CLC Blog

CLC Blog

Federal Government supports the use of graphic images

In 2001, Canada was the first country to require health warnings on tobacco packaging, and now the government is once again stepping up its game. On June 19th, 2012, the federal government reached another milestone in their fight against smoking by announcing that all cigarette packages must display the larger and more hard-hitting health warning messages. In a press release issued by the office of the Minister of Health, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq states that "this initiative continues our efforts to inform Canadians - especially young people - about the health hazards of smoking." Studies show that the use of warning messages on tobacco products, including graphic images, has been the most effective way to inform and educate people on the health risks associated with tobacco use, much to the dismay of large tobacco companies.  As of this week, 75% of the front and back panels of the packaging contain graphic warning messages and images. Way to go Canada for being a world leader and for once again taking such a strong and aggressive approach to helping people avoid the pain and suffering associated with tobacco-related illnesses.

But enough about smoking. Let’s apply this same logic to the use of graphic images for showing people the truth about abortion.

If the Ministry of Health can regulate one industry by mandating the use of graphic and disturbing images on their products in order to reduce consumption and save lives, why aren’t they using that same approach on another industry that kills? The answer to that is easy and disheartening at the same time. The government acknowledges that cigarettes kill, and yet they fail to recognize that abortion kills, in a much more direct and cruel way.

For the government to acknowledge that abortion kills, they would first have to acknowledge that the preborn are human beings and should be protected right? As a matter of fact they do just that with one of the new warning labels that states “Second-hand smoke contains many toxic chemicals that can harm an unborn baby”.  That’s right folks, the government does not want pregnant women to smoke and harm their unborn babies. If they care so much about unborn babies, shouldn’t pregnant women also be warned that an abortion not only harms but kills their unborn baby if they choose to have one?

The government is being inconsistent and very selective when it comes to choosing which lives to protect.  In Canada, tobacco-related illnesses kill 37,000 human beings every year. Abortion kills more than 100,000 human beings every year (at the expense of taxpayers). And yet when pro-lifers show graphic images of what abortion looks like, they are accused of using scare-tactics, being judgmental, mean and flat out crazy. It just doesn’t make any sense. If pro-lifers are those things, so is the Federal Ministry of Health.

Why is the government going out of its way to do ‘what’s best’ for smokers, but not for pregnant women considering an abortion? Why spend so much time and money trying to discourage smokers from smoking when it’s their body, their choice?  Why are they so opinionated and in-your-face with smoking-prevention, but so avoidant with abortion-prevention?

I thank groups like Show the Truth and the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and their recently launched Canada-wide New Abortion Caravan campaign, for providing graphic warning messages that expose Canadians to the truth about abortion, and doing what our government fails to do.

Comments
By: Nancy
July 10, 2012 @ 7:58pm
It surely shows who is in charge of the media, and yes, the government. THE LIAR...
How does one not get discouraged in this long and hard fought battle. And why is it that the Clergy are sometimes the hardest sells.
Well, I guess I know.

St. Michael...Protect us...
By: Akash
July 29, 2012 @ 1:15pm
When I see things like this I alaws say a quick prayer of gratitude that my children were born into a family that loves children. I'm not saying that in a conceited way, and we are not perfect by any means, but the thought has occurred to me before that my children could have been born (or not born) into a family that would have ended their precious lives.I have a friend who recently had a baby who, when she was pregnant, her boyfriend put extreme pressure on her to have an abortion. His sister who is an OB even said, It's really no big deal. Through lots of encouragement she stood her ground. When she heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time, she texted him to let him know (he wasn't speaking to her at that point). To make a long story short, the baby is a few months old now and her boyfriend (soon to be husband) is a PROUD father. He asked her to stay home with their new baby and is paying all her bills (they don't live together so it's double everything) and he even wants her to look into homeschooling! After the baby was born, he cried for weeks and begged her forgiveness and she says he is probably the most pro-life person ever! Pray for them, though, as they are still not Christians and please pray for me that I would not allow this opportunity to slip through. I've tried to share, and I see improvement, but I admit I am not really gifted in that area.The thing to remember is that while not every story ends this way, God has a story that is unique to every person and he uses it to glorify His name through it. I love Psalm 23 also and God spoke to me through it recently when I read, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. I realized through that verse that many times God allows us to go through different situations, not just to refine us, but so that His name will be known (to those who don't know Him) and glorified among us.