On Tuesday, voters in Ohio enshrined a ârightâ to abortion in the state constitution. It is a crushing result for the right to life and rips the glow off the momentous 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade (the 1973 decision that legalised abortion on demand across the US).
Issue 1, which passed on Tuesday, effectively allows abortion on demand up to birth in Ohio. 57% of voters backed the clause, with 43% opposing it. As a result, the pro-life law in Ohio that came into force following the Dobbs Supreme Court ruling now falls. For as long as the new provision remains in the Ohio Constitution, itâs going to be extremely difficult for pro-life supporters to limit the excesses of what the pro-abortion side unleash.
Predictably, the mainstream media are having difficulty containing their excitement with the result and are thoroughly misrepresenting how it came about. The truth is that fear and money produced the result - with most of the outrageous fear mongering coming from the media themselves, along with more than $35 million in out of state funding that was used to pay for ads filled with lies and deceit.
Opinion polls before Tuesdayâs vote showed that a majority of voters were in favour of the clause being enshrined in the state constitution but itâs also clear that voters were oblivious to what the proposal actually entailed. When voters in Ohio are polled on abortion and questioned about the kinds of restrictions theyâd like to see, their answers are much more conservative than the result earlier this week would suggest. But the pro-abortion side doesnât care about any of that. They know that for the time being at least a combination of big money and fear filled ads is enough to dupe voters into voting for pretty much anything they put on the ballot. With no shame, they then turn around and claim the result represents a sea change in public attitudes towards abortion.
The US pro-life movement is currently experiencing a very similar onslaught to what happened in Ireland prior to the 2018 abortion referendum, where the media closes ranks in favour of abortion, shields the pro-abortion side from having to defend the outlandish claims they make, all the while going to extraordinary lengths to censor the pro-life message from reaching voters.
Grappling with the dishonest and underhand way the media functions is the most important issue facing the pro-life movement globally. Pro-lifers in the US are a formidable and astute group of people. They can certainly recover from what just happened in Ohio but they need to pay urgent and particular attention to stopping the same playbook being deployed coast to coast across America in 2024, that could result in equally extreme and deceitful pro-abortion provisions passing in state after state, on the same day as the Presidential Election. Thereâs no way the pro-life side will be in a position to outspend abortion advocates with slick TV ads but where they can score big is in exposing the lies and deceit being used to sway voters in a particular direction. If the pro-abortion side is challenged with enough force over their fear mongering and dishonesty, the tide can be turned. Ultimately thatâs how the pro-abortion side is going to lose. They can only defend their lie for so long until the truth eventually wins out. The decisions we make and the strategies we employ will have a big impact though in hastening or slowing down that day.Â
The pro-life movement in the US achieved a magnificent and historic victory in overturning Roe v Wade. We wish them every success in the coming year as the pro-abortion side through subterfuge and smokescreens seeks to embed even more extreme abortion laws than existed heretofore.
In reply to a parliamentary question tabled by independent TD Carol Nolan, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the policy recommendations of the UNâs Human Rights Council âare not legally bindingâ and that "each Department determines what action may need to be taken on foot of such recommendations.â
The UNâs Universal Periodic Review has often been used to lobby countries to conform with very extreme abortion policies. Irelandâs abortion policy has been critiqued by other countries and liberal NGOs for not being pro-abortion enough, with the World Health Organisationâs abortion guidelines being pointed to as the âgold standardâ.
The recently completed three-year review of the abortion law (which produced a report based on cherry-picked evidence), the author leaned heavily on the WHOâs extreme recommendations as a template for Ireland to adopt. These guidelines are extreme and far out of step with any country in the world perhaps with the exception of Canada. Its proposals include: the removal of all gestational limits, enabling brutal 9-month abortions; the full decriminalisation of abortion, which would legalise âback street abortionsâ and not require an abortionist to even follow any standards of medical competency; the removal of all mandatory waiting periods; the erosion of freedom of conscience, effectively forcing doctors and medics to participate in the abortion process against their will.
When pro-abortion advocates in Ireland cite the findings of âinternational human rights bodiesâ like the UNâs Human Rights Council to bolster their case for making Irelandâs abortion law even more extreme, it should be recognised that weâre under no obligation to follow the advice of such bodies. In fact, criticism should be levelled against many of these recommendations, which are not at all rooted in advancing human rights.
Our Pro Life Campaign Annual Fundraising Auction 2023 is LIVE!
Bid on items you love until 10pm sharp on the 18th of November!
We are delighted to announce our 2023 Pro Life Campaign Annual Fundraising Auction is NOW LIVE! We have a fantastic range of auction items this year, along with a superb raffle with the chance to win great prizes. Â
Register now and you will be able to see the items on offer:Â
 With the Oireachtas returning, it presents a perfect opportunity to approach your local TDs and Senators and urge them to reintroduce some humanity into the debate on abortion. The Three-Year Review, a seriously flawed process which produced a one-sided and extreme report, will be considered by politicians in the autumn. Itâs important that we take action now.
We have produced a quick and easy Virtual Postcard for you to sign, which will automatically send an email to your local TDs. Use the button below to navigate into your county on our website and find your constituency.
Itâs also important to have meetings with your TDs. These can be as simple as dropping into your local TDâs advice clinic to outline your concerns. Click below to register to lobby your local TDs. Donât worry â weâll help you every step of the way with advice on making the appointment to points you might consider raising.
We are heartened by the number of people actively involved and interested in meeting their politicians to express their views. The People Before Profit Bill which regrettably passed at 2nd stage of the DĂĄil on 31st May must also be countered. Even the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said this Bill goes far beyond the recommendations of the Three-Year Review â which are already extreme in their own right.
It is crucial to engage with our politicians and remind them not to overlook the referendum promises. We need to fight to ensure our abortion policy is aimed at reducing the abortion rate.
Please take a moment to get involved in the Humanity Campaign. Remember even the smallest effort will make a big difference.
We are putting out a call for anyone in possession of any documents, photographs, correspondence, etc. relevant to the Irish pro-life movement throughout the decades. We are particularly keen to receive anything in your possession related to periods such as the 1983 referendum. A comprehensive history of the pro-life movement is yet to be written, but the historians of the future will need primary sources. We are asking for people to get in touch with the Pro Life Campaign if they possess such material (no matter how old or dusty!) to ensure it is preserved now and not lost to the ages.Â
Vital Signs is the e-newsletter of the Pro Life Campaign. This email is to update you on what we have been working on recently, including news stories, project updates, and details of upcoming events. If you want to get in touch with us please do so by emailing [email protected]
