The annual March for Life saw thousands from the pro-life movement gather on Parliament Hill and walk the streets of Ottawa to advocate for protection for the pre-born. On the heels of this event, We Need a Law hosted its first ever Training in Action mini-conference!
It began on Thursday evening with a showing of After Tiller, a documentary film following four abortion doctors in the United States. The documentary was challenging as it provided the abortionists’ perspective on why they do late term abortions. After the viewing we discussed the issues raised, including the real suffering that comes from a difficult prenatal diagnosis, and how to compassionately but firmly advocate for a solution other than the premature ending of the pre-born child’s life.
On Friday we gathered at the ARPA offices in Ottawa for some breakfast. After the opening remarks from Mike Schouten, I was able to share We Need a Law’s initiatives including ending sex-selection abortion, parental consent requirements, recognizing pre-born victims of crime, and bringing Canada in line with other democracies with an International Standards Law.
Next Devorah Gilman shared with us some effective communication tactics when discussing pre-born human rights with the Canadian public. She emphasized the importance of “show, don’t tell” and how to use common ground, analogies, and questions to invite others to see that all humans, including the pre-born, are entitled to human rights.
Feeling ready to put this learning into action, we headed to the Human Rights Monument in downtown Ottawa to set up a flag display. We were able to engage people and talk to them about the fact that Canada is one of the only countries in the world without any law protecting the pre-born. We finished up with a de-brief back at the office before wrapping up the conference.
It was a great time of equipping Canadians to communicate the pro-life message. It is our hope that all the participants will take the skills learned and advocate for the rights of the pre-born in their communities.
On May 10, 2018, thousands of Canadians are gathered in Ottawa to show how much pre-born human rights matter to them. Men, women and children, young and old, take time out of their lives because they care deeply about the lives of others.
It’s sad that we’ve had to do this for so many years, but the fact that so many people show up to the March for Life every single year shows that we’re committed to never giving up. This is something that matters too much.
The March for Life is one of the largest marches that happens in Canada annually, and it’s always encouraging to see so many pro-lifers gathered in one place. Obviously, human rights matter to a lot of people, and we hope all Canadians will consider why Canada is the only country in the world with zero regulations surrounding the procedure of abortion. Canadians need to consider whether they are actually okay with the status quo. Polls consistently show that the majority of Canadians are unaware of our lack of abortion regulations. When asked directly, the majority supports some legal restriction on abortion.
We advocate for laws that begin to get Canada in line with international guidelines. For example, limiting abortion in some cases, such as banning sex-selective abortions and ending abortions after the first trimester, would be similar to countries like Germany, France and Spain. We also promote informed consent and laws that recognize pre-born children as victims if their mother is killed as a result of violent crime.
All of these steps are building blocks in changing hearts and minds as Canadians find they support these types of regulations. Supporting these first steps indicates an awareness of the humanity of pre-born children, a humanity that we ultimately hope will be honoured with full human rights.
Canadians need to know the status quo, but they also need to know why it is unacceptable. By working together, the pro-life movement can make abortion not just illegal, but unthinkable.
The right to life and the need for change in Canada: these are why we march.
As we approach our 150th birthday this summer, we shouldn’t be resting on the laurels of a renowned human rights record. Instead, we should be engaged in serious reflection and self-examination. How can we do better?
The number one way in which we can do better is in relation to our most vulnerable. Pre-born babies continue to be discarded by the tens of thousands every year. Politicians are scared of the topic – Liberals because they could lose their jobs if they talk about it, Conservatives because they’re told they may not get the job if they talk too much about it.
In our apparent attempt to maintain an international reputation as tolerant, progressive, and accommodating, we have ended up with special interest rights trumping human rights. “Reproductive rights” have somehow trumped the right to life, and suggesting that human rights should trump women’s rights is not going to win me any popularity contests.
It is only a matter of time, however, before everyone has to admit that the emperor has no clothes. Science has never been clearer regarding the intricate humanity of life in the womb. The pre-born child is unequivocally a separate, living human being. It is dependent on its mother, yes, as is a newborn or toddler. Also like a newborn or toddler, the pre-born child has its own DNA, and can even be operated on separately from the mother.
