Gruesome anti-abortion pamphlets targeting Conservative MPs make their way into Canadians’ mailboxes

Have you checked your mail today?

If not, you may want to do so very cautiously.

A Calgary-based anti-abortion group is now distributing thousands of flyers — with explicit images of aborted fetuses — to homes located in ridings of Conservative MPs who voted against an abortion bill last September. The private members bill, Bill M-312, would have required a Parliamentary committee to study the point at which a baby becomes a human being.

In each case, the flyers — produced by the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform — include a picture of the MP, a gruesome image of a bloody fetus and message urging residents to contact to their member of parliament "if you are offended by what you see."

To date, 175,000 'postcards' have been distributed in the ridings of Stephen Harper, Michelle Rempel, Bal Gosal, Parm Gill and Rick Dykstra.

If you're one of the 'lucky' 175,000 households, you can view the pamphlet here. (Warning: the images are very disturbing)

[ Related: Minister for the Status of Women Rona Ambrose continues to be widely criticized for voting for abortion motion ]

Last week, the postcards started showing up in the mailboxes of Brampton, Ontario residents — the area which Gosal represents.

"I don't want to ever see that again," Shalini Misir, a constituent of Gosal told the Toronto Star, adding that she still hasn't gotten over 'the bloodied tiny bodies shown on the postcard.'

"Why would people put that in a mailbox? There are so many children in the neighbourhood. I can't imagine what they would be thinking if they saw that in the mailbox."

But the group is making no apologies.

"Less than 1% of those who have received a postcard have contacted us, and all those who have get a phone call back if they desire," Jonathon Van Maren, CCBR's communications director wrote in a blog on their website.

"Yes, many of them angrily ask us why we’re distributing “horrible, gruesome images”—which is why many people are uncomfortable with this project.

"I’m confused here: Our job is to destroy the cultural cognitive dissonance between what we instinctively know about children in the womb and what we societally believe about abortion. People whose default position on abortion is apathy are describing the procedure as “horrible and gruesome,” and are having an emotional reaction to the issue. No, they might not be anti-abortion yet. No, they aren’t too happy that we’ve disturbed their bliss by showing them that abortion is, indeed, horrible and gruesome. But it’s a really good start. Our country has been in darkness on this issue for too long—and when someone throws the light on; your eyes will hurt at first. But when they adjust, you begin to see things you never saw before. Like the fact that abortion is horrible and gruesome."

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CCBR was the same group who, in 2011, was criticized for a series of demonstrations in front of high schools and universities. The "choice chain" campaign involved people standing on public sidewalks holding 3x4-foot signs with pictures of first-trimester aborted babies.

"Our philosophy is if someone is old enough to have an abortion, they’re old enough to see the aftermath of an abortion,” Stephanie Gray, executive director of the group, told the National Post at the time.

Regardless of what side of the 'abortion debate' you're on, however, is this an appropriate means to forward a cause?

Should there not be ethical concerns about haphazardly distributing and showcasing gruesome pictures of aborted fetuses?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

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