With the Pope mouthing off about those immoral Canadians (or maybe it's just Canadian MPs of the RC persuasion he's miffed about), it's also appropriate to take note of the campaign certain Canadian right-wing fanatics are planning for this autumn.
"The traditional marriage lobby intends to launch a "15-point lobbying campaign" this month costing "tens of thousands of dollars." They will lobby MPs of all parties on the divisive issue of same-sex marriage, encouraging a vote to reopen the debate.
"We will launch a campaign this fall. The campaign will kick into gear on Sept. 18," said Charles McVety, senior director of the Defend Marriage coalition, an alliance of 13 traditional marriage, family and religious advocacy groups.
"We're going to have a day [in the fall] when we bring leaders, religious leaders, local leaders, political leaders in [Ottawa and] from across the country to meet with their respective MPs. We're also going to have prayer rallies in front of Member of Parliament [constituency] offices across the country. We feel that all the Members need prayer on this issue for or against. We will certainly focus on those who are against marriage, anti-marriage members of Parliament, that's how we phrase it." reports The Hill Times this week.
One wants to sense pleasure in the waste of time and money being poured into the vote on whether to have another vote on same-sex marriage. The vote will almost certainly fail and even if it succeeded, a future Parliamentary vote to repeal same-sex marriage would be rejected in the Senate and by the Supreme Court. But it is also dangerous to predict the future or ignore that things can go terribly wrong in a moment.
Not wanting to be alarmist, the right wingers are organized and have lots of money (much of it coming from the USA). Those defending the Charter of Rights and Freedoms have little money and their organizations were disbanded following the successful campaign to have Parliament ratify same sex marriage. And pity the progressive MPs who support the Charter but who have to endure "prayer" protests outside their offices, even as they prepare for a possible election this fall or early in 2007. Will injunctions to keep the protesters x-hundred metres from the offices be required as they are for the abortion protesters?
Once again, citizens who support the Charter of Rights - not just gay and lesbians who are directly affected by the upcoming vote - need to write and telephone their MP other MPs in their region and let them know rolling back the calendar is not acceptable and will be punished at the next election.
