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28 Sep 2012 Campaign Director gets published in National Right to Life News!

Pro-life Americans are watching Canada closely. When National Right to Life News asked for a perspective on the Motion 312 vote, our campaign director, Mike Schouten submitted an opinion column. We thank them for publishing! September 27, 2012   Unborn Children Debate in Canada’s Parliament “huge step forward in the ongoing debate regarding the status of children in the womb” By Mike Schouten Campaign Director, WeNeedaLaw.ca Editor’s note. As Margaret Somerville explained in a piece we ran earlier this week, Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth’ s “Motion 312” would have “set up a parliamentary committee to examine the definition of when a child becomes a ‘human being’ within the homicide provisions of Canada’s Criminal Code.” Unbelievably, currently it is at the moment of complete birth! Although the motion failed yesterday, as anticipated, Mr. Schouten believes that this did not signal “the end of a conversation. Rather, it should be seen as a huge step forward in the ongoing debate regarding the status of children in the womb.” Canadians can be thankful to Conservative Member of Parliament, Mr. Stephen Woodworth for courageously putting Motion 312 on the table. It was Mr. Woodworth’s goal with his motion that a Parliamentary committee would be formed to study the Criminal Code definition of ‘human being’ as found in Section 223 (1). That portion of the Criminal Code states that a child becomes a ‘human being’ only at the moment of complete birth. As a result of this law, preborn children receive no legal protection under the homicide offences, or any other offences against ‘persons.’ The MP from Kitchener Center in southern Ontario is to be applauded for his work over the past nine months. He singlehandedly brought the issue of pre-born human rights into the spot light in a Canadian culture that has been so incredibly resistant to discuss anything that could even remotely be associated with abortion. Canada has been void of any legal protections for children in the womb since the Supreme Court of Canada struck down the Criminal Code’s abortion provisions in the 1988 R. V. Morgentaler decision.

26 Sep 2012 A Great Beginning!

Canada is moving forward in discussing pre-born human rights Click here for link to Parliamentary website with vote results Click here for link for SimpleMail followup letters I am very thankful to Mr. Woodworth for courageously putting Motion 312 on the table and for his willingness to promote it as well as answer any and all questions concerning it. He is to be respected for his work. The defeat of Motion 312 in the House of Commons this afternoon is not the end of a conversation. Rather, it should be seen as a huge step forward in the ongoing debate regarding the status of children in the womb. It's common knowledge that discussion concerning the rights of pre-born children has been going on for decades, and I am greatly encouraged that Motion 312 has taken the debate into the House of Commons In R. v. Morgentaler (1988), the Supreme Court of Canada urged Parliament to create laws restricting abortion. While there have not been many opportunities to discuss legal protection for pre-born children since 1988, the debate surrounding Motion 312 has shown Canadians and their leaders that we can indeed discuss this sensitive issue.

21 Sep 2012 Stephen Woodworth’s Closing Remarks in Second Hour of Debate

Media Release For Immediate Publication September 21st, 2012  Motion 312: Woodworth’s Plea to MPs OTTAWA, Ontario ― MP Stephen Woodworth today urged Members of Parliament not to shield Canada’s 400 year old definition of human being from democratic review or from advances in modern understanding. “This law, by denying the inherent worth and dignity of every human being, is the most unimaginably unjust law possible and has no place in Canada” he said.  “Parliament should not treat it as frozen in time forever.” When challenged about abortion, Woodworth points out that even Justice Bertha Wilson, who championed abortion rights in the Morgentaler decision, wrote that Parliament should review this question by “informing itself from the relevant disciplines,” the very proposal embodied in Motion 312. “I’ve heard that some Members of Parliament are wrestling with their consciences over Motion 312,” Woodworth remarks. “I say give in to your conscience; you are only useful to your Leader, your Party, and your constituents when you bring your conscience and your ideals to your decisions.” Limited by Parliamentary rules to five minutes, Woodworth’s closing remarks are attached.

21 Sep 2012 Guest Post: UK Woman Jailed For Abortion That Canada Would Have Paid For

by Jonathon Van Maren The traditional media is still trying to figure out how to spin a bizarre story out of the United Kingdom this week, where a 35-year-old woman named Sarah Catt was sentenced by a judge to eight years in prison for what the BBC is calling a “full-term abortion.” Catt, who had previously placed a child for adoption and aborted another one of her children, had taken pharmaceuticals she ordered online to induce labor and kill the child. The sentence was passed down for her “deliberate and calculated decision” to terminate her pregnancy, the judge said. The BBC reported Justice Cooke as saying that Catt had “robbed the baby of the life it was about to have and said the seriousness of the crime lay between manslaughter and murder.” In light of the current Canadian debate surrounding Motion 312, Member of Parliament Stephen Woodworth’s attempt to examine the science surrounding the pre-born child in the womb, this case is extremely interesting for the number of contradictions that it highlights. First, it is important to note that in Canada, unlike the UK, abortion is legal throughout all nine months of pregnancy. The “full-term abortion” that Ms. Catt inflicted on her child would be completely legal—and paid for—here in the True North, Strong and Free.

18 Sep 2012 Abortion memorial constructed in Surrey, BC (includes photos)

Last night a group of Surrey residents constructed a huge memorial calling attention to the many pre-born boys and girls whose lives end in abortion. The memorial, sponsored by WeNeedaLAW.ca is made of hay bales decorated with pink and blue crosses. Every year 100,000 pre-born...

17 Sep 2012 New SimpleMail – Last Opportunity for Action!

Next week Friday, September 21st at 1:30 pm est Motion 312 will be debated for the second time. A vote on the motion is scheduled for the following week Wednesday. Let's use the next week to communicate with our MP's the need for this motion to succeed! Many of you have used our Motin 312 SimpleMail letters and that's great!  For the final push we've drafted a new letter that we'd like you to make use of. Please feel free to edit it as you wish. More information on MP Stephen Woodworth's motion can be found here. You can view the letter below. Whenever your ready, just click the SimpleMail icon on the right and follow the 3 simple steps to send it to your MP, the Justice Minister, and the leaders of each party. Dear, (Name of MP) A majority of Canadians, including those of a very young age understand that their life began prior to being born. This understanding has been expounded upon in textbooks used in post-secondary institutions as well as those relied upon to teach elementary school students.