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The basic principle of pro-life voting With a provincial election only days away in Ontario, we would all do well to remember the basic principle of pro-life voting: being pro-abortion (or "pro-choice") disqualifies a person for public office. This includes those who claim to be "personally opposed" to the taking of innocent lives, but are unwilling to do anything to stop it. The right to life is the fundamental human right, on which every other right depends. It follows that no matter how attractive a particular candidate's policies on other issues may be, if he is approves of abortion, he is unworthy of support. Would we support someone who approves of rape or child abuse because they are solid on every other issue? Of course not. Then why make an exception for abortion, which is a violent snuffing out of individual human lives and an assault on the foundation of respect for all human life. So-called "Single-issue" voting Pro-lifers are often accused of being "single-issue" when it comes to voting. This is true, in a sense. If you believe that the killing of innocent human beings is gravely wrong, your conscience will not permit you to vote for someone who is pro-abortion — no matter what. On the other hand, the "single-issue" accusation is quite false. Pro-life Canadians are concerned about a host of life issues which are distinct from abortion, like euthanasia and reproductive technologies — not to mention the spectrum of pro-family concerns which pro-lifers generally share. Pro-lifers are also concerned about most other public issues, but for them, the right to life comes first. It should also be noted that in fact most people become politically involved because of special concerns about particular issues. The GST, gun control, national unity, the free trade agreement — concerns about each of these issues have led individuals into politics, and have even led to the formation of new parties. Canadians for whom the right to life has become a special concern are by no means unique in this. But in the end, it must be admitted that no issues comes close to being as important as the abortion issue. Some people say that other "social problems" are equally important; but how many of those problems involve the deliberate killing of well over 100,000 Canadians (including over 45,000 Ontarians) and the loss of all their subsequent generations every year? Our votes can put abortion on the agenda Some pro-lifers, while agreeing that no issue comes close to being as important as abortion, say it is unlikely our political leaders will restrict abortion in the near future, and that for now, we should vote on issues we know we can do something about. On this point, it is essential to recognize three things. (1) Abortion will never be on our politicians' agendas, if pro-life voters do not put it there. (2) Even in the absence of major legislation dealing with abortion, the issue almost always comes up. When it does, it is necessary that there be pro-lifers in Parliament and in the legislatures to speak on behalf of the unborn. (3) We will never get from the current situation to achieving full legal protection for children in the womb, unless we are continually sending pro-life representatives to Ottawa and our provincial capitals. HOW TO VOTE PRO-LIFEWhen there is more than one pro-life candidate Sometimes it happens that there is more than one pro-life candidate in a riding. In such a situation, a pro-life voter should then consider other things: which candidate has the stronger pro-life record; which candidate is more likely to be elected; which candidate's overall platform is more attractive; and which party is more worthy of support. When there is no pro-life candidate Often it happens that there is no pro-life candidate in a riding. In such a situation, a pro-life voter might choose to "spoil" the ballot. A good way to do this is to write, "No pro-life PC," or "No pro-life Liberal" (in other words, no pro-life candidate for the party the voter would otherwise support). This action will be noticed by the scrutineers of the various parties when the votes are counted. It can have a significant impact on the candidates' and the parties' assessment of which issues should be on their agenda. Apart from this positive practical effect, a spoiled ballot is first and foremost an act of good conscience. It is certainly not a waste of a vote. A truly wasted vote is one cast for a candidate the voter does not actually support. As writer Karen Selik remarked in the Globe and Mail recently, we may be tempted to vote for the least of several evils, but we should remember that "the least of the evils is still, by definition, evil." When there is no pro-life candidate, and the pro-abortion incumbent is influential In cases where there is no pro-life candidate in a riding, and the pro-abortion incumbent happens to be influential, some pro-lifers advocate voting against the sitting representative, in order to reduce the power of the anti-life movement in politics. In all situations Whatever the situation, pro-lifers should go to the polls on election day. The absence of a pro-life candidate in a given riding is no reason to stay away. Since the 1969 abortion law amendment, more than two million Canadian children have been killed by abortion. Since the 1988 Supreme Court decision in the Morgentaler case, Canada has had no abortion law. In Canada today, children in the womb may be killed at any time, for any reason, and by any means, with your tax dollars. One of them died violently in the five minutes it took to read this article. Now is the time to act. Vote pro-life. It really is the least we can do. | |
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