Prime Minister Brian Mulroney had received over 750,000 anti-abortion cards, according to news reports on December 18. The national write-in campaign was organized by Jury for Life of Winnipeg to counteract the Morgentaler propaganda following his acquittal in Toronto on November 8 and to remind the Ottawa politicians that “when they tell you abortion should a woman’s choice … they’re forgetting someone.” The reverse of the card said: “The child in the womb is a human being who has a right to the protection of the law. I oppose the choice to kill.”
Mary Lamont, a lawyer and President of the Manitoba League for Life, told a Globe reporter on the television that “we want the government to have an updated confirmation that the jury in Toronto does not represent your typical Canadian…” (Globe, Idec. 11).
Jury for Life is an ad hoc committee formed in the wake of the acquittal. It had one million cards printed for distribution throughout the country, of which 765,000 had been distributed from the Manitoba co-coordinating office by the beginning of December.
Cards in French will be sent to the Prime Minister in January. Other cards will continue to appear at the PM’s office for some time as some areas are asking for more cards. Patricia Soenen, coordinator for the Manitoba branch of the organization, proclaimed the venture a success and said, “We are very pleased.”
A.H.
