Having just returned from Ottawa, I have a new appreciation for the importance of the role you and I play in our democratic system. The most powerful influence most Canadians can exert on government policy is through personal contact with members of Parliament.
Your M.P. was elected to represent you and your views in the House of Commons. Freedom is preserved when you exercise that right. Freedom is lost when you do not.
Write your M.P. a personal letter. Commend him (or her) for the work he is doing. He sometimes feels isolated, overworked, unappreciated, despised, threatened, and out of the mainstream of normal life. Your first letter may not need to contain any request or complaint. Introduce yourself, express appreciation and support, and indicate your interest in meeting with him. Your second letter should explain your concern for the fate of the unborn in Canada and your objection to abortion laws which permit over 65,000 innocent unborn children to be killed every year, and how you can help to save these precious human lives. You will be surprised how sympathetic your M.P. is to your views. He may suggest ways you can get involved in expressing your views in the constituency.
Make an appointment to visit your M.P. in his constituency office. You will perhaps be surprised that he is human, ordinary and genuinely concerned just like you. He may express his frustrations, his hopes and his deep appreciation of your visit. You have built a bridge. You may have created a life-long friendship.
Plan a trip to Ottawa. Make an appointment to visit your M.P. in his office on Parliament Hill. You may be surprised how easy it was to get to see him and the time he is willing to take with you. Always remind him of your concern for the unborn and the laws that permit this human tragedy.
Write your M.P. a letter of thanks for his time and efforts on behalf of the unborn. He will work all the more for you if he feels appreciated.
We cannot win this battle for the unborn by fuelling the fires of suspicion and distrust. Creating lines of communication and negotiating on friendly terms are not signs of weakness. They show strength.
Your M.P. probably has never heard from you. It may take only one kind letter and one friendly visit to make your M.P. an ally in this ongoing battle for the preservation of the lives of the unborn.
Reverend Hudson T. Hilsden is Co-ordinator of Social Concerns and Public Relations for The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
