Winter 2010/2011Newsletter

Winter 2010/2011Newsletter
Hello my pro-life warriors,
Merry belated Christmas to all! After much anticipation, the 2010/2011 Winter Campaign Life Coalition Youth Newsletter is finally here. Find out details about: the up-coming 2011 March for Life, Canada’s most recent prisoner of conscience Mary Wagner, upcoming events, videos, movies and more! We even discuss whether our current PM, Stephen J. Harper is ACTUALLY pro-life, or whether he’s just another pro-choice homeboy.
Here at Campaign Life Coalition I have been very busy these past couple months, surprisingly with some issues unrelated to
abortion, but that still fall under the category of human rights. Because CLC is the political arm of the pro-life movement, we deal with
issues not just pertaining to the federal election, but also at the provincial and municipal levels as well. After the 2010 Ontario municipal elections, I have been working with a team to ensure that pro-life, pro-family school
board trustees elected into both the public and Catholic school system. Campaign Life Coalition recently created a stir in the media after opposing Paul Marai, a recently elected,
openly homosexual gay-activist sitting on the Halton Catholic School Board. Because of this,
I have been featured in interviews on Global TV, Newstalk 1010 with Jim Richards and various articles on LifeSiteNews declaring this a blatant conflict of interest. I firmly believe that
being pro-life is not just about standing up for the unborn, but also about standing up for
the institution of the family. Part of our mandate at CLC is to help inform the public about
these threats to the family and lobbying government representatives to stand against
them. As a young person working full-time for social justice, it is important for other young
people to take the same stance, and to support those pro-life, pro-family politicians, councilors,
mayors and trustees to show them they are not alone, and to speak out against those who threaten these values.
In other news, in late December I accompanied Mary Wagner, Canada’s youngest, and most recent prisoner of conscience to
the Bloor West Village Women’s Clinic in Toronto, Ontario, where I stood on the sidewalk counseling women going into the mill, while
Mary went into the actual waiting room of the abortuary and counseled women to save their babies. After a couple hours the police
arrived to arrest Mary for “trespassing”. While I stood recording the events of the arrest with my video camera, one policeman
marched over to me and deleted all my videos, without giving me his name, badge number, or answering any questions as to what
grounds he had for committing such an act. Although I had a technician retrieve the clips, I’ve sent an official complaint against the
arresting officer for breaching the authority given to him by his office by disrespecting me with his refusal to answer, as well as deleting valuable video footage without any just cause or merit. I will keep you updated as to any proceedings with regards to this complaint.
Finally, I am working with a committee to help organize the 2011 March for Life happening on May 12 th and 13th in Ottawa, ON.
So far we have three confirmed guest speakers and one amazing up-and-coming pro-life pop star for the march and youth conference:
Ruth Lobo, Lia Mills, David Bereit and musician Carly Taylor. To find out more on these speakers, check out our March for Life page of
the newsletter.
In conclusion, I will stop yapping now so you can enjoy the rest of the newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns about
Campaign Life Coalition Youth- feel free to e-mail or call me whenever your hearts desire.
Peace in the Middle East,
Alissa Golob
Campaign Life Coalition Youth Coordinator
PRO-LIFE
MEDIA
OVERPOPULATION POPYCOCK
Population Research Institute
is at it again- this time with a
brand spankin‟ new video
about poverty and the myth of
overpopulation. Using basic
creative stick-figure cartoonsthis video talks about the myth
that overpopulation causes
poverty. Instead, they claim, that population control
programs don't just miss the point on poverty … they
distract from it by focusing on bringing down population, valuable time, energy, and resources time is
spent solving a “problem” that doesn't exist, rather
than the real problems at hand. Check it: overpopulationisamyth.com.
