Wednesday April 2, 2008
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Letter to the Editor – April 2, 2008
Re: Various articles on Canadian MP Ken Epp’s Private Members Bill C-484:
The March 5, 2008 second reading vote on the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (C-484) in the Canadian House of Commons should be a wake up call to all citizens of goodwill and common sense, including those who say they are prochoice. How so? One could argue that C484 is a “prochoice” bill. Shouldn’t all Canadians support a bill that intends to protect a woman’s choice to give birth to her child?
In decreasing order of influence, here are the methods available to citizens to voice their support for this bill:
– Visit your MP at his or her office
– Write a letter and mail it to your MP. Letters can be sent to MPs without postage using this address:
Ms/Mr “First Name” “Last Name,” MP
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
– Phone your MP’s office, stating your opinion (the telephone number can be found in the blue pages of your telephone book)
– Send an e-mail (e-mails are not always read due to the volume of e-mails received)
Regardless of the communication method used, it’s important to be fully informed of the facts surrounding this bill to establish your credibility. Many MPs operate on the assumption that their constituents know little if anything of pending legislation, of what they say or don’t say in Parliament or even of how they vote.
Parliament’s website https://www.parl.gc.ca/ provides a wealth of easily accessed information on your MP and legislation.
To research the particulars of C-484, go to the Main Menu at the top and select Bills. On the left side, select LEGISInfo LEGISInfo. In the search window titled Find the Bill, type in C484 and click on Submit. You now have in front of you all the details of the bill. I recommend reading the Text of the Bill, which is rather short.
How did your MP vote on Second Reading? Click on Selected Recorded Votes to find out. If your MP’s name doesn’t appear, you should be asking why. (My own MP who attends a local Catholic church and who at least in the past identified himself as “prolife” was absent from the vote, and I intend on asking about that in my letter to him.)
You can also determine if your MP spoke in favour or against the bill or said nothing at all when the bill was debated in the House on three separate days. To accomplish this, go back to Status of the Bill Status of Bill. Within the box Debates at 2nd Reading, you will see three dates. Pick any one of these, and using the search engine of your browser, search for the last name of your MP. Each instance of your MP’s name and every comment he or she made will now become available for your reading.
You can also research any comment made by your MP using a second method. Return to the home page by clicking on Home found at the top left corner of your screen. Click on Today in the House Today in the House found on the left side. Click on Search and Browse by Subject and Name also found on the left side. Click on Search by Index, and find the folder with first letter of your MP’s last name, and in that list you will find the name of your MP. Click on his or her name, and you will find every single statement made by your MP in the House or in committee in the latest session. (My MP has addressed numerous topics, but hasn’t said a word in support of C-484.)
When you do finally communicate your thoughts to your MP, it’s important to be polite but firm. Let him or her know the results of your research. If your MP has voted in favour of C-484, be sure to express your gratitude. If not, then let him or her know that your vote in the next election will depend on how he or she votes on this bill.
You may even wish to educate your friends and neighbours about your MP’s stand on this bill. Perhaps it would be helpful to send a copy of your correspondence to your pastor, rabbi or imam to keep them in the loop.
You still have time to make your support for this bill known to your MP. There is no guarantee that voicing your opinion will shift your MP’s vote, but neither should you underestimate the power of a well-researched, clear and concise letter or presentation.
Fabiano Micoli
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
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To write a letter to the Editor: E-mail your letter to [email protected]. Write “letter to the editor” in the subject line. Include your name, city and state or province and country of residence, as well as your phone # (the phone # is for our use only, and will not be published). Please note that all letters are subject to editing. LifeSiteNews.com will publish letters to the editor at its discretion, giving priority to the most concise, insightful and timely submissions.
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