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Abolish abortion top wish on CBC list |
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Written by Deborah Gyapong, Canadian Catholic News
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Tuesday, 19 June 2007 |
 OTTAWA - When the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) set up a Facebook group on the Internet called The Great Canadian Wish List , perhaps no one could have predicted that Abolish Abortion in Canada would rise to first place almost from the very start.
Facebook.com is the latest Internet phenomenon. The web site allows people to connect, join networks and start and join groups. Members can upload photos, music and videos.
The CBC jumped on the bandwagon, sponsored the group and called on Canadians to post their wishes for Canada’s 140th birthday. It will announce the winning wish on July 1, Canada Day.
As of June 18, the “Abolish Abortion in Canada” wish had more than 4,200 votes, with “I wish that Canada would remain pro-choice” in second place, almost 1,000 votes behind early in the day but steadily gaining as the day went on.
Dave Gilbert, a Wilfred Laurier University student, launched the pro-life wish to “redeem the humanity of the preborn child.”
Gilbert’s wish’s soaring to top spot has been featured in some news stories, including one on CBC television news.
Meanwhile, both sides of the abortion debate are doing heavy recruiting to make sure their wish wins. On June 18, the pro-choice crowd added 700 votes to their cause, steadily gaining on the pro-life wish.
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition executive director Alex Schadenberg sent out an alert June 18 announcing that a coalition member had set up a group to support a new wish “Keep Euthanasia Illegal.”
Facebook has exploded on the Canadian scene in recent weeks. News outlets have used Facebook profiles to find out information about murder suspects. Politicians are using Facebook to stay in touch with voters and journalists are using Facebook to gain access to the profiles of politicians.
Originally targeting university campuses, Facebook has attracted millions of people, including almost three million Canadians. Ottawa alone has nearly 150,000 members and in Toronto there are almost 650,000 members.
Catholic groups abound, including one for the 2008 Eucharistic Congress in Quebec, and one designed specifically to pray for Archbishop Terrence Prendergast, who will be installed as the archbishop of Ottawa July 26. There is also a group for The Catholic Register’s Youth Speak News group.
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Deborah Gyapong, Canadian Catholic News |
| About the author: |
| Deborah Waters Gyapong has been a journalist and novelist for more than 20 years. She has worked in print, radio and television, including 12 years as a producer for CBC TV's news and current affairs programming. She currently covers religion and politics primarily for Catholic and Evangelical newspapers.
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