MARCH FOR LIFE GOODNESS
Want to know what happened at the 2010 March for
Life in Ottawa? Check out our videos on the link below: http://campaignlifecoalition.com/index.php?
p=March_For_Life. Campaign Life Coalition and
Campaign Life Coalition Youth host this annual
event on Parliament Hill which attracts thousands of
young people across the country, to publicly witness
for the right to life. To sign up for this years march,
happening on May 12th, 2011, please contact Alissa
Golob at alissa@campaignlifecoalition.com.
SLAMMING PLANNED PARENTHOOD
New undercover footage shows a Planned
Parenthood manager advising a man and a woman
posing as a pimp and a prostitute on how to keep his
ring of underage girls appear “as legit as possible”
while obtaining his victims secret abortions,
contraception and STD
testing. Watch this shocking new video on the link
b e l o w : h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ?
v=L9Zj9yx2j0Y&feature=player_embedded. Live
Action is a youth led movement that uses new media
to educate the public about the humanity of the unborn and investigative journalism to expose threats
against the vulnerable and defenseless. Their most
famous project The Mona Lisa Project conducts
sting operations on Planned Parenthood Centers
across the United States exposing the lies and deception that goes on in the abortion industry.
COMMON SENSE: THE PERSONHOOD
OF THE UNBORN
14-year old YouTube sensation Lia Mills released a
new video discussing the concept of personhood,
both in general and as it applies to the unborn. http://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJGFPdspOrY. Lia
earned her fame for winning a public speaking contest speaking on
the subject of
abortion, after her
teacher and family advised her not
to. To hear more
of what Lia has
to say, sign up for
the March for
Life Youth Conference happening on Friday, May 13th, 2011 in Ottawa!
“I HAVE A DREAM” - MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
On February 21, 1956 Martin Luther King was
indicted in the Montgomery Bus Boycott on the
charge of hindering the operation of business. More
than fifty years later, on Thursday, December 23rd,
2010, Mary Wagner was arrested at Bloor West Village Women‟s Clinic in Toronto for the same offence.
In a letter released from a Birmingham jail where King was
being held, he wrote: “One has a
moral responsibility to disobey
unjust laws.” Similarly, Wagner wrote in a
statement of defense given to the judge
after an earlier arrest in 2001 that “an
injustice anywhere is an injustice
everywhere…. justice, by its nature,
is incapable of breeding injustice.”
Who is Mary Wagner, our seemingly
modern-day MLK? Let me enlighten
you…
Mary Wagner is a young woman
from British Columbia who is Canada‟s most recent prisoner of conscience. Wagner, for the past ten
years, has dedicated her life to saving unborn children from the harm of
abortion by counseling women in the
one place pro-lifers are refused to go- inside the abortion mills. Mary firmly believes that she is called to
help these women- whether they have crossed the injunction line or not- in one final attempt to help save
their baby‟s life. She approaches each woman in the
waiting room with a single rose that has the "precious
feet" pin attached, along with a placard demonstrating
the baby's early stages of development. When I asked
about the roses she replied that they "symbolize the
expression of love and peace". She also includes with
this information, phone numbers of various organizations that assist women with unplanned pregnancies.
Although these visits ultimately end with Mary being
charged with “trespassing”
and eventual arrest, she has
changed the hearts and minds
of various women inside these clinics throughout the
years- women who have cancelled their appointments and
left on the spot after conversing with her.
The future of Mary is unknown, although the certainty that she will continue fearlessly and without regret saving the lives of unborn children, one soul at a
time, is for sure. In 2001, in that
same statement of defense, Mary
wrote, “when there is injustice towards a tiny child not yet born,
there is injustice towards her mother, father and, ultimately towards
each one of us. Treating a tiny child
justly does not deny justice for others.”
Mary Wagner is a young prolife advocate who has surrendered
her life to saving as many babies as
she can. She has touched the hearts
of many women, including my own.
Mary‟s example continues to encourage others to have courage and fortitude to answer the
call to join in this battle against abortion- one of the
greatest human rights issues of all time. In that same
letter, King wrote, “I submit that an individual who
breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and
who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in
order to arouse the conscience of the community over
its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.” Don‟t let Mary‟s attempts go to waste.
Get out there, get active and fight for life.
- Alissa Golob
DANCE FOR LIFE
On January 22nd, I hosted a dance in support of Campaign Life Coalition. We raised
over $400, solely from free will donations, as the overhead was covered by family in
lieu of presents for my sixteenth birthday. The reason I organized the dance was to
raise money for the pro-life cause and to have fun while doing it. My inspiration to
organize this dance was from the Campaign Life Coalition Youth Dance for Life held
this past summer in Toronto and the youth that support life. It was during this Dance
Meghan (third from left) and friends
for Life, that I realized that while we were having a great time, we were working for
an even greater cause. Many of the youth at the dance are the same ones in the
front lines of the battle. They do not let their age deter them from being passionately and actively prolife. It
was these two factors that led to my organizing of the dance and it was a great success! It introduced new
people to Campaign Life, new connections and friendships were made, money was raised and fun was had
by all!
-Meghan Brintnell, 16.
FUNDRAISER
We are pleased to announce that the Aid to Women December fundraiser was a
wonderful success! All proceeds went to downtown Toronto’s crisis pregnancy
center, Aid to Women, to help women and their babies this winter. Thank-you to
all who came out for the event! A special thanks goes out to Joe Zambon, Trish
Clyne, Sharon Milan and Blaise Alleyne, for performing the wonderful music, and
thank-you to all those who volunteered or donated the silent auction items and
food. We’re very grateful for your generosity!
-Frances Keet, Julie Abernethy & Maria Nolan
International
Right to Life
Federation
President Jack
Willke with wife
Barbara, CLCY’s
Alissa Golob and
students.
Reverend Johnny Hunter (third from left) and
students at the 2010 International Pro-Life
Conference.
NCLN’S Rebecca
Richmond delivers an
inspiring speech.
Performers left to right: Trish, Sharon., and Joe
INTERNATIONAL
PRO-LIFE
CONFERENCE
Fourteen year- old Lia Mills was one of the many
guest speakers at the 2010 International Pro-Life
Conference who stressed the importance of embracing conflict. "The truth”,
she said, is that as pro-life people, even if we are Canadian, we cannot avoid
conflict, but [we must] embrace it in the right way. …My family and I have learned to embrace conflict." Mills, a young
pro-life activist popular for winning a speech she did on abortion in grade 8, presented alongside Rebecca Richmond
from the National Campus Life Network, Reverend Johnny Hunter, President of Life Education and Resource Network
and Canadian MP Rod Bruinooge, chair of the Parliamentary Pro-life Caucus, among many more. With the powerful
line-up of effective and hard-hitting pro-life powerhouses- this conference proved to be one of the best of the year.
Stay tuned for more information regarding the 2011 March for Life Youth Conference!
Harper: Pro-choice Homeboy?
Young Canadian pro-lifers have grown very ac-
made it clear that I have no intention of getting into
customed to the pro-choice camp attacking Prime
the abortion issue. It has not been my issue in my en-
Minister Stephen Harper. We have heard the criti-
tire career. And it won’t be in the future.”
cisms, we have seen
Harper has managed to keep this promise and re-
the cartoons, and we
main consistent with his anti-life position. In a recent
know that Harper has
interview with Peter Mansbridge, Harper again re-
been
anti-
minded Canadians that he is not a pro-life politician.
anti-
He again stated that neither he nor his government
woman. Some young
have any desire to open up the abortion debate, and
pro-choice
bloggers
will oppose any attempts to change the state of abor-
have even gone so far
tion in Canada. It must also be noted that Harper has
as to nickname Mr. Harper “King Stephen,” and argue
voted against various attempts at abortion-limiting
that he is just waiting for a majority government be-
legislation, most recently, Bill C-510, which would
fore he makes his sneak attack on women‟s rights.
have banned coerced abortion. From these few exam-
labelled
choice,
Don‟t go beaming with pro-life
pride just yet, kiddos. Once
again,
the
pro-choice
camp
could not be worse at reading a
situation.
Throughout his political career, and especially during his
time as Prime Minister, Harper
has not only refrained from in-
and
...it should be clear to anyone capable of rational
thought that Mr. Harper
does not have a hidden
agenda when it comes to
abortion, and should not
be considered a friend to
the pro-life movement.
ples, it should be clear to anyone
capable of rational thought that
Mr. Harper does not have a hidden agenda when it comes to
abortion, and should not be considered a friend to the pro-life
movement.
(Pro-choicers, take
note: Harper‟s doing this for your
votes, and you‟re completely
troducing or supporting any kind of restrictions on
missing out! Stephen‟s not trying to be your king, he‟s
abortion, he has actually hindered other MPs from do-
trying to be your homeboy! )
ing so. While Harper has sent mixed signals regarding
Does this mean that a pro-lifer should not support
his personal position on the matter, Harper‟s public
the Conservatives? Not necessarily. The lesson that
position is very clear: neither he nor his government
should be taken away from the Harper example is the
will introduce nor support any restrictions placed upon
importance of electing pro-life politicians, rather than
a “woman‟s right to choose.” In January 2006, Harper
just voting for a candidate because he or she belongs
told reporters “The Conservative government won’t be
to a particular party. Pro-life politicians fall all over
initiating or supporting abortion legislation, and I’ll
the political spectrum, and it is essential to consider
use whatever influence I have in Parliament to be sure
the pro-life issue along with other political issues
that such a matter doesn’t come to a vote.” In an in-
when electing an individual to Parliament. The End.
terview with Maclean’s Magazine, Harper stated “I’ve
-Cassie Farrell
UPCOMING EVENTS:
40 DAYS FOR LIFE
2011 MARCH FOR LIFE
When: Thursday, May 12th, 2011
Where: Parliament Hill, Ottawa, ON
Time: 12 Noon
Cost: FREE
Where: 960 Lawrence Avenue West, Toronto, ON
When: Wednesday, March 9th- Sunday, April 17th, 2011
Time: 8am-8pm
40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local
communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods
through prayer, fasting, community outreach and constant vigil. This
year the 40 Days for Life is being held in Toronto, ON in front of the
Women’s Care Clinic on the corner of Lawrence and Dufferin. Please consider taking an hour to participate so that we have a constant presence
in front of the abortuary. To register to participate, go to
www.40daysforlife.com/toronto or call Campaign Life Coalition at 1-800737-5358.
THE TRUTH TOUR
When: March 18th- 27th, 2011
Where: Across Northern Ontario
Join in the Christian Worldview & Pro-Life apologetics tour featuring training by international
speaker Jojo Ruba. Get equipped to confidently
communicate objective truth and the value of
human life. This five-city tour includes interactive presentations in universities, churches,
high schools, and public events, exploring four
fundamental questions: What is truth? Is there
a moral right and wrong? When does life begin? Does all human life
have value? The Northern Ontario Truth Tour is an empowering event
that will challenge and encourage us to think, love and act. To find out
more info check out their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/
Thetruthtour.
CELEBRATE A REAL CATHOLIC MAN GALA DINNER
When: Saturday, March 19th, 2011
Where: Croatian Hall, 180
Schweitzer Street, Kitchener, ON
Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Cost: $50/ per person
International pro-life superstar
Michael Voris is coming to Canada! Join in this gala event of a lifetime,
with an amazing dinner and talk by The Vortex star, Michael Voris. Voris
has won multiple Emmy’s for his work in social media and is famous for
his pro-life and pro-family stance. To find out more information on this
exclusive event, contact Alissa Golob at 647-678-0166 or e-mail her at
alissa@campaignlifecoalition.com.
