP!
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Ms. Lemire, along with many other Windsor residents want Canadian law to recognize pre-born children as separate victims when they are injured or killed when a criminal act is perpetrated against a pregnant woman. While there is broad support for a pre-born victims of crime law there are still a few shrill voices who, because of their fascination with abortion (which is completely unrelated) will do everything possible to prevent justice being served for Molly and other pre-born victims of crime.
Ms. Lemire recently responded in the Windsor Star to a University of Windsor law professor who published an article in which he downplayed the need for a pre-born victims of crime law. She wrote:
As a friend of Cassie Kaake since we were three years old, I take offence to David Tanovich’s column. In his desire to avoid any discussion surrounding the rights of wanted pre-born children, he suggests that society just needs to address the root causes of the tragedy that took the life of my friend and her baby, Molly.
I wonder if Mr. Tanovich thinks we should do away with other laws, too? Maybe we shouldn’t punish rapists, either. They don’t need jail time. We just need to figure out what caused them to rape someone and address the root causes. Of course, this is nonsense.
Mr. Tanovich, as well as anyone else opposed to justice for Molly, needs to realize that an unborn victim’s law addresses violence against pregnant women and their children. Awareness and education are important but without a law, the purposes of criminal sentencing cannot be met.
Harsh penalties for causing injury to, or the death of, an unborn child are a much-needed deterrent to committing violence against pregnant women. Furthermore, such a law is a societal denunciation of unlawful, heinous conduct.
And without an unborn victims of crime law, our courts cannot fully promote a sense of responsibility in offenders and foster an acknowledgment of the harm done to victims, their families and society.
As with many injustices affecting Canadians, a combination of addressing root causes coupled with the enactment of laws is required. In fact, of all people, you would think a law professor would know that the main task of the government is to use the law as a tool to punish and deter violent criminals.
Ms. Lemire has also launched a national petition. It is posted on her newly created Facebook page and we have uploaded it to our website.
It is also attached in PDF format below this article. Please print it, gather signatures, and bring to your MP or mail to Michelle (her address is included on the bottom of the petition). You may print extra copies of the second page of the petition to gather more signatures, but please note, subsequent pages must be sent along with the first page.
Pre-born human rights matter and we need to help the Kaake family as they pursue justice for pre-born victims of crime! The support that has been building in Windsor now needs to expand across the country so that our politicians can ignore this no longer!
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