Nine Things Canadian Pro-Lifers Need to Do

Inspired by this blogpost (although it was addressed to social conservatives in general, but same thing) here's my list of Nine Things Pro-Lifers Need to Do in order to win equal rights for unborn children.

Pro-lifers: let me know what you think. And write your own. :D

In no particular order.


1. Transform the culture.

This is a very tall order. But if we are ever to successfully ingrain in the minds and hearts of the people the need to treat the unborn child as an equal person, we need to completely transform just about every aspect of our culture.

In a democracy, power comes from what people choose. What they choose is heavily influenced by their culture. People are not individuals unto themselves. Knowledge and moral beliefs are collectively shaped. If the people do not believe in fetal rights, they will not elect politicians who believe in them (and refuse to elect those that don't).

How does one transform the culture?

We have to think about not only the ARGUMENTS for fetal rights (although we still need those). We need to change how people FEEL about the unborn child. And there are a couple of ways to do this.

One is to flood our culture with information about the unborn child (and I'll touch more about that in the next point). Anything and everything about him. People do not know him. He's a big dark shadow in the minds of the people. That's why they can support killing him.

The second is to transform arts, entertainment and literature. We need people who'll create stories that are consonant with a Culture of Life-- not necessarily about abortion (although we need those too) but that transmit Judeo-Christian themes BUT NOT IN A DIDACTIC fashion (i.e. No Ned Flanders Crap). And when I say "stories", I don't just mean short stories or novels, but movies, tv shows, paintings, songs-- anything with a narrative.

We need to make upholding the fetus seem "Normal". We must make people feel good about upholding the fetus. We must make them understand, through their hearts, who the fetus is and what abortion is about.

We need more pro-life artists who know how to be artists, and not just propagandists pushing their medium's version of doggerel.


2. Create a Think Tank dealing ONLY with the fetus

This is tied to Point Number 1.

The fetus is a very mysterious person. We don't know a whole lot about him, and that's one reason (among many) why his existence and death is considered inconsequential. Twenty-five years ago, they didn't even give anesthetics to newborns let alone fetuses, when they were operated on, because it was believed they didn't feel pain. That's because research into fetuses is still relatively new and marginal.

We need a think tank to study EVERY aspect of the fetus: The physiology of the fetus, the psychology of the fetus (also a field in its infancy) the sociology of the fetus (what society thinks of the fetus, relationship between mom, dad, siblings, wider family and fetus, etc) the history of the fetus (the fetus seen through history, the history of the de-humanization of the fetus) and so on.

We live in an age of identity politics. If you do not have an identity-- a gang, a group, and an identity that that confers-- you are nobody. And while people of various "minority" groups can fight for themselves and show their identity, fetuses cannot. We must do it for them. I think this is one reason why the fetal rights movement is so far behind after so much effort, in comparison to other groups: when gays fight for gay marriage, they fight FOR THEMSELVES. A pro-lifer has ZERO personal incentive to fight for the unborn child. It's human nature to fight harder, and to WANT to take up the fight when you do it for yourself. When it's for someone else, the tendency is to say "let someone else do it".

A think tank would allow for the CREATION of information. We need a lot more of that. In fact, come to think of it, it's necessary to change the culture, not only on an informational level, but on an artistic level as well. How can you make art about someone you do not know?

We already have pro-family think tanks, but they are so concentrated on the FAMILY and other subjects, that the fetus himself gets relatively scant attention. We need a fetus think thank.


3. Push for the Equal Rights for Unborn Children

For decades, the most used slogan by pro-lifers is "abortion is murder".

I think it's safe to say that, while true, it's an incredibly ineffective slogan.

Why?

Because so long as the fetus is not a person in the minds of the people, you might as well be saying "bug stomping is murder".

Many people understand that the fetus is a human life (many regrettably don't, but that's another story).

They just don't think he's a person. They don't think he's worthy.

So abortion is not murder.

And it isn't just militant feminists who think this. Just average Canadians.

In Canada, if you want people to understand that they are persons, you don't go screaming about how killing them is wrong.

In Canada, you assert they should have Charter Rights.

That's how you assert they are persons.

And in any case, even if we managed to criminalize abortion through a law, if the unborn child is not considered equal, the next government will come in and reverse the law.

If the Culture of Life is to be deeply ingrained in our institutions, the unborn child cannot just be a form of life that needs protection like endangered species need protection. They must be recognized as persons, with full equality under the law. Anything short of that will always leave the unborn child vulnerable.


4. Network beyond So-Con Groups.

How do socially liberal groups make progress in this society?

They lean on each other, and they expand beyond their field.

Environmentalists lean on feminist groups; feminists lean on socialist groups; socialists lean on health groups.

And on and on and on.

We don't do that in the pro-life movement. So no one outside of socons know who we are (and even then...) and people think we're marginal.

Who could be potential allies?

* Disability groups. Any time they have an issue, we should lend our support.

* Environmental groups. It doesn't seem like a natural fit but think about it: all kinds of elements in the environment can affect the fetus' well-being.

* "Health groups"-- those who fight against second hand smoke; those who lobby on pregnancy and obstretric issues.

Yes, it's true, investing the lobbying effort would take away from the fight for unborn children BUT in the long run, it could bring a return, because we could show we really do take the unborn child seriously, and people who don't necessarily care about abortion would at least THINK about the dignity of the unborn child.

Any time there's a parliamentary hearing of any kind, and we can fit fetal issues in there, we should speak up.


5. Develop our own community

This ties in with Number 1.

People don't always come to a movement through logical arguments. They come to a movement by discovering the community around it. Young girls become feminists by listening to feminist music; Anti-racism advocates develop a "consciousness" through reading literature dealing with a topic, etc.

In order for that culture to develop, it needs a ready audience. The mainstream is not going to pick up a Culture of Life novel and read it and make it into a bestseller. Right now, if you're a Christian writer in Canada, and you want to write Culture of Life stuff, you have a tough road ahead of you, not unlike being a Canadian writer in the 1960's. The audience, the network is not there. For there to be a cultural transformation of the mainstream, we need to develop our own community, with our own entertainment and arts and ways of being.

Most people who are pro-life are fairly bourgeois. We do the 9-to-5 thing and don't think of ourselves as anything special. Just another family person.

We have to stop thinking like that. We have to tie into a community. We have to stop listening to the mainstream junk (or not listen so intently) and listen to our own voices and make our own identity.

When people see we're a community, with our distinct ways of being and producing culture, they'll take a look at what we have to offer-- not as people interested in the pro-life movement, but as people who are interested in our cultural products. And that's the hook. But without that community to make that critical mass audience possible, we won't be able to attract people.


6. Think about fetal rights beyong the scope of abortion/IVF/Cloning

It's an important point: we should try to talk about the fetus to the public in a context other than the usual abortion/IVF/Cloning. What about an unborn child's right to a mom and a dad? What about the unborn's right to a name and an identity? What about the unborn's right to be considered in public policy decisions?


7. Fight and win small battles

Nothing succeeds like success. We need some notches in the "win" column. Right now, the forces of Death are so powerful, we can't win the Big Ones. We need to look at our local culture, local issues, small arguments and ask: where can we win? Where can we ally with people of the same interests to advance the dignity of the unborn child? It could be at the local school board. It could be having the local mayor declare "Unborn Rights Day". Could be anything. It has to be something we know we CAN win.

Example:

Suppose you live in a small town. You know the Councillors. You know that out of say, 12, 8 are pro-life. And the Mayor is pro-life. Why not suggest to them an "Unborn Rights Day"?

This is how political momentum is built. When we start doing little things like this, bigger things become possible.


8. Assert that your family includes unborn children

Pro-lifers are perceived to always talk about someone else's unborn child.

Let people know that your family includes unborn children.

Why is this important? Because it challenges other to include unborn children in their families as well.

It also suggests that women who have abortions (or the men who want women to have abortions) are killing their own family members. It just adds that much greater stigma to abortion.

9. Blog

Pro-lifers often complaint. A lot. They complain about the MSM and how no one listens to them, and how they're shut out.

We don't have that excuse any more.

Why aren't there more pro-life bloggers out there?

We should be ALL OVER BLOGGING.

Blogging is THE WAY to make our voices heard.

I think we're so used to being powerless, we don't know how to do things for ourselves.

And I know what many are thinking: many dedicated pro-lifers are elderly, they can't work a computer, blah blah blah.

Let's stop the excuses.

If you had to go to war, but never knew how to work a gun, would you learn how to shoot, or would you wait for the enemy to kill you?

Me? I'd damn well learn how to shoot a gun.

We talk like there's a holocaust going on, but we're not anxious to stop it.

If all it takes is to learn how to operate a computer enough to turn it on, open the browser, type a message and click "publish", why is that a burden? Is it too much to ask to save children? If you can protest in front of a clinic, why can't you learn Windows?

It's all excuses. If we're serious about presenting the truth and making our side, we have to overcome whatever weaknesses we have and do what needs to be done

This isn't an exhaustive list. But if we did this, wow, what a difference it would make.