Now is the time to begin plans in
your school, classroom or church to
organize buses for this annual
2011 March for Life! We march to
ensure that all human beings, regardless of size, age or location
(inside the womb or out), will
someday be protected by the laws
of the nation. For details or questions please contact Campaign Life
Coalition Ottawa at 613-729-0379
or email wandaclcottawa@bellnet.ca.
2011 MARCH FOR LIFE YOUTH CONFERENCE
When: Friday, May 13th, 2011
Where: The Hampton Inn, 100
Coventry Road, Ottawa, ON
Time: 9am- 2:30pm
Cost: $45.00/ per person
Join Campaign Life Coalition Youth in their 2011 March for Life Youth
Conference in May at the Hampton Inn. Guest speakers include Ruth
Lobo, Lia Mills, David Bereit and singing sensation Carly Taylor.
Information on more speakers to come…
PRO-LIFE DAY OF SOLIDARITY
When: Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
Where: All over the world
On October 18th, 2011, people from all over the
nation will give up their voices for a day in solidarity for these children. Red arm bands and
duct tape will identify them as taking part in
the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. They will
carry fliers explaining why they are silent and
educate others about the plight of the innocent
children we are losing every day. To register
you rse lf o r your sch o ol, v isit
www.silentday.org.
2011 MARCH FOR LIFE
Featuring:
RUTH LOBO
President, Carleton University Lifeline
LIA MILLS
YouTube sensation and pro-life activist
CARLY TAYLOR
Musician
DAVID BEREIT
National Director, 40 Days for Life
Stay tuned for more speakers…
Feature Film:
THE BUTTERFLY CIRCUS
Is it just me, or are there no disabled children anymore? Over the
years, I have come to realize that seeing a child with down-syndrome or
some sort of physical or mental handicap is virtually non-existent anymore. I
always used to notice these children growing-up, because they would fill my
life with so much joy whenever I passed them in the street, or stood behind
them in the grocery line, as they were always smiling or eager to offer a
friendly “hello”. Either scientists have found a “cure” for being handicapped,
or people are aborting disabled children now more than ever before. According to disaboom.com, a website designed to provide information to people
with disabilities, “80 percent of those who find out their child has Down syndrome elect to „terminate the pregnancy‟.”
I wonder how we, as a “civilized” society, are able to justify this accepted form of genocide? How many babies with disabilities could go on to
live fulfilled lives- if they were only given the medical treatment and support
that should be their constitutional right under anti-discrimination laws?
The Butterfly Circus, a short film which recently won the Clint Eastwood Filmmaker Award at the 2010 Carmel Art & Film Festival, examines
the merit of the assumption that being disabled equals poor quality of life.
The movie takes place during the Great Depression, and stars Eduardo
Verástegui (Bella, Charmed) and Nick Vujicic, a motivational speaker from
Australia born with no arms or legs. The film follows a showman
(Verástegui) of a
renowned circus
leading his troupe
through the devastated American
landscape, lifting
the spirits of audiences along the
way. During his
travels the showman
discovers
Will, a man without limbs (Vujicic) at a carnival sideshow. After an intriguing encounter with the showman, Will becomes driven to hope against
everything he has ever believed. This movie appropriately demonstrates
what happens when we elevate, rather than degrade, as Will‟s negative selfperception becomes essentially non-existent after realizing his true potential
and self-worth- with the help of his new-found friend.
