July 19, 2024
Dear Maureen, I’m Pete Baklinski and this is your Canadian Pro-Life News Bits where I let you know what’s happening on our country’s pro-life and pro-family front.
The biggest news this week is that our team at CLC has launched a petition to free Linda Gibbons. The petition calls on Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey and Premier Doug Ford to repeal the abortion “bubble zone” legislation that was used to throw Linda in jail.
Please add your name to it here.
In other news, after threats of legal action from pro-life groups, including CLC, Ontario’s City of London has decided to tweak its proposed by-law on regulating the display of graphic images that specifically targeted pro-life images. The city is now proposing a by-law that bans all signs, no matter what the cause, that are of a certain size.
The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada is hopping mad, calling the new proposal “overbroad,” pointing out that it “does nothing to address the display of graphic, anti-abortion images in public.”
Our hope is that so many Londoners will be outraged about the proposed by-law that curtails their freedom of speech in public places that the city will be forced to abandon the whole thing.
The must-see video of the week is entirely cute. Please watch and enjoy.
Top Canadian pro-life stories you need to know about
Abortion
Pro-life Canadian Man: CLC launches petition to free pro-life heroine Linda Gibbons
“Linda’s arrest and imprisonment highlight the disproportionate and suppressive nature of this law, which criminalizes individuals for exercising their fundamental right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.”
CTV News London: Proposed bylaw to ban graphic anti-abortion posters morphs into general rules for all protest signs
“A political push at London city hall to ban the display of graphic anti-abortion posters and other disturbing images has been revamped after threats of a court challenge.”
Western Standard: Pro-life advocate warns Liberal grants will empower anti-hate group to target right-wingers
“A pro-life advocate says a recent federal grant to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network will be used against social conservatives like him.”
Euthanasia
LifeSiteNews: Pro-life hospice relaunches counseling service for Canadians considering euthanasia
“The pro-life Delta Hospice Society has relaunched its counseling program to help Canadians considering euthanasia to chose life, as well as to offer bereavement services to those impacted by the euthanasia death of a loved one.”
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: Canadian woman pressured to "choose" euthanasia. She was told that she was selfish for living
“Legalizing medical killing is a pandora's box. It is sold as a autonomy and it becomes abandonment.”
The Canadian Press: Quebec court orders hospital to keep woman on life support so she can die in Nigeria
‘In the end, the court concludes that the beneficial effects of the care plan do not outweigh Mrs. S.’s fundamental rights to live, to be cared for and ultimately, to pass away in her country,’ the judge wrote in a decision dated April 18.”
Inspiring stories to give you hope
Live Action: Allyson Felix and Pampers co-create nursery for athlete moms at Paris Olympics
“All-star sprinter Allyson Felix, the most decorated track-and-field athlete in history, has become almost as well known for her motherhood advocacy off the track as she has for her sporting prowess. She’s proving that yet again at the upcoming Paris Olympics, where she is teaming up to provide a nursery for athlete moms to use during the games, allowing them to bring their babies with them.”
Live Action: She knew she was adopted… but learning she was an abortion survivor changed everything
“Amy Miles always knew she was adopted and that she had been born prematurely. She assumed that her biological mother, who was a college student when she became pregnant, cared so much about her that she had placed her for adoption so she could have a loving, stable home. The truth was far more disturbing, and Miles was 36 years old before she learned it.”
Live Action: Innovative NICU technique lets parents hold their preemies skin-to-skin sooner
“Parents of preemies in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are now able to experience skin-to-skin bonding earlier than ever, thanks to an innovative technique pioneered by the director of Neonatology at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s Hospital in California.”
Awesome pro-life social media posts this week
Lila Rose
CLC Youth
Sachin Jose
Must-see video of the week
“If wombs had windows, babies would be protected from abortions.”
Take Action
Sign our new petition to free Linda Gibbons. Sign here.
+++
Maureen, I’ve got an urgent message for you to read, share, and take action.
Linda Gibbons, a 75-year-old Christian grandmother, was recently arrested and jailed for silently and peacefully standing outside of a Toronto area abortion facility.
She was holding a sign that read, “Why Mom? When I have so much love to give.”
Why was Linda arrested? Because she was in breach of the “Safe Access to Abortion Services Act” which was brought in by the Wynne Liberals in 2017. This act establishes a restrictive 50-metre "bubble zone" around facilities in the business of killing preborn babies.
There was no need for this legislation. Pro-life advocates are the safest most peaceful people you will ever meet. Pro-lifers stand near abortion centres to pray and offer women help to keep their babies.
Pro-lifers do this because they love women and they love the children that the women are carrying. Pro-lifers are loving people!
Why was this bubble zone law crafted? To please those in the abortion business who did not want anyone to interfere with their cash flow by offering women an alternative choice and turning them away from abortion.
Before the law's passage, not one single incident of pro-lifers stepping outside of their mandate to pray, love, and peacefully witness to life could be found to justify the passage of this law.
This law has been used to persecute pro-life Catholic priest Fr. Tony Van Hee and now Linda Gibbons. The law is being used to go after prayerful religious leaders and peaceful grandmas.
It’s time to repeal this bad law.
That’s why CLC is calling on Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey and Premier Doug Ford to repeal this legislation.
Linda’s arrest and imprisonment highlight the disproportionate and suppressive nature of this law, which criminalizes individuals for exercising their fundamental right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. Historically, protests have initiated much-needed societal changes, brought to light injustices, and amplified the voices of the marginalized.
By restricting protests within a 50-metre radius of abortion centres, the government effectively silences those who are striving to expose and combat the gravest violation of human rights in modern times – the denial of the right to life of the preborn.
The Safe Access to Abortion Services Act needs to be repealed now. Please join me in signing a petition created by Campaign Life Coalition calling on the Attorney General and Premier to repeal this law.
If you haven’t done so already, please join over 700 others and sign our new petition here.
Be bold and daring for life!
Pete Baklinski
Director of Communications
Campaign Life Coalition
Follow Pete on X: @petebaklinski