Conservatives seem shocked to see that Ohioans passed Issue 1 on Tuesday, preventing restrictions on abortion access before fetal viability and if the mother’s life is at risk. Pro-life advocates have every right to be saddened, but they shouldn’t be surprised. The passage of the amendment should provide a moment of clarity on the state of abortion in the United States.
The amendment passed with over 56% of the vote, and about 3.8 million cast ballots in this race , according to local news sources. While that’s a large turnout for a nonpresidential year, to put it in perspective, there are nearly 8 million registered voters in Ohio, and 6 million voted in 2020. This means only one-quarter of Ohio’s registered voters passed the referendum, hardly a majority by any stretch.
BIDEN CAMPAIGN TAKES VICTORY LAP ON DEMOCRATIC WINS AFTER POOR POLLING
Still, watching abortion rights groups champion the abortion referendum and succeed is disappointing. They’re applauding the murder of unborn babies, and the ghoulish nature of that is sickening. Even to see “average” Ohioans on board with fewer abortion restrictions than other countries communicates the message that they still believe abortion is necessary and, apparently, morally acceptable.
But conservatives must remember that they hated Roe v. Wade for two reasons: It was a bad ruling, and it is unethical to murder unborn babies. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision changed the former, not opinions on the latter. It returned the debate over abortion to the states, where it always should have been. This was an important step and worthy of celebration, but it in no way created a nation of unabashed pro-lifers overnight.
A simple reversal of bad law did not fundamentally alter approximately 50 years of the mindset that unborn babies are blobs of flesh that can be annihilated if they’re inconvenient. Data confirm this. About 60% of people still think abortion should be legal in most cases. Some polls show support is even higher post-Dobbs. Abortion lies that justify these acts are ingrained in multiple generations of men and women. They will take years, if not decades, to undo.
This has always been and will continue to be the real work of the abortion matter: We must venture to understand who supports abortion and why. The abortion rate in Ohio has steadily declined since 1982, from approximately 46,000 abortions annually to roughly 20,000 abortions in 2020, according to 2020 data . Sixty percent of abortions in 2020 occurred in women between ages 20-29 who were unmarried. It’s possible that if the pro-life movement can continue to make inroads that help single mothers care for unexpected pregnancies, these numbers will start to shift, but it’s not a guarantee. There are already hundreds of pro-life clinics in Ohio trying to bridge this gap. It will take time. We must still unravel abortion lies that are communicated to women from the time they are young.
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The passage of Ohio’s abortion referendum is disappointing, not because it was unexpected, but because there are at least 2 million voters who think abortion until viability is still a woman’s right. This message is not only unethical but also shortchanges women and families. It’s sobering to think so many people still favor any abortion at all, but the message that abortion is a woman’s right is still resounding and persuasive to many.
Pro-life advocates in Ohio and elsewhere shouldn’t give up. A majority of Ohioans didn’t vote for the referendum, but it did pass. That should provide the clarity needed to continