Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Campaigning a cause on TV


This caught my eye. The Canadian government has allowed a church group to run a pro-life, anti-abortion advertisment titled, "Everyone Against Abortion, Please Raise Your Hand”, on a local TV channel. The video shows an adult hand clutching a hand that belongs to an aborted baby...the message is strong...a life has been truncated when there were many alternative choices.

Would it be possible to buy media advertisment space for a religious cause in Singapore? Afterall, we only have one official media station/company and their declared interests are that of national interests. It would be tricky. Would the financial might of the various stakeholders/camps be crucial in deciding whose views gets publicise more? Or who gets more supporters? It is also interesting that Focus on the Family have had their "advertisements" publicised in the TODAY newspapers several times (but I guess not explicitly stating their stance on issues).

At the end of day, are advertisments strong enough to sway one's moral viewpoints? Or is it a matter of getting people aware of certain issues and presenting a counter argument? Would we be mature enough to take such a debate public? Obviously, in the West, they have been thru a long process of civil activism, they have debated/protested long and hard over sensitive issues and they numerous TV channels where different camps and promote their cause. But, I am of the view that, even if we do it differently here, it is crucial to get our stance and opinions in public.

In our current society where moral standards and values seemed to be a constant flux, it seems inextricably difficult to get good positive message across. And I guess one way we can reach out to people is thru the channels where we can find them, i.e. TV, Internet, Facebook, Blogs etc. If we don't, the battle is only ours to lose. In our small ways, we can be the salt and light of the Lord.

===================================================================

Canadian group airing pro-life ad on local TV station

Kelowna Right to Life is running a pro-life video ad entitled “Everyone Against Abortion, Please Raise Your Hand” on the local TV station, CHBC, starting today, reports LifeSiteNews.com.

The ad features what the local media is calling a "graphic anti-abortion image" of adult fingers holding the outstretched hand of a baby killed by abortion.

"This is the hand of a child that was aborted," the ad says, "Let us mourn for these children. May our hearts be broken enough for God to enter and stir us to action to defend their lives."

Kelowna Right to Life executive director Marlon Bartram said the airing of the advertisement, which was created by Priests for Life in New York, will likely mark the first time a body part from an aborted child has been shown on television in Canada.

"I am sure there will be people saying that the ads should not be allowed to be run on TV," he told LSN, saying "there is nothing the pro-abortion side would like better than to prevent people from seeing these ads."

However, CHBC's new director, Derek Hinchliffe, told The Province that the ad has been approved by the Television Bureau of Canada. "It has met with their approval, so if we were to say, ‘No, we're not going to run it,’ we would have been offensive," he said.

Bartram said he hopes the ad will show the truth about abortion and encourage people to react in the same manner as people have reacted to the disturbing images of the Haitian earthquake aftermath .

"This is similar to what has been happening since the earthquake in Haiti two weeks ago," Bartram said in a Kelowna News report. "We've been bombarded with images, very real images of what's been happening there. It's hard to look at, but it's important to get the truth out there so we can react appropriately."

Bartram told LSN that the "Raise Your Hand” ad is one of several the group is funding that are aired in rotation and will be broadcast for as long as Kelowna Right to Life has the funds to pay the fees.


No comments:

Post a Comment