By Thaddeus M. Baklinski
ONTARIO, Canada, August 6, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) –”It was exhausting, exhilarating, and inspiring.” So says Kathie Hogan, a member of Show the Truth from Perry Sound, Ontario, about the three days she recently spent on the road with the pro-life group in the south-central part of the province.
During those three days she and other pro-lifers braved the wind, rain and sun to stand and show the truth of abortion using graphic signs.
“The graphic signs of aborted babies are a silent testimony to the 110,000 babies killed through abortion each year,” said Hogan in reflections about her experience sent to LifeSiteNews.com. “We stood on public property, between the sidewalk and the curb, peacefully displaying our message – abortion kills an innocent life.”
Prayer support by both participants and friends is crucial to the effort to reveal the truth about abortion, she said.
“The days are filled with prayer,” Kathie said. “Participants attend daily Mass, and pray before and after each demonstration. Rosaries are not only in evidence, but are put to good use during the day. This infusion of prayer is a critical component of the mission.”
Kathie said she was impressed by the high level of organization that goes into running the tours and looking after those who come out to participate.
“The required organizational skills are impressive. There are three daily demonstrations, lasting 1 1/2 hours each. Participants come for a day, a few days, or the entire week. Some sleep in the church basement, some drive back to their homes at night. But despite the fluctuating numbers, all must be fed at regular intervals.”
But it isn't only food that has to be provided she said; there is also the issue of “raincoats, umbrellas, sunscreen, lawn chairs, air mattresses and a never ending supply of water bottles. The Canadian Armed Forces could take a lesson or two!”
“We stood on both sides of busy intersections,” Kathie explained, “our signs angled to maximize their exposure to the passing cars. It must be staggering to encounter this horrific display on a casual drive to the store or to work.”
“The signs upset people – a Catholic school principal called the police on us, demanding that we leave the school/church parking lot. Guelph and Waterloo campus security police asked us to leave. A Brantford shopping mall security asked us to vacate the parking lot entirely. Negotiations occurred regularly with the local police. People shouted obscenities at us from cars, they yelled angrily at us on street corners.”
However, negative responses were by no means the norm, and Kathie relates that there was also joy, inspiration, and a lot of support from those who, passing by, showed their approval for the efforts of the pro-lifers with substantial encouragement.
“There were happy moments – listening to the youth singing at the back of the bus, having great discussions with pedestrians, the laughter that occurred throughout the day, the giggles of the young children at break times.”
There were also “poignant” moments, she said: “a woman who sobbed on the main street in Guelph when she first saw the signs, and a pastor who, upon seeing the signs, went out and purchased water bottles for the entire crew and then delivered them along with encouraging words.”
“Perhaps the most inspiring moments came in Cambridge,” Kathie said.
“Often at great personal expense, local pro-lifers had worked diligently for years to ensure that abortions were not performed in their town. But I was unaware, until after the Show the Truth demonstration, that Cambridge was an ‘abortion-free zone.’ I offered literature to cars waiting at the stoplights, and I was amazed to discover that Cambridge drivers were overwhelmingly pro-life. In fact, 50% of the people I encountered identified themselves as pro-life. The majority of the cars took the literature I offered. Some asked me before I could even offer it! Many had very encouraging words to say. It was the highlight of the week.”
Kathie also appealed to anyone who is able to come out and stand in solidarity with the unborn or to support the work of the Show the Truth tours financially.
“The media has refused to cover the facts of the abortion story and abortionists continue to tell women it is 'just a blob.' Show the Truth participants are willing to brave the wind, rain and sun to stand and show the truth of abortion. Real, live babies are being brutally murdered in our nation. Rather than a passive, hope-for-the-best approach, Show the Truth takes the truth to the streets in an undeniable fashion.
“Please consider joining them for the Toronto tour in August,” Kathie concludes.
Information on Show the Truth is available on their website.