On Tuesday, Nov. 7, pro-life Ohioans, and indeed all Ohioans, were handed a defeat in Issue 1. There will be plenty of time for a post-mortem discussion of what went wrong and why. I hope that Ohio’s pro-life and faith leaders, especially those integrally involved with campaign strategy, take that seriously. For my part, I know I will.
But before we get to that, I want to invite you all to take a moment to grieve, for the passage of Issue 1 was a tremendous loss. It is right that we grieve, not just because political loss is tough and emotional, but because the stakes were incredibly high. Ohio suffered a real loss Tuesday night, and the suffering that will result is equally real.
For my part, I want to thank everyone who joined us in prayer, in fasting, in donating, in volunteering, and in voting. Coalition grassroots efforts across the state netted more than 250,000 voter contacts in the past seven weeks. The volunteers organized under Greater Columbus Right to Life were almost 20,000 of those, and that does not include friends and supporters who worked under the administration of other organizations. Or does it count the people who walked with a local political party, dropped literature in their neighborhoods, or stood outside of concerts, games, and other events.
I had the opportunity to work with tremendous partners all over the state, but none as closely as Mark Huddy and Jerry Freewalt of the diocesan Office for Social Concerns and Dr. Michael Parker. Together, we traveled the region, speaking to groups large and small. Each time, I was amazed by the outpouring of faith and the readiness to engage the culture. We also had tremendous partners in The Catholic Times and St. Gabriel Radio.
Over the past few months, we have listened to beautiful personal stories shared by many who stopped into our office to pick up a yard sign. We’ve been moved to learn how someone’s mother chose life or fought for their life in a difficult situation and shed tears with women who thanked us for our work and shared their abortion stories. So many of you shared that you’d never done phone banking or door-to-door, but this was important enough that you gave generously of your time. We’ve had first-time donors and longtime donors and donors big and small, and those donors allowed us to be able to make an impact on not only the election but on the lives of so many we touched.
To each one of you who gave this campaign your all: I am so proud of you, so honored to serve with you, and so sorry that our efforts did not result in victory. So very sorry. This was not the outcome we wanted, or was it the outcome Ohioans deserve. I cannot help but wonder how quickly many will come to regret their “Yes” votes once it becomes apparent how extreme this amendment is.
To those of you for whom this was your first time dipping your toe into pro-life activism: Welcome to the cause, and I hope you keep working with us. I wish I could say that this was an anomaly, but the reality is that pro-life work can be a minefield of heartbreak and disappointment if you make the mistake of thinking that the “win” is the only metric of value. However, the truth of it is that this work is incredibly humbling and heartbreaking. I regularly remind our volunteers of the words from 1 Corinthians 3. It is our job to plant the seeds. God does not demand that we are successful, but he does call us to be faithful. Pro-life work can break your heart, but it will grow and enrich your soul. It will be worth it. None of us will know this side of Heaven the differences we made, but each of us can know that while God has allowed this injustice to continue for a time, He has already conquered every sin, evil, and death.
To those of you who may be looking back with regret that you did not, for whatever reason, get as involved as you wish you had: It is not too late. The need to engage with and advocate on behalf of pregnant women and children is about to dramatically increase. Consider this your invitation to (re)join us on the sidewalk and in our various advocacy efforts. We have 30 days until this Constitutional Amendment becomes effective, and we will continue to adapt and respond as we can. Our team is already meeting with colleagues and elected officials as we prepare to respond, and we will respond.
In every speech or talk I’ve given these last few months, I ended by acknowledging that I didn’t know what would happen on Nov. 7, but I already knew what would happen on Nov. 8. The day after the election, pro-life people across the state woke up with the same steadfast determination to help women and children and families that we have always had. We fought hard because the stakes were high, and we are not shying away from how serious the ramifications of last Tuesday’s vote were. But we are confident that we are fighting a battle that has already been won. Because we know: Love Always Wins.
Beth Vanderkooi is the executive director of Greater Columbus Right to Life.
