TORONTO, December 7, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pro-life heroine Linda Gibbons may spend another Christmas in jail this year if her next court appearance, scheduled for December 13, does not result in a ruling to free her.
Linda’s friend and supporter Gordon Truscott has asked that people pray that she be released before Christmas, but in the meantime to send her Christmas cards to bolster her spirits and sustain her at this time.
“Judging by the number of issues before the court she may not be home for Christmas,” Truscott told LifeSiteNews.
Linda has been imprisoned continuously since Jan. 20, 2009, when she was arrested outside the downtown “Scott Clinic,” which is protected by a 1994 “temporary” court injunction banning pro-life activity within a specified zone.
For sixteen years since 1994 Linda has been in and out of Ontario prisons for her refusal to cease praying in front of abortuaries. Linda’s 89-year-old mother commented to Mr. Truscott that, “It’s easier to get miners out of a hole before we get Linda out of the jail.”
“I’ve just mailed my 2,505th letter to Linda,” Truscott said, and asked that as many people as possible send Linda a personal Christmas card this year and encourage family and friends to do so as well.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much of a comfort it is to Linda to know that she’s part of an ongoing struggle involving many other people,” Mr. Truscott told LifeSiteNews.
In related news, Jonathan Castellino of Campaign Life Coalition, reported that Mary Wagner, who has spent nearly five months in jail for her witness to life at Toronto abortion mills, was released on December 6.
Mary’s most recent arrest was November 21, when she was taken into custody for entering the Women’s Care abortion facility at 960 Lawrence Street West, to offer encouragement and alternatives to women waiting to abort their children.
To send Linda a Christmas card:
Linda Gibbons
Vanier Center for Women
655 Martin Street, Box 1040,
Milton, Ontario
L9T 5E6, Canada
Here are some mailing guidelines because the prison mailing department reads everything sent to the inmates:
1. Don’t use stickers (address, return address, pro-life) on the envelope or card.
2. Don’t send any laminated cards, bookmarks, prayer cards, pro-life pamphlets. Non-laminated items will get to her.
3. Don’t ask direct questions about daily activity of the detention centre.
4. Put your address directly in the card or letter. (Sometimes the mail sorter keeps the envelope and Linda feels badly if she can’t write back.)
5. If you would like to send a little monetary gift to Linda it must be a money order made out to “Linda Gibbons.” The detention centre will deposit the money directly to her account. She uses any donations for envelopes and stamps.
6. Many people add a variety of Christian reading material in their mailings to her. She often shares articles with others in the Centre. She can receive pro-life material. She can’t receive books. Try to stick to one or two pages of reading materials or pamphlets.