The Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization of people with disabilities, challenges Global, to offset the harm it has done to people with disabilities, by running a follow-up to its “Taking Mercy” media blog.  The follow-up would counter the negative portrayal of people with disabilities presented in “Taking Mercy”, by featuring persons with disabilities who want to live and who see a danger in opening up the debate on euthanasia. “Only good can come from providing an opportunity for a broader, fairer public discourse,”
states Rhonda Wiebe, Co-chair CCD Ending of Life Ethics Committee.  CCD will also be launching a formal complaint about Global’s coverage.

Global’s media blog “Taking Mercy” (March 16, 2012) left many Canadians in a state of shock. The entire program was filled with misinformation, fear, and stigma. “Those of us who live
with disabilities could easily have shared hospital rooms, support services, classrooms or neighborhoods with Tracy Latimer and other children like her who have been murdered by their parents. When we hear ourselves categorized as suffering and having lives that are only worthy of death, we are reminded how segments of our society – represented by the panelists on the Global blog –
don’t think we belong,“ states Wiebe. “Global’s guests, including “parent” Robert Latimer and “ethicist” Arthur Schafer only feed into the existential nightmare many Canadians with disabilities face because they perpetuate the idea that it is better to be dead than disabled. Some of us may not be able to speak or walk or hear or see, but that doesn’t mean we don’t belong. Even if we
experience pain or need help going to the bathroom, we are still Canadians, we are protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and no one has the right to kill us,” continues Wiebe.

Global’s blog refused to acknowledge that people with disabilities are so much more than the sum of our disabilities. Murdering us is not a compassionate or reasonable choice. Some of us with disabilities, who are now adults, vividly recollect the nightmare we had as children when another child like us, Tracy Latimer, was killed by her father. That nightmare was only intensified when we watched so many Canadians express sympathy for the killer rather than the victim.

CCD does not understand how Global could frame the justification for murdering persons with disabilities using a term like “mercy.” The existence of people with disabilities should not be  dependent on someone else’s subjective measurement of worthiness. When you reduce the powerful and purposeful lives of persons with disabilities by using trite comments likening our existence to
that of pets, plants, mere burdens or simplified stereotypes, you portray us as subhuman and suffering.

CCD asks where were the voices of citizens living with significant disabilities? Where were the voices of family members and advocates who see accommodation and inclusion as appropriate responses to supporting persons with disabilities? Global’s blog shut us out. “In what other instance where issues of marginalized groups are discussed, be they First Nations persons, women,
newcomers or whomever, do you go forward with a panel discussion that doesn’t include anyone from that group?” asks Dean Richert, Co-chair CCD Ending of Life Ethics Committee.

For More Information Contact:

Rhonda Wiebe, Co-chair

Ending of Life Ethics Committee

Tel:  204-779-4493 (h) or 204-952-1514 (c)
Email:  rew@shaw.ca

Dean Richert, Co-chair

Ending of Life Ethics Committee

Tel: 204-989-2760 or 204-951-6273 (c)

Email:  drichert@odgb.mb.ca

Laurie Beachell, CCD National Coordinator

Cell: 204-981-6179

Email: laurie@ccdonline.ca

April D’Aubin, CCD Research Analyst

Tel: 204-947-0303

Email: april@ccdonline.ca

Letters4Life project.

http://theteenagelifeclub.blogspot.ca/

www.Letters4life.ca

To prayer warriors everywhere,
April 26th will be a historic day for our country as Stephen Woodworth presents his motion 312 for discussion – it is such an important day that we are encouraging anyone who can to be on “The Hill” praying. Please pass this email to everyone you know and especially those who can easily make it to Ottawa.

For those of you who cannot make it to our beautiful capitol of Ottawa we encourage you to pray outside your MP’s constituency office instead. Pray that God will open the heart of your representative to support motion 312. This could be the day that tips the balance in favour of Life in our country so plan on being on “The Hill”.

There will not be any official co-ordination just a gathering of those who have hearts to pray close to our legislature and call down the power of heaven to help our representatives see the great need we have to respect every human life.

Share a car, rent a bus, do whatever you can to show that we care what is going on this special day in our Canadian history. Spend an hour, or two together calling down the power of heaven and thanking God that we are so graced to live in Canada.
Petiton in Support of Motion 312

This site is all about Motion 312 in the Federal Parliament.  Please check it out!

Our Annual Bake Sale will be held Saturday, May 12, 2012 at DeGroots Nursery, Sarnia.  Please bring your donated baked goods directly to Degroot’s that day, between 8 – 9 a.m.  If it is easier for you, bring your baking to Zekveld’s Garden Market at Reece’s Corners, on Friday, May 11, during business Hours.

Come out to Degroots Saturday, May 12 to pick up some delicous baking!

ANNUAL WALKATHON will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. at Canatara Park, Sarnia by the Animal Farm. Please look for a pledge form under our Local Newsletter.  Print this off and get your pledges!  Thanks!

We are excited to announce that MP Harold Albrecht’s Suicide Prevention bill
(C-300) passed second reading on Feb. 15th with a vote of 285 in favour and 3
opposed. Also, MP Brian Storseth’s Freedom of Speech bill (C-304) passed second reading as well with a vote of 158 in favour and 131 opposed. This is great
news! A huge thank you to every single one of you for taking action in prayer and petitions. To read the full review on C-300, click here. To read a review on  C-304, click here.

Please keep praying for Godly wisdom to be poured out over the committees in charge of reviewing the bills.

At the beginning of this month, MP Stephen Woodworth tabled motion 312 in the House of Commons calling for the formation of a special committee to review the 400 year old laws regarding the personhood of Canadians and update them with 21st C science. Click here to review.  Canadians are not afraid to engage in an open debate about this issue!

ACTION POINTS

1. Please keep on asking, seeking and knocking for God to release wisdom,
courage, favour and direction over our National leaders on this very important issue.

2. PLEASE PRINT the PETITIONS, Collect Signatures and send them back to Mr. Woodworth’s office on the Hill, showing your support of his motion. Click here to review and download.

3. Send an email to your MP today! Click here to use ARPA’s online resource tools.

Please find below links  to 10 letters that were developed by our provincial office, Alliance for Life Ontario.  These are to support the efforts of MP Stephen Woodworth who has tabled Motion 312 in the House of Commons, calling for the formation of a special committee to review the 400-year-old law regarding the personhood of Canadians and update them with 21^st century science.  MP Brad Trost has joined him in this crusade.

Every letter sent to an MP is considered to represent the views of 100 people.  Spread the word around so lots of people can get on this campaign.

Send a letter every couple of days starting with the oldest developmental picture and work to the 2-7 day picture.

Links:
pregnancy 2-7 Days,     pregnancy Week 4,      pregnancy Week 6 ,     pregnancy Week 8,

pregnancy Week 10,    pregnancy Week 12 ,     pregnancy Week 14 ,    pregnancy Week 18 ,

pregnancy Week 20,     pregnancy Week 24

Here is the address of our MP’s.   There is no postage needed when sent to the House of Commons.

Bev Shipley MP – Lambton-Kent-Middlesex

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Patricia Davidson MP – Sarnia-Lambton

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6

Prime Minister Stephen Harper MP

House of Commons

Ottawa, ON  K1A 0A6