Another ‘successful’ anti-choice march?

THE EDITOR: This time last year, the conservative Catholic community was busily planning its large anti-choice march of July 21. No doubt they would regard that event as a huge success. In spite of the weather, hundreds of persons turned out and there were several rousing speeches, a lot of singing and swaying and clapping and all. Within two weeks we shared the tragedy of a teenager dying after an unsafe abortion. In the ten months since then, there has been absolutely no change in the number of abortions. Women who can afford private physicians continue to obtain safe abortions. Those who can’t, continue to risk their lives and health with unsafe procedures. And our hospitals continue to receive the same hundreds of women month after month.

The flow has continued unabated. Nothing has changed. So how successful was the march? It was successful in putting enough numbers on the streets to scare politicians into total silence. It was successful in polarising the issue so that many who sympathise with the need for reform have been intimidated into withdrawal. They whisper support privately but refuse to take any public position. They fear the ferocity of those who oppose choice. But the march failed where it mattered most. It failed to have any impact on saving the lives of “unborn children”. That is one of the goals we share. It failed to preserve the lives and health of women — and that is one of ASPIRE’s goals. It failed to increase the number of adoptions and foster care volunteers. And it failed to drive ASPIRE away. Still, we at ASPIRE hope they plan another march very soon. We benefit from the hype they create. They do a great job of winning media attention. This opens the window for some measure of public education and we capitalise on that. So we hope they organise another big, ‘successful’ event this month.

JENNIFER TAYLOR