In the blur of plummeting birth rates and newfound sexual freedom that came with widely available birth control, we as women somehow came to believe that we were the masters of conception. Not one of us would ever again have a child against her will; we would decide whether life lived or died within us. This belief led us to fight tooth and nail against any suggestion that pregnancy might just be something we couldn’t always control, and we’ve managed to convince a lot of women to cling to that control regardless of the consequences. By doing so, we’ve also allowed men to step back from responsibility, to expect control, and to turn a blind eye to consequences.
The rights to life, liberty and security of the person were matters of life and death to our forefathers. They founded our nation on these values because these values mean something. We cannot be casual about these terms, or the associated implication that human rights trump individual rights. The right to life, the primary human right, is violated every moment that abortion remains legal in Canada. We need to stand up and say this is not about bodily autonomy or fighting patriarchy, this is about life. So women, men and children from all ages and stages of life, all backgrounds, all with their own stories, beliefs, and reasons for being there, will march. We march for, and stand for, the right to life for all members of the human family.
]]>Who is Rick Peterson? He is one of the fourteen candidates vying for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. He’s an investment advisor from Vancouver, BC, a self-avowed “progressive conservative” who joined the leadership race last November after many others had already been campaigning for months. One of fourteen candidates, he hasn’t even been on the radar of pro-lifers. In fact, according the pro-life group Right Now, he doesn’t even deserve consideration by Canadians who are working to advance pre-born human rights.
So, you may ask, what could possibly be in this Peterson email that serves to encourage us? I won’t quote the email in its entirety, but the middle three paragraphs are telling:
I will be compassionate in understanding that some women may choose to undergo an abortion because they find themselves in a difficult situation.
To that end, as Prime Minister, I will work with provinces in order to reduce teenage pregnancies and increase funding for psychological counseling in abortion clinics. I will also increase collaboration with charities and organizations that provide support to pregnant women in financial or psychological distress. I will also support initiatives that inform pregnant women about financial aid and adoption programs as a mean to reduce the number of abortions.
In line with the Party platform, I will support and prioritize comprehensive legislation making it criminal to use abortion as a mean to discriminate against female fetuses. (emphasis added)
The email begins with Peterson stating that he is “pro-choice” and clearly he supports a women’s right to choose abortion. And yet, if elected, Mr. Peterson is promising to address teenage pregnancy, increase funding for charities (pregnancy care centres), and criminalize sex-selective abortion! The only other candidate to address these topics with tangible policy solutions is Pierre Lemieux, and based on his long pro-life record we would expect Lemieux to speak to this.
What would precipitate Peterson offering promises on something so far out of his wheelhouse? The answer is YOU! You have not given into the idea that the debate on pre-born human rights is over, and have made it clear that a successful leadership bid can include pro-life promises. Now, before I get too far ahead of myself or you misunderstand, I am not suggesting that Peterson should receive your support. We Need a Law is non-partisan, which means that we will not endorse or oppose any candidate. What I am saying is that, because of your persistence in calling for abortion laws, and your continued participation in all aspects of the political process, candidates are realizing that they need our support if want to have a chance of winning.
God only knows if Rick Peterson will be successful in the Conservative Party leadership race. What we have been given through his specific targeting of pro-life support is a huge endorsement of our efforts.
Please be encouraged and continue to press on!
]]>February 17, 2017
Dear Honourable Maryam Monsef,
Thank you for your continued service to our country in the capacity of Status of Women Minister. As a role model for Canadian women and girls you have an important task and I applaud you for your leadership.
You were recently quoted in a news article in which you stated that, “Reproductive health rights in Canada and around the world are critical to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. We’re committed to making sure that women and girls have that choice, because otherwise, this is a form of gender-based violence.” Gender-based violence is an affront to the dignity of all human beings and I am thankful that the Liberal Party of Canada is taking steps to address it.
My concern, Ms. Monsef, is that there is a form of reproductive choice that is itself gender-based violence.
