2008 was an exceptional year. Here’s the way I see it:
December 2007: ProWomanProLife starts up. We work on mottos and mission and setting up the site. Over new year’s last year we pulled together colour schemes and the photo we would use, settling on our mountain woman because of the view into the distance: We want to call women to see the beauty of life in the long term, not in a short term crisis situation.
January 2008: PWPL begins posting, a soft launch
January 14, 2008: PWPL launches publicly in time for the anniversary of the Morgentaler decision on January 28. We hit many major mainstream media outlets, including Canada AM with Vicki Saporta, a representative of the pro-abortion lobby.
Brigitte and I publish this piece in the Citizen, and Cyril Doll does a really nice write up about the PWPL team here. I also do a debate on TVO.
The initial team included Dr. Sheryl Alger, Teresa Fraser, myself, Brigitte Pellerin, Raji Shankar and Rebecca Walberg—January we welcomed Patricia Egan.
February 2008 we welcomed Véronique Bergeron to the blogging team, who brings us funny stories from, well, life in general.
Back in February we worked to make people aware that Morgentaler might be chosen for the Order of Canada.
We highlighted double standards with posts like this and this.
And did even more media, here and here.
In March, a post on tokophobia brought more letters and response than any other post, to that point, much to my surprise.
And we also found funny stuff, on how doctors choose Camel cigarettes above all others. (Who says the culture can’t change? We are all anti-choice in some regards—and pro-choice in others, that’s why I never get my knickers in a knot over terminology. Yes, I am anti-choice when the choice isn’t one, namely when it means taking a life and ruining part of your own in the process.)
On March 17, both Véronique and I, coincidentally, had letters in the Ottawa Citizen, here. And we welcomed Tanya Zaleski to the team, which is where we are at today: Nine women of different backgrounds, from different parts of the country and with different faiths—or no faith at all, discussing why we are pro-life. (One of my favourite accusations is that we are “over-educated”. Is that supposed to be an insult?)
In April I noted that when Rebecca Walberg blogs less, it’s generally because she’s busy being published in a host of other daily newspapers.
And we highlighted the racist and radical tendencies of Planned Parenthood.
(Something we’ll never shy away from discussing is how Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margaret Sanger, was a fan of racial eugenics. Also learned recently she believed birth control, not abortion, was the best way to get rid of society’s “unwanted”—that’s a fact I aim to check and check again, so I’ll get back to you when I have confirmation.)
We tried, and will continue to try to understand the legal environment for the unborn in Canada with posts like this one,
and we offered full financial support to a woman considering abortion. (I later learned she miscarried.)
May: We continued to highlight the ongoing saga of infringing on freedom of speech at Canadian universities and how feminism devoid of any values is bad for women.
We also noted how Planned Parenthood Ottawa likes to throw their weight around, denying others, ironically, the choice of where to donate their money.
In May, the debate in the UK over assisted reproduction and just generally meddling in how humans come about heated up and it was around this time, too, that the Bill C-484 stuff got started in Canada.
May also brought more reports of double standards… here.
And we asked the question of why abortion was strictly a “woman’s right” when even Planned Parenthood used to think differently.
In June someone on the Hill got their knickers in a knot over a “Defend Life” poster in the window
And as far back as June, we began highlighting that President-elect Obama is pro-abortion.
(We’ll certainly always be here to highlight what happens when abortions go wrong!)
July 2008: PWPL issued a press release condemning the decision to honour Morgentaler with an Order of Canada. Canada Day long weekend, we tracked what was happening, confirmed the rumour was true and ensured alongside other diligent pro-life groups that the Governor General’s office would not be able to do this in secrecy, which was their intent. (Most Canadians were camping, or by a lake somewhere. I usually am too; it was sheer luck that I was around to take this up. Never spent a better Canada Day weekend. Well, let me rephrase: I never spent a more meaningful Canada Day weekend.)
We did again, a bunch of media interviews—CFRA radio, CTV Newsnet.
In August, this woman Sarah Palin emerged on the scene, and PWPL supported her for being a strong, courageous pro-life politician. (And yes, I personally still do support her. In whatever she chooses to do.)
In August we finally changed the comments section (long time coming!)
And the APA released their report on abortion and mental health.
In September we highlighted how the only woman in jail in Canada the result of abortion is a pro-lifer and I spoke to UofT students.
There was this piece in the Post and the Heather Mallick commentary controversy erupted. Then another piece in the Post.
October brought more strong pro-life women emerging publicly and lots and lots of US election coverage.
In November we looked again to the limitations on free speech at Canadian campuses and enjoyed another vintage Véronique post, here on access denied–to a hot stone pedicure, that is.
Finally, in December Rod Bruinooge broke onto the scene, three cheers–could it really be that a Canadian politician could be so strong and courageous?
and, of course, PWPL won Best New Blog at the Canadian Blog awards. End result of that: we ended 2008 with quadruple the daily visitors—maybe more.
All in all, It’s been a fun ride, folks. Thanks to all the PWPL team—those who are loud and vocal posting all the time, and those who provide behind the scenes support of different kinds too. Thanks to Brigitte for being loud and vocal, providing behind the scenes support and very hands-on technical support and site design/improvements too.
And a big, very big thank you to those who read us, vote for us and forward us different places. Supporters and opponents alike.
Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a very good time to be pro-life and a very bad time to be pro-choice. We stand now at a crossroads and change is in the offing. I have nothing but a positive feeling on how this culture will move on abortion. The very brittle pro-abortion status quo will fall. Question is when and how? And I look forward to finding out. Happy New Year!
by 
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