Hijacking Amnesty's Fake Petitions
Members of Precious Life were outside Stormont Parliament Buildings on Tuesday 22nd November to challenge Amnesty International’s claimed “45,000 strong petition” calling for legalised abortion in Northern Ireland. Green Party Deputy Leader Clare Bailey MLA presented to the Speaker of the Assembly the 45,000 petitions gathered by Amnesty International this morning and was given leave to make a three minute statement on the so-called ‘need’ for a change in the law.
Outside Stormont earlier today, Bernadette Smyth, the director of Precious Life, argued that Amnesty’s claim of a “45,000 strong petition” holds no weight and should not be taken seriously by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“It is important to bear in mind that a person ‘signing’ Amnesty’s online petition is only asked to provide his or her name and email. Anyone from anywhere in the world can put their name to this petition. Clare Bailey MLA presented 45,000 petitions this morning, but how many of these petitions were actually ‘signed’ by Northern Ireland citizens?
“Also, it is disingenuous of Clare Bailey MLA to claim that over 70% of people here want to see abortion laws changed. She is of course referring to Amnesty’s latest survey in which 72% of respondents supported a change in the law, but only 1000 people were asked to take part in the survey! In the words of the late Dr Bernard Nathanson, a former abortionist in the United States who later converted to the pro-life movement, it is a matter of ‘simple arithmetic’: 720 people is not 70% of the population of Northern Ireland.
“Clare Bailey MLA and those in Amnesty International must face the reality that the people of Northern Ireland are opposed to abortion and want every unborn child protected,” said Bernadette Smyth.
Members of Precious Life delivered forty-seven boxes containing over 300,000 pro-life petitions at the foot of the steps of Stormont Parliament Buildings today. Jim Wells MLA and a number of DUP MLAs took time out of their busy schedules to meet with Bernadette Smyth and Precious Life members and to show their support.
“These signed petition postcards and petition sheets were delivered on behalf of the thousands and thousands of people in Northern Ireland who took the time to put pen to paper over the past few years. With real names, real addresses and real signatures, these petitions are real proof of the united and unyielding conviction of the pro-life majority in Northern Ireland that every human being, born or unborn, has an unconditional right to life,” said Bernadette Smyth.
Precious Life will be presenting 300,000 petitions to the Northern Ireland Assembly this Monday on behalf of the pro-life majority in Northern Ireland.
“This will be a powerful reminder to our elected representatives that their voters do not want abortion in Northern Ireland,” concluded Bernadette Smyth.
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