The stars of The Butterfly Circus are not your usual Hollywood actors, as they are unafraid to voice their pro-life views, and have affected mil-
lions of people worldwide with their inspirational message of choosing life. Nick Vujicic is a
living refutation of the
pro-abortion lie that
some lives are not worth
living. In an interview
conducted by columnist
Melody Laila, Vujicic
commented, “It‟s a privilege for me to share my story with people and show them that God gave me
this life, a life that people would usually disregard and show them that God
still has a plan and a purpose. I face challenges every day - and every day I
overcome; they can too.” Similarly, Eduardo Verástegui has been praised in
the pro-life movement across the world for his vigor to help end pre-natal
infanticide. “Hollywood seems to only be interested in producing movies
that glorify vice, violence and self-loathing”, he said. “Let‟s make films with
a conscience, with heart, films that are uplifting but don‟t shy away from
standing up for our values.” Although The Butterfly Circus is only twenty
minutes long, it lacks neither in substance nor in style. On top of the ingenious backdrop of circus adaptations
of the 1800‟s, the movie‟s main
theme of valuing all human life,
makes it worth the watch. For any
person struggling with the mentality that a human person would be
better off being aborted, all they
would need to hear is the words of
the showman who says to Vujicic during the end of the movie, “the greater
the struggle, the more glorious the triumph”. Who knew circus-men could be
so wise?
Side Note: Ironically, Clint Eastwood starred in the movie Million Dollar
Baby, which was a critically acclaimed movie about female boxer who becomes paralyzed, and, instead of finding joy and purpose in life despite her
new disability, convinces her boxing mentor (Eastwood) to help end her lifewhich is pretty much the exact opposite message of The Butterfly Circus.
End Note.
- Alissa Golob
YOUTH ACTION
PLAN
CAMPAIGN LIFE COALITION SUMMER
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
SUPPORT PRO-LIFE
GROUPS AND EVENTS
The summer internship program run by Campaign Life Coalition and
The Interim Newspaper is designed to challenge and reward a select
number of students with a unique opportunity to work full-time in the
pro-life movement. The goal of the program is to provide an outstanding educational experience within the offices of Campaign Life Coalition and The Interim Newspaper. The program provides knowledge,
tools, skills and experiences that an intern can readily apply to pro-life
projects in the future, but also provides the necessary skills needed to
work in an office environment. In addition to the opportunity to work in
various departments within the movement, the summer internship program includes training seminars that cover a variety of pro-life issues,
opportunities to participate in various pro-life demonstrations, writing
articles for The Interim and other pro-life columns and attendance at
special events. Lastly, the program facilitates intern involvement on a
variety of committees dedicated to saving lives, such as the Life
Chain, the March for Life, special youth events and more. To apply,
please sent your resume and cover letter to Deny Dieleman at deny@lifesite.net no later than Friday, March 19th, 2011 or fax us at 416204-1027.
Many pro-life organizations hold annual conferences
and seminars to bring like-minded people together
and develop new and engaging action-plans in attempt to change Canadian abortion laws. Review
our list of events and check out the Campaign Life
Coalition Youth Facebook page regularly for up-to- Make an appointment with your local MP to
find out exactly where he or she stands on
date happenings across the country!
important life issues. Video tape or record
your findings and share them with others by
s e n d i n g
t h e m
t o
youth@campaignlifecoalition.com.
MEET YOUR MP!
WRITE LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR!
More times than not, if you write how old you are in a
letter to the editor, you are way more likely to be printed than another ranting and raving old man. Be being
informed, you can immediately and effectively influence those reading your letter purely by your example
as a young person. Respond to a biased article, or
write expressing your beliefs on the issues to get a
debate going and people talking!
VOLUNTEER AT YOUR LOCAL PRO-LIFE
OFFICE
Most towns and cities in Canada have a local pro-life office that always
needs more volunteers. Research the pro-life organizations in your area and
find out what you can do to help spread the pro-life message in your town!
INVITE PRO-LIFE SPEAKERS TO YOUR
SCHOOL, CHURCH OR YOUTH GROUP
There are many effective pro-life speakers across the country able and willing to
educate young people about pro-life issues. Contact Campaign Life Coalition at 1800-730-5358 or e-mail youth@campaignlifecoalition.com to get more information
on available speakers in your area.
GET EDUCATED!
Yes, you could watch videos of Justin Beiber online all day OR you
could educate yourself on important
life issues such as abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Visit
www.campaignlifecoalition.com and
visit our youth page to find more resources to inform yourself to make a
difference and take a stand!