Courtney McGrailNext month’s national pro-life gathering takes place at an absolutely critical time for unborn babies and their mothers, writes Cora Sherlock
Abortion campaigners and key members of the new Government have their minds set on stripping away the only remaining constitutional protection from the unborn child.
They know the proposed Citizens’ Assembly on abortion is not about taking an honest look at the issue. In truth, it is about nothing more than paving the way for a referendum to tear apart the Eighth (Life Equality) Amendment.
But abortion advocates also know they don’t stand a chance of winning a referendum if the public are afforded the opportunity to hear the amazing stories about the lives saved as a result of the Eighth Amendment.
That’s where each one of us comes in. The ‘Celebrate the Eighth’ event on Saturday, June 4 in Dublin is a hugely important public get-together focussing on everything that is good about the Eighth Amendment. The size of the turnout will be an indicator of the pro-life resolve that exists in defeating the radical pro-abortion agenda.
The afternoon event which takes place on Dublin’s Molesworth Street, right next to the Dáil, will feature incredible pro-life stories of hope and survival, from home and abroad – stories that will give renewed confidence to pro-life people to speak up for the Eighth Amendment.
The keynote speaker, Melissa Ohden, was born alive after a failed abortion. Instead of receiving specialised care she was tossed away with discarded medical waste. A nurse heard her crying and intervened to save her life. Today, Melissa has a Master’s Degree in Social Science and is a care worker.
Pressured
The event will also feature stories of children who were saved by the Eighth Amendment and families who felt pressured to go down the road of abortion but decided not to.
When people say “what’s the point of yet another pro-life event?”, remind them about the annual March for Life in Washington DC that started in 1974, the year after abortion was introduced in the US. The impact of this annual pro-life get-together has been immense for helping the movement remain focussed and this focus has helped to turn the tide against abortion, as is happening in the US right now.
Among the countries attacking Ireland’s life-saving Eighth Amendment at the UN hearings in Geneva last week were Canada and Denmark. In Canada, their own official figures show that over a 10-year period starting in 2000, 491 babies who survived botched abortions were abandoned by medical staff in Canada and left to die alone in the corners of hospitals.
In the case of Denmark, it has set a goal to create a Down Syndrome free Denmark by 2030. I think it’s fair to say these countries are in no position to lecture Ireland on human rights or how best to protect human life.
Abortion advocates want us to feel embarrassed and cowed by the relentless attacks on the Eighth Amendment. Instead we need to find the courage to speak up and defend this wonderful life-saving provision, before it is too late.
The way to answer the unfairness in the debate at present is to turn out in even bigger numbers at pro-life events. We are counting on you to make every effort to be present in Dublin on Saturday, June 4 and to encourage as many friends and family members to also attend.
It will be a great day and if people turn up in sufficient numbers, it will mark a turning point for the movement in the effort to protect the Eighth Amendment and preserve a culture of life in Ireland.
Cora Sherlock is a spokesperson for the Pro Life Campaign. The ‘Celebrate the 8th’ event takes place from 3-4pm on Saturday, June 4, on Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.
