Atlantic Canadians shift views in support of abortion? Not so much.
The Telegram has published the results of a quarterly abortion survey with the screaming headline: “Fewer Atlantic Canadians believe terminations should be banned outright.” The 650-word column refers to the poll’s finding that total opposition to abortion in all circumstance dropped by 1%, from 12% to 11%. The Telegram’s spin is that Atlantic Canadians are therefore becoming more “pro-choice”.
Imagine – such a sweeping conclusion from a percentage drop that was within the polling company’s declared margin of error. That was 2.5% by the way, meaning it’s not a very significant change at all
The same poll reveals that roughly half of Atlantic Canadians believe abortion is only acceptable in the first trimester. Almost a third (31%) said it was acceptable only in cases of rape and incest.
Also conveniently not mentioned in the article, is the fact that based on the three questions asked, 92% of Maritimers either oppose abortion in all circumstances, or believe in restrictions. That means only 8% support abortion-on-demand! It seems to me that the data actually suggests that proponents of abortion-on-demand have not succeeded in moving the needle after all.
After aggressive campaigns by pro-abortion groups in P.E.I throughout the last year and a half, and after Premier Gallant rode into power on a dark horse promising he would remove all obstacles in accessing abortion in New Brunswick, the public has barely shifted in its view that abortion is a serious choice seemingly reflecting a belief that it ends the life of an unborn child... Perhaps Gallant should consider removing all obstacles to accessing crisis pregnancy and adoption services?
Perhaps we can agree that ‘choice’ is in fact an illusion when a woman finds herself in the scary situation of a crisis pregnancy. If the ramped-up activism of 2014 has not significantly changed hearts and minds of those Canadians surveyed, perhaps it’s because selling convenience isn’t really a form of compassion.
And since we know there are lies, damn lies and statistics, perhaps the title of the piece could have been: "Abortion on Demand - the 99% are unmoved".