My letter in today's Ottawa Citizen

 

What does the Ontario NDP party REALLY stand for?

I sent the email below to the NDP candidate in my riding Lyra Evans, along with NDP leader Andrea Horwath.

I noticed that one of the anarchists who blocked our March for life was carrying an NDP election sign for Lyra Evans. The sign is clearly visible in the video below.

The stated intention of these counter protesters--many of them cowardly covering their faces--was in fact to "End the March for Life". They carried a banner stating this at the front of their sorry bunch.

In fact, if I'm not mistaken, in the picture in this article by Jonathon Van Maren on the March, it looks like NDP candidate Lyra Evans is actually holding that anti-democracy sign. That also contains a hammer and sickle. 

 From the Ottawa Citizen

As Jonathon writes on what the hammer and sickle actually represents is pretty scary:

"The Soviet Union wracked up a death toll of over twenty million, with nearly two million people perishing in the gulags and nearly a million being summarily executed in the first years of Stalin’s rule. Mao’s Red China took it even further, with an estimated 45 million Chinese perishing during the Great Leap Forward—which was actually fewer dead bodies than Mao had been anticipating. He originally thought that 52 million peasants would have to die in order for Communism to be sufficiently implemented. The flag that flapped over these staggering death counts was the Hammer and Sickle, a flag now proudly waved by those purporting to protest totalitarianism."

Is this what Andrea Horwath and her party stand for? A ban on free speech rights, freedom of assembly rights for pro-life people--and maybe even worse? I hope not.

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Dear Lyra,

I live in Ottawa Vanier.

I noticed at the March for Life there was a counter protester with one of your election signs. This group's purpose is to end the March for Life, a legal, peaceful protest done against abortion in Ottawa every year.



This group illegally stopped our March from continuing.

Can you please tell me if you support freedom of speech rights, and freedom of assembly rights for all citizens including pro-life people?

Thank you.

Patricia Maloney

March for Life 2012: The news story you didn't read

Dear Ottawa Citizen,

What happened? Did you forget to cover the March for Life last Thursday? That's too bad.

Now I know it was a freezing, finger numbing, winter like, bone chilling, blustery windy day in Ottawa. It wasn't fun for me either. But it was news you know. And that's the business you're in, right?

I'm curious though. Tell me: If there were 20,000 “pro-choice” people marching through Ottawa, would you have covered that? And maybe you might even have written a front page news story. You know, instead of the one lonely photograph and wee tiny caption, and no story that we got.

Oh well. Not to worry, because I wrote it for you.

On Thursday May 10, 2012, almost 20,000 pro-life people marched through Ottawa to declare their support for Canadian unborn children and their mothers.
 
The day was freezing cold, windy and cloudy, appropriate for the somber message these people were trying to get across in the Nation's Capital, where Canada's complete lack of legal protection for its unborn children, is a scourge on our great country.
 
The cold however, did not deter the peaceful marchers. In fact, there was much singing and smiling for all to see and hear, by anyone willing to look and listen.
 
There were the requisite handful of loud people of the pro-abortion persuasion along the march route. But their tiny numbers were pretty easy to ignore. (Have a look at the footage below Ottawa Citizen. You might learn something).
 
On the Hill before and after the March we heard from many pro-life MPs and clergy.
 
More important than those speakers though, were the Silent No More women and men who testify how abortion ruins lives. Their lives and their families’ lives. They tell us of their anguish from abortion, and subsequent healing. Pretty powerful stuff for anyone willing to pay attention.
 
So what do you think Ottawa Citizen? Can you make it next year?

Sincerely,
Patricia Maloney

(Many thanks to Maureen for her fine editing of the attached video)

Brian Lilley talks out

Brian Lilley at SunNews talks about the March for Life and Freedom of Information aborted in Ontario

Nick Vandergragt talks out

On Nick Vandergragt's show yesterday, he talks about March for Life, and Freedom of Information in Ontario aborted

Choose May 10 broadcast at this link.
http://devel.autopod.ca/chum/43/podcasts/

Canadians demonstrate civic rights to speak for pre-born citizens

 (This article appeared in the May/June 2011 issue of LifeCanada News)

This year's March for Life signals a turning point for the pro-life movement. I believe a shift has occurred.

The first notable occurrence was the increase in media reporting of the event this year.

Two years ago when I attended my first march, there was little mainstream media reporting.

In a letter I wrote to the Ottawa Citizen at the time, I commented on the irony that the Parliamentary pro-life Caucus's press conference--entitled "pro-life free speech suppressed in Canada"--was not covered by the press.

This year the mainstream print media, like the Toronto Sun, Vancouver Sun, National Post (even writing an editorial), Global and CTV, all covered the March. But even more remarkable, was that the more left leaning media like the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star and the CBC covered the march as well. The earth shifted a fraction of an inch.

The second subtle shift was when Ottawa's Mayor Jim Watson weighed in with his declaration of ‘Respect for Life Day’. What is doubly notable about Mr. Watson's statement is that, a) even though the proclamation has occurred annually since 2002, it actually became a news item this year. And, b) it was from a mayor who publicly states he is pro-choice.

Mr. Watson said “The rights of the people of Canada including the unborn, the elderly and those with handicaps are gradually being eroded,” that “the community needs to get involved to ensure the rights of all people are respected and upheld.”

When a politician who is pro-choice, publicly states that the "rights of all people are respected and upheld", the shift is a unmistakeable. And it is newsworthy.

Third, a poll commissioned by Sun Media taken by Abacus Poll Inc (1) told us that:

• 27% of Canadians believe that human life should be protected from the moment of conception, 21% believe human life should be protected after three months of pregnancy, 11% believe human life should be protected after six months of pregnancy
• Only 45% of Canadians believed that legal abortions should be covered entirely by the public health care system. Another 22% felt that the public health care system should fund them only in extreme cases while 20% believed that they should be paid for by the patient. 
• 52% of Canadians said they are not afraid of a public debate about abortion while 26% believe it is an issue that should be left alone.

No real surprises there. (except perhaps, the fact that only 26% of Canadians say they want to leave the abortion debate alone. Politicians keep telling us that nobody wants to debate abortion. This is clearly not the case.)

Poll after poll has told us this for years. It is the consistency of the responses over the years that is newsworthy.

Even though Mr. Harper has repeatedly said since he came to power that he will not reopen the abortion debate; even though University pro-life groups are shut down across the country; even though pro-choice people say the debate is closed--Canadians still tell us time in, and time out that yes, that they want legal protection for the unborn. They say yes, we should reconsider public funding for abortions. They say yes, we should have an abortion debate. That is newsworthy.

Fourth, MPs continue to speak out in support of the unborn.

Even though few MPs were in Ottawa for the March (we had just had an election and MPs were still in their ridings with Parliament not resuming until early June), we still saw four pro-life MPs on the Hill (Scott Reid, Royal Galipeau, Stephen Woodworth and David Sweet).

And former MP Pat O'Brien told us that "Although the prime minister has said he's not interested in opening the debate, well newsflash prime minister, the debate is on. These people say so".

Last year Rod Bruinooge brought forward Roxanne's Law, and Brad Trost brought forward a petition to defund Planned Parenthood.

Pro-life MPs consistently and with conviction, stand up for the unborn, over and over again.

Finally, Father Tom Lynch, of Priests for Life Canada told us that "with every new Parliament, with every new government, we have a moral duty and we have a civic right to be able to express our opinion to be able to achieve changes in public policy."

Then we looked out the window, into downtown Ottawa, and what did we see?

We saw thousands and thousands of Canadians, marching just like they did in previous years, with their ranks swelling each time they set out. These Canadians obviously feel they had a "moral duty" and a "civic right" to stand up for the unborn.

It's time for restrictions on abortion to become real. It's time for a strong pro-life MP to again take a principled stand, like many have done before.

Canadians may finally be ready for a law that would place some restrictions on abortion. Perhaps a law that would ban late-term abortions. Or maybe a law that would defund abortions.

The shift has begun and it is newsworthy.

Footnotes:

(1) http://abacusdata.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Abortion-Report-May-11-2011.pdf

 

The Best of: Ottawa's Pro-Life March for Life

Today's Annual March for Life in Ottawa had 12,500 peaceful marchers, sometimes singing, sometimes being taunted by handfuls of abortion advocates.

Best picture of the day: A whole whack of pro-life MPs. Many of whom are members of the ultra "secretive" pro-life caucus. Oh. Except they were standing in front of the aforementioned 12,500 marchers on Parliament Hill. Hmm...

Best T-Shirt of the day "ABORTION: The leading cause of death in America"

And last but not least, the Best quote of the day comes from former Prime Minister Joe Clarke. As we were heading into 240 Sparks St. to get a bite to eat we traversed through Holt Renfrew when we saw him. The three of us introduced ourselves, and Mr. Clark, always the politician asked us where we were from and where were we going. We told him we were going to the Pro-Life March. You know, the one against abortion? He started to look kind of uncomfortable and he said to us: "We're not going to have this debate right here" and he was gone.

I should have asked him, when would be a good time to have this debate? How about my people call your people?

A challenge to the media in Canada

Joseph Ben-Ami makes one of the most cohesive arguments as of late In defense of Canada’s “No Abortion Policy” in foreign aid

"If polling tells us anything about Canadians' attitude to abortion, it’s that they are overwhelmingly troubled by it, but deeply divided over what to do. In view of this lack of consensus, a case can be made that the government’s decision is entirely consistent with the feelings of Canadians on the subject, especially since that decision does not prevent individuals from supporting an international pro-abortion agenda if they so choose....like Planned Parenthood are perfectly able to raise money on their own and spend it as they please, without government interference. The fact that they don't - or can't - raise private money despite in many cases having charitable status, is a strong indication of how little Canadians actually support their agenda. This is an important aspect of the overall story, yet a search of the record could not find a single report that includes it. Not one."

If our media could put their own possible biases on the back burner for one day, I have a challenge for them. Why not come out this year and witness thousands of peaceful, respectful people, of all stripes, colour and age, who march every year in the annual March for Life this Thursday May 13?

Last year there was virtually no media coverage and there were at least 12,000 soaking wet marchers.

This would provide a single glaring, not to be misunderstood snapshot of our lack of consensus on the legal accident that created fully-funded, any-time, any-reason, no-reason abortion in this country.