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Petition of 30,000 Canadians Asks Governor General to Rescind Order of Canada to Abortionist

By John-Henry Westen

OTTAWA, August 20, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Angelina Steenstra, National Coordinator of Silent No More Awareness Campaign, a group which represents women who have been hurt by abortion, today turned in a petition signed by 30,000 Canadians demanding that the Governor General revoke the Order of Canada nomination of abortionist Henry Morgentaler. 

Steenstra turned in the petition which was launched by Canada's national pro-life political organization, Campaign Life Coalition (CLC), in response to the wave of opposition to the Morgentaler Order of Canada appointment.

Adding insult to injury, the Governor General’s office, despite giving assurances that the petition would be officially received at the Governor General’s residence, refused to receive the petitions.  Campaign Life Coalition was assured by the Governor General’s office that Eves Bastien would be on hand to receive the petitions.  As he was not there, and guards refused to take the petitions, the petitions were symbolically placed at the gates of the residence and will be sent by courier to the Governor General and to the Prime Minister.

"There is nothing heroic or award-winning about taking the life of an unborn child; as a woman who has suffered an abortion, I know that to be true," said Steenstra in a speech delivered prior to turning in the petitions.  "Giving an abortionist Canada's 'highest' honour is dividing the nation, contrary to the Award's original intent!"

Since July 1, when the announcement of Morgentaler's nomination was officially released, thousands of phone calls, letters and e-mails have been sent to the Governor General, the Prime Minister and members of parliament to protest the award.

Campaign Life Coalition commissioned a national survey, the largest survey performed on the matter, which found that 56% of Canadians opposed the award. 

Steenstra called on Conservative Prime Minister Steven Harper to launch "a formal, long overdue review of the Order of Canada . . . to prevent this kind of national division from ever happening again."

"A simple common-sense test in choosing a winner is to ask whether a daycare center or an elementary school could be named after each winner," she said.  "Imagine 'The Henry Morgentaler DayCare Centre' or 'The Henry Morgentaler Elementary School' - somehow, this does not match with the historic honour of the award."

Steenstra concluded her remarks reminding Canadians to continue to contact the Prime Minister and MPs over their concerns about the award.  "So let us go forward and work toward building a welcoming home for the unborn, and thus a better country, she said, adding, "Most importantly, keep Henry Morgentaler in your prayers."

See the full text of Steenstra's speech here:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/aug/08082004.html

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008_docs/Morgentalerorder.html

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