With that being said, among all of the people gathered on Parliament Hill yesterday, there was a renewed sense of energy; with lots of optimism, hope and joy. Igniting praise among those who attended, Ottawa’s mayor Jim Watson signed a proclamation declaring May 12 as "Respect for Life Day." In the many conversations I had with people yesterday, a common theme stood out amongst all of them, that being, Stephen Harper and the newly elected Conservative majority government. Sister Lisette Romero, a professed member of the Sisters of Our Lady Immaculate, left Cambridge, Ontario at 3:30 a.m. to get to Ottawa. She believes that the Pro-life movement can’t be ignored for much longer. Despite Stephen Harper’s promise that he will not re-open the debate on Abortion, many who took part in the Rally on Parliament Hill, including both speakers and students, are optimistic that Harper and a wave of new MP’s will look a little deeper and take up the opportunity to become more engaged and enlightened on the rights of the unborn. This hotly-contested debate on abortion has once again re-ignited and it is becoming more apparent that Harper and our recently elected officials can not “back-burn” this issue any longer. It’s time that we bring this to the forefront of parliament and have a national discussion, once again. As we look ahead, we should pray for our newly elected members of parliament with a renewed sense of optimism, hope and joy. Through the intercession of Blessed John Paul II, we pray that God will keep our land, glorious and free.