A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 2016, and reported on widely by the media, found that abortion is occurring in Canada based solely on the sex of the child. Most often a female fetus was aborted due to a preference for a male child. The study of more than 6 million births across Canada was received with shock and alarm by Canadians across the political spectrum. The news caused Tripat Kaur, Coordinator of the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association to say, “Sadly and unfortunately sometimes women don’t have any control…she’s forced to do that [abort her child because it’s a girl]. Prenatal sex-determination tests should be banned.” Amrita Mishra, the Project Coordinator for the Indo-Canadian Women’s Association responded by saying, “This problem [sex-selective abortion] is very partially Indian, and hugely Canadian.”
Ms. Monsef, sex-selective abortion is an affront to the dignity of women and girls; it is gender-based violence. That is why countries around the world are taking steps to protect female fetuses from being discriminated against in such violent manner.
Will you show leadership by bringing Canada into line with every other civilized nation and tackling this form of gender-based violence?
We are requesting a meeting with you at the earliest opportunity to discuss how we address this growing problem of gender-based violence in Canada. Please advise what date works best for your schedule. We can be reached at 1-866-410-9625 or info@test.weneedalaw.ca.
Looking forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Mike Schouten
Director, WeNeedaLaw.ca
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Action Item: Click here to send an email to your MP telling him or her that 100,000 is too many!
Watch this short video and get a sense of what was accomplished.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG9CXyooicg
Check out more photos here and here.
We have provincial displays of 10,000 flags ready for you! Please email us at info@test.weneedalaw.ca and we will get you started on doing this in a community or capital city in your province!
]]>The massive display, organized by WeNeedaLAW.ca , can’t be missed by Members of Parliament, party leaders, and even the press gallery, which is across the street. The flags stretch a span of 400 meters, right in front of the Parliament buildings and the busy Wellington Street. They are accompanied by staff and dozens of volunteers, holding banners and distributing hundreds of information tracts to engage the MPs, staffers, media, and public who are walking by. We also held a press conference, accompanied by a Member of Parliament (stay tuned for media reports).
We have done our part, now we need you to spread this from Ottawa to all corners of Canada! Please forward the pictures and videos to your friends, colleagues, and family, share them from our Facebook page , and Tweet them to your MP, local media, and mainstream media. Do what you can to share them far and wide – in a respectful manner. In the coming weeks we are sending out similar displays, but with 10,000 flags, to BC, Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario. Contact us about setting one up in your community.
Together we can be a voice for the voiceless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJ96feSJIo
]]>She says,
“Two women named Lisa, both unmarried and unexpectantly pregnant, faced a choice. These two brave women, who later became my friends, chose life for their unborn daughters. One of them had the full support of her family, no matter what choice she made. She was the lucky one.
The other Lisa had no support whatsoever, but still chose life for her baby in spite of the hardship to herself.
Crisis pregnancy centers exist to help such moms.”
Check out the rest of the story here.
Two women named Lisa, both unmarried and unexpectantly pregnant, faced a choice. These two brave women, who later became my friends, chose life for their unborn daughters. One of them had the full support of her family, no matter what choice she made. She was the lucky one.
The other Lisa had no support whatsoever, but still chose life for her baby in spite of the hardship to herself.
Crisis pregnancy centers exist to help such moms.
– See more at: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2014/05/defending-life-let-us-not-become-weary-in-doing-good/#sthash.iJswYNqp.dpuf
Two women named Lisa, both unmarried and unexpectantly pregnant, faced a choice. These two brave women, who later became my friends, chose life for their unborn daughters. One of them had the full support of her family, no matter what choice she made. She was the lucky one.
The other Lisa had no support whatsoever, but still chose life for her baby in spite of the hardship to herself.
Crisis pregnancy centers exist to help such moms.
– See more at: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2014/05/defending-life-let-us-not-become-weary-in-doing-good/#sthash.iJswYNqp.dpuf
Two women named Lisa, both unmarried and unexpectantly pregnant, faced a choice. These two brave women, who later became my friends, chose life for their unborn daughters. One of them had the full support of her family, no matter what choice she made. She was the lucky one.
The other Lisa had no support whatsoever, but still chose life for her baby in spite of the hardship to herself.
Crisis pregnancy centers exist to help such moms.
– See more at: http://anniekateshomeschoolreviews.com/2014/05/defending-life-let-us-not-become-weary-in-doing-good/#sthash.iJswYNqp.dpuf