Posted on 08/10/2007 10:34:35 AM PDT by wagglebee
CALGARY, August 9, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In contrast with the media blackout that pro-life Canadians are used to expecting at their demonstrations, media coverage of the Reproductive Choice Campaign trucks rolling on Calgary streets this week has been lively. The trucks feature three-metre high photos of aborted children and an email address for more information.
Local papers and radio stations were joined by CBC and Global News who took video footage, while CTV News Calgary has run a two-minute television news spot three times in the last two days and included the sponsoring group's website address. This coverage constitutes a frenzy compared to the nearly total media blackout that is traditional at pro-life events such as the annual March for Life event in Ottawa.
The Calgary Sun headlined today's article, "Graphic abortion images shock Calgarians" and carried the CTV story verbatim in print form. A smaller local paper, Fast Forward Weekly, ran the headline "Little truck of horrors" and quoted Stephanie Gray, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Bioethical Reform, the truck's sponsoring group, responding to the accusations of shocking onlookers. "If there is nothing wrong with abortion, the images shouldn't bother them," she said.
A talk radio station, CHQR 770, has been broadcasting their report on the trucks every half hour from noon yesterday to five pm today. 630 CHED radio in Edmonton will carry a live 30-minute interview with Gray and she will be on 940 Montreal at 10:35 am EST for ten minutes.
CTV's video spot, which is available online, clearly shows close-ups of the photos and reporter Najuma Yagzan says, "You can clearly distinguish a body, hands and feet."
Jose Ruba, a cofounder and staffer of CCBR who today drove the support car accompanying the trucks, told LifeSiteNews.com that this was likely the first time the GAP pictures had been seen on English-language Canadian television.
"We had the GAP photos in Ottawa in 2004 when Planned Parenthood was giving Henry Morgentaler a lifetime achievement award and the national French-language TV used the images. But even when the CBC covered the controversy over the GAP display at UBC [in 2000], they only filmed the GAP images from 30 or 40 feet away."
"The whole story at UBC then was about the signs, but they didn't even show them. So today's coverage from so many sources was a big win for us in that they showed the signs," Ruba said.
Onlookers interviewed by CTV agreed that the images are "shocking" but also that they depict something true. "I've had nothing to do with it personally, so you don't think seriously about it, but looking at that, you can see the murder aspect of it all," one man said.
CTV offered a counter argument from a spokesman of Sexual Health Access Alberta (SHAA), but declined to mention that the group is an abortion advocating organization that until September 2006 was called Planned Parenthood Alberta. SHAA's Executive Director, Laura Wershler, criticised the tactic saying, "In those circumstances there's no opportunity for meaningful discussion or debate."
But Stephanie Gray told LifeSiteNews.com that she and her group were still waiting to hear back from Wershler on their offer of a public debate. Gray said, "I contacted Laura requesting a debate partner and I'm waiting to hear back from her and this is months ago."
CCBR said they contacted Wershler on November 16, 2006 on behalf of the pro-life club at the University of Calgary. "I emailed her a sample debate format and agreed that the debate should be a civil one with a neutral moderator."
"I'm still waiting to hear back from her," Gray said.
Wershler did not return calls from LifeSiteNews.com by deadline.
Onlookers interviewed by CTV, however, showed no signs of psychological trauma from seeing the photos. In one street interview, a young woman appeared unsettled but admitted that the images were depicting the reality of abortion, "To me, that's really harsh, but that's reality I guess. It's what happens when you have an abortion. But, wow, that is graphic, yeah."
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Billboard-Size Abortion Photos to be Shown throughout Canada as Trucks Take the Message to the Streets
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/aug/07080802.html
Pro-Life GAP Display At UBC Causes an Uproar
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2000/oct/00102501.html
Bloggers Trump Mainstream Media With YouTube Videos of Canadian March for Life
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07051705.html
Watch CTV coverage:
http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/RTGAMArticleHTMLTemplate/B/200...
No, at 15 months, my son doesn’t have that much hair.
>>I reckon there was someone in 1858 yelling that photos of beaten slaves traumatized their 4 year old as well.<<
I can pretty much say for sure that they weren’t easily available for four year olds.
Nobody has suggested that children should be targeted, but I think the “children should be protected” is just a straw-man, the real goal is to prevent adult from seeing it as well.
As evidence by the switching of tactics from “protect my 4 year old” to “what about the woman who commits suicide after seeing them.”
NO, it is not. What is brought up is that this is one of the ONLY ways for the pro-life movement to have it’s voice heard in Canada.
No, I would not let a five-year-old watch The Passion of the Christ, nor most 12 or 13 year olds. That is a 120 minute extremely intense movie. I would move my child who is disturbed by any images away from the images. There were many things on TV that upset my son when he was small - cartoon shows that were targetted to children, but which were too violent for his particular sensibilities at the time.
Especially since your nephew had the experience of dealing with a premature sibling - imagine how many small traumas he experienced in his hospital visits - I would have told him what I said in a previous post. Stressing the idea of babies being wanted and precious, grownups should do everything possible to make sure that every baby is born and loved.
I lived in the suburbs.
The park was not even 1/4 of a mile from where I lived.
Of course I stuffed the envelopes in the Church after school. Went to Catholic school where I guess kids are taught God is greater than evil. Knowing this and looking at all the hell mankind does to one another I only fear what is greater than mankind.
After digesting this, we were told of God’s love for us through Jesus Christ. That this all-powerful being (Who humans have no understanding of) called God sent His Son to die for us out of love, tells us not to fear or be offended by anything.
I can’t help it if your nephew gets a sanitized version of the concept of fear of God and the Gospel. I guess that old time religion is dead. Let’s not be offended is the rage and the new battle cry.
Carry on with your non-offensive ways.
I’m sorry that I am not very familiar with Michigan geography. What does “Post 93” have to do with a beach across the street from a school?
That was the post where I explained it.
What about the kid on the truck, wonder how he feels?
The point about the Post Abort mother was brought up by Mountain Flower.
Are you saying she is using PP’s playbook?
Good story, chalk one up for the good guys.
That is a naughty, naughty website.
(and very funny)
My SIL took her boys to the beach around noon on a regular school day. She did this often with other mothers of Preschoolers. Her five-year-old son was playing in the water when one of these trucks pulled up in the parking lot behind them. He started screaming, crying and pointing. Understand that his brother was just a baby himself, (and premature when born). This poor boy had nightmares for a week and no one could convince him that the truck was not there to kill his brother. He told his mom that the Ice Cream truck had pictures of Ice Cream, so that truck was there to kill babies. Nice huh?
93 posted on 08/10/2007 3:47:47 PM EDT by netmilsmom
Honestly, I never said schools.
I said venues that target Mothers, preschoolers and toddlers.
When the teenagers are in school and the adults are at work, that is what is there.
I’m not even talking about these trucks riding the streets.
I’m saying, that going to these venues is useless. Better they target concerts and nightlife.
That’s the thing about truth, it’s supposed to make us uncomfortable, it’s a mirror that let’s us see all our warts.
I think people who are obsessed with make the truth palatable don’t really want it.
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