Kitchener-Waterloo Right to Life Celebrates 35 years of Serving the Public
By Jane Richard

Over the past 35 years, local pro-life people have contributed  much to the ‘culture of life’ in our community and beyond. With countless names and faces over the years, the numbers would reach thousands.
           
Yet, with all our great effort it would seem that the ‘death culture’ has taken a  greater grip on today’s society. We must remember it is not up to us as individuals or even as a community. It is the sum total of everyone with the same heart  under a higher power who directs the course of events. This provides hope for the final victory of protecting the sanctity of all life at every stage.
           
Polls in recent years have proven hopeful both here and in the US, indicating that public opinion may be shifting to a more pro-life view. However most leaders and judges in Canada are slow to pick up the shift in thinking. They are stuck in the seventies with old radical feminist views and teaching that has proven to be detrimental to society.  The current US president, George W. Bush, a Republican, has proclaimed January 21st as Sanctity of Life Sunday throughout  the US and  has made some good strides toward promoting pro-life issues.
           
There is a glimmer of hope for Canada as the very first truly Conservative Federal Government was elected over a year ago. There are more solid pro-life politicians in parliament today than at any other time over the last fifty years.
           
In late 2006, K-W Right to Life presented a local Conservative MP, Harold Albrecht, with a policy for informed consent regarding abortion. The response was very positive among his collegues, however it will only be brought forward with a majority government. An election is highly probable for late April, 2007.
           
Our 35th Anniverary theme is: If a women has a right to choose, she also has a right to know about the risks and consequences of abortion. We have several speaker events planned around this theme.
           
Late February, 2007 brought us before  the local Waterloo Regional Council with a delegation showing why Planned Parenthood should not be funded by public money due to their pro-choice agenda. Women are not being told about the risks and consequesnces of abortion by Planned Parenthood nor Public Health who is heavily influenced by Planned Parenthood thinking. In the past, local grants have been denied to Planned Parenthood due to our influence and we hope for a  similar response in the future. Planned Parenthood Federation Canada continues to be the single gravest threat to the pro-life movement in Canada and the world.
           
Patience is an ally for the pro-life movement in Canada today. Thoughtful strategy through a united movement is the order of the day. New and better ways to communicate our message are needed to make the fundamental changes that can sway public opinion to a greater degree.
           
It has been the aim of K-W Right to Life over the past few years to push for a united front in the pro-life educational movement itself in order to speed up the process of effecting change in Canada. We have made some inroads. There is much to be done. We are ever encouraged when we hear that our wonderful senior members tell us they are praying for us. We pray that God bless everyone in the pro-life movement and may He send us many more helping hands.

Jane Richard is coordinator for Kitchener-Waterloo Right to Life.