The Supreme Court struck down Canada’s abortion law in 1988. Since then, there has been no law or restriction against abortion in Canada. Abortions can be performed at any time during pregnancy and for any reason.
Richert noted the Supreme Court advised the government in 1988 to rewrite legislation to give protection to the unborn. However, she said, “every government since then has, with the exception of one try, just refused to address the issue.”
“That’s why we are here, trying to keep this issue at the forefront of people’s minds.”
Richert said some in the pro-life movement have realized that instead of pushing for everything at once, they have to push for incremental steps that could lead to full protection for the unborn.
“We are not going to get everything in one law so we need to look at some incremental approach to some level of protection for the unborn — something that would be palatable to the majority of Canadians.”
Added Richert: “The end goal is to see every baby protected but some of us in the pro-life movement have seen that if we don’t approach this incrementally (we are not going to push this agenda forward). It’s a big mountain that we are trying to get over and we need to do it in little levels, little plateaus.”
Some 300 babies are aborted in Canada each day, 15 to 20 of those in Edmonton, she said.
“I’m here to be with other fellow Canadians to show people that every life has value and dignity,” said Naomi Senten, 27.
“Currently there are no abortion laws whatsoever within Canada and our hope today is to bring awareness to fellow Canadians and the government that they need to start putting (together) some legislation to protect the unborn in the womb.”
John Gardner was at the demonstration to proclaim that the first right of every human being is the right to be born. And he walked around with a placard that proclaimed precisely that.
“I don’t know how anybody can contradict this message,” he said.
Others carried signs that said Abortion Hurts Women and Thanks Mom for Giving me Life.
“The law was struck down in 1988 and life is the only thing we have,” said Shelagh Schiller, who came from St. Albert with three of her seven children.
“If we don’t protect life what do we have in society? We have nothing.”
(Western Catholic Reporter)
Abortion protest aims to keep issue in people’s minds
By Ramon Gonzalez, Canadian Catholic NewsEDMONTON - Carrying placards against abortion, about 20 people marched in front of Edmonton’s Law Courts Building Jan. 27 to mark the 24th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that threw out Canada’s abortion law.
“Twenty-four years ago, every (abortion) restriction in Canada was struck down by the Supreme Court,” lamented Edmonton Prolife spokesperson Karen Richert. “Abortion in Canada is wide open and is also paid for with your tax dollars.”
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