The magnificent rally in Toronto on October 1, featured throughout this issue, has buoyed spirits across Canada, and in the nearby US as well. It is a symbol of what we can do, if we try.

According to reports, the turnout, which exceeded the most optimistic hopes of rally organizers, has had its effect in other quarters. Pro-abortionists, who during the summer rallied about 1,000 supporters in Queen’s Park, were stunned by the over-40,000 pro-lifers. At a recent meeting, a Toronto group of International Socialists “for free abortion on demand” were openly worried. Politicians are suddenly a little more attentive. Not much, but a little.

So October began. Mid-month, we were given the decision on the Borowski trial. Mohammed wouldn’t go to the mountain-wouldn’t attend the growing protests and evidence of the humanity of life form and conception on- so a mountain of expert testimony was brought to Mohammed. Mr. Justics Matheson behaved like a very model judge (a small imitation of the real thing). He went by the book; he kept his neck well in.

Of course, in a case like this, no matter what the judge says, no matter who wins or who loses, an appeal to a higher court is automatically made. But the judge, realizing this, can use the opportunity to enter some remarks in the record, remarks which can serve to guide subsequent jurists and decisions.

The outcome of the trial had been foreseen for months: it really comes as no surprise. There will be an appeal. This is only the first suit to tackle the new charter. There will be others.

It is futile to look for easy victories or quick gains. The fight for life, against euthanasia, abortion, suicide, infanticide, and their contributing influences-pride, selfishness, lax morals (or none), self-indulgence, envy, laziness and rest;-the fight to maintain social and family structures and to protect then from attack calls for sustained effort.

We live in the age of the one-liner, of ever-decreasing attention span, the age of fantasy and of instantaneous gratification, of the instant best seller and of blurred distinctions. (Discriminations used to be a mark of intellect.) In such a time a prolonged battle is bound to be unpopular. There is always a danger that the opposing camps will stereotype themselves and each other, that the battle for life will degenerate into another form of social street-theatre in which we are expected to strut our stuff for a few minutes each month.

In many ways, this has already happened south of the border: there the situation is static; there is neither momentum nor tension; the roles are defined; the courts are adamant.

There, as is becoming the case here, too many have killed; too many have been killed to permit an easy reversal; too many have to admit complicity to killing, active or passive, direct or indirect. The motive for remaining ignorant is huge. The pain, the anguish, that will be caused by knowledge and understand is enormous.

If it is human to err, it is human to try to avoid admitting it. Let us not underestimate the inertia this understandable reluctance produces. Politicians, legislators, parents, doctors, teachers, all of the well-intentioned people, the confused – have a serious (if unconscious) motive for ignoring or dismissing or ignoring pro-life, for minimizing the evidence, for softening the position, for blurring distinctions, for finding some loophole or escape-hatch.

We are called-upon to be persistent in our pursuit of life and truth; we can allow no exceptions – for multiple handicaps, for senility, for inconvenience, or for any other excuse: life is life, and it confers responsibilities.

As well as persistence, we are called-upon to be generous and loving – both are manifestations of life and therefore pro-life. As realizations dawns on women and on men, old or young, they will need help, and care, and the understanding; generosity, not judgment. Their pain or sorrow or anger will not be relieved easily or quickly. It is not for us to forgive, as we are not competent to judge; ours, rather, to help and to heal the hurt.

We may well still be trying to combat the further encroachment of institutionalized death upon our society ten years for now, fifteen, or twenty, or a generation hence. Our children are going to have to fight terrible battles to prevent their society from killing us off for efficiency’s sake. After all we have killed about half of them, and we will be costly to keep.

We need now to begin formulating our plans and strategy for the next five years, the next ten years. Let us not delude ourselves: we have to begin, now, together.

Let us not be dismayed by a seeming setback in Saskatchewan; be buoyed by the Toronto turnout: the one is merely bureaucratic; the other, wholly human.

Never, never, never, never yield.