By Elizabeth O’Brien
TORONTO, July 3, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Canada Day the CBC announced that “Abolish abortion in Canada” is the number one wish on The Great Canadian Wish List, a joint project between Facebook and the CBC.
Since the rating began on May 28, Canadians watched with increasing interest as the numbers rose for the top 30 Canadian wishes. The fourth most popular wish, “Restore the Traditional Definition of Marriage,” was preceded by the third, “For a spiritual revival in our nation.” The second most popular was “I wish that Canada would remain pro-choice.” Of the 16,000 people who registered their wishes, a majority of 9,543 votes supported the top wish to “Abolish abortion in Canada.”
“This should come as no surprise to anyone,” said Jim Hughes, National President of Campaign Life Coalition (CLC). “We have always noted and the polls have confirmed that the majority of Canadians want protection for the unborn child. This poll of sorts by the CBC and Facebook only confirms what we have been saying all along.”
Referring to the phenomenal pro-life response, Mary Ellen Douglas, National Organizer Campaign Life Coalition, stated, “With almost 10,000 people taking the trouble to respond to this request for their opinion, I trust that the CBC will publish this list, highlighting the number one wish for Canada.” She continued, “The politicians must also take note that this is an issue that will not go away until justice for the unborn becomes a reality.”
David Gilbert, a university student at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, originally posted the wish to “Abolish Abortion in Canada”. He told LifeSiteNews.com that he has always supported the pro-life movement, especially because he was a product of a teenage relationship. “Abortion was an option for my mother,” he said. “People suggested it to her. Thankfully she didn’t choose it.”
He indicated the importance of the Wish List victory, saying, “Having the Wish List and it becoming number one shows that young Canadians really want to talk about this issue. Our nation’s conscience is not settled on abortion.”
He also stated, “I hope it shows politicians that we do want to support those MP’s and MPP’s that support life and that they don’t have to be afraid of where they stand on the issue. Too many of them are afraid that they would lose votes if they reveal their stance on abortion.”
“The amazing thing-whether you agree with it or not-is that we got the message out there, started people talking about it. People were really apathetic about it before. I hope it challenges people’s views about abortion and that it becomes a major issue in Canada.”
Suzanne Fortin, author of the Big Blue Wave blog, has been one of the major driving forces behind the pro-life support of the Great Canadian Wish List through her blogs and storms of emails.
As the contest was approaching its climax, Fortin told LifeSiteNews.com, “The objective of our participation in this contest was to bring media attention to the cause of the rights of unborn children, and to make it known that large numbers of people do not feel that abortion is a ‘settled’ issue.”
She described the major media coverage, saying, “Numerous mainstream media outlets covered or mentioned this contest and the fact that pro-lifers had effectively mobilized. Countless blogs also covered the issue. Those who oppose legal rights for unborn children felt compelled to react to our mobilization and publicize the campaign.”
Kristen Van Houten, for example, who originally started, “I wish that Canada would remain pro-choice,” admitted herself on the Facebook wish page that she was creating the wish in response to “the growing support for the ‘pro life’ group’s wish” and as an “alternative for anyone who is pro-choice.”
As a result of the race for votes, Fortin emphasized that the public will see that “abortion is not a settled issue in Canada, contrary to the conventional wisdom of the left-wing establishment, and that there are still many people willing to speak out against the human rights abuses of the unborn.”
“In light of our principal objective, and the resulting coverage of the Wish List contest, our mobilization was a rousing success.” She continued, “We managed to bring attention to the plight of the unborn child (and) debunk the notion that there is ‘social peace’ on the abortion issue to a large number of people.”
The CBC announces the winning wish at 7:30 a.m. on Canada Day:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhZJgZfsGW8
View Previous LifeSiteNews coverage:
“Abolish Abortion”, the Number One Wish for Canada
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07062904.html
CBC’s Wish List Re-Opens Abortion Debate, Infuriates Abortion Activists
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07061408.html