Editor’s note. WeNeedaLaw is a Canadian-based pro-life organization.
In all but one of the opinion polls publicly available since 2010, a majority of Canadians support at least some law regulating abortion.
Are Canadians pro-choice?
If you look at the polls that ask whether abortion is permissible (i.e., whether you always support a woman’s choice) the numbers are much closer, with an average of 48% supporting a choice at any point, 46% only supporting sometimes, and 5% unsure.
How can we interpret these results?
With opinion polls it is always important to look at the methodology, what questions are being asked and who is being asked. For example, if you ask the average Canadian their opinions on abortion you must remember that (according to one poll) 77% of Canadians are unaware that Canada has no abortion law.
Saying you support a woman’s right to choose may mean something very different if you are assuming a woman can’t legally have a third trimester abortion.
One poll that illustrates this well is the 2011 Abacus Data poll prepared for the Sun News Network. Canadians were asked, “When do you believe human life should be legally protected?”
Only 22% supported the status quo of “from birth.” But, when asked to select a statement reflecting their views on abortion, 52% chose the most permissive option, supporting “the right of women to make choices about their own bodies.”
This illustrates the difference of being asked “Do you support women?” versus “Do you support the termination of a 24-week old fetus who is viable and can feel pain?” It may feel good to affirm the first question, but uncomfortable when faced with what this means to the pre-born in the second question.
It also seems there is a lack of awareness of what “the right of women to make choices” actually entails in Canada.
Prominent pro-abortion activist Joyce Arthur acknowledges [http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/abortion-polls.shtml]this disconnect, saying, “Virtually everyone supports “freedom” and “privacy,” so a large majority of people will agree that women should have both. But if specific questions are asked about exactly when fetal life should be protected, women’s so-called “complete freedom” to have abortions appears to take a sudden nosedive.”
Abortion becomes far less palatable when you are faced with the reality of what it does to a pre-born human.
If you really want to know your opinion on abortion, consider the following:
1. Do you know that Canada is the only democratic country in the world with no law on abortion?
2. Do you think it’s ok that abortions occur even when the pre-born child is old enough to feel pain, and might be viable outside the womb?
3. Given questions 1 & 2, do you still think any choice should be legal for a pregnant woman to make?
It’s time we acknowledge that abortion is not only about women, but also about pre-born human beings. It’s time for a law that protects them, while supporting the women who carry them.
Editor’s note. This appeared at WeNeedaLaw and is reposted with permission.
Chelsea Garcia is a political writer with a special interest in international relations and social issues. Events surrounding the war in Ukraine and the war in Israel are a major focus for political journalists. But as a former local reporter, she is also interested in national politics.
Chelsea Garcia studied media, communication and political science in Texas, USA, and learned the journalistic trade during an internship at a daily newspaper. In addition to her political writing, she is pursuing a master's degree in multimedia and writing at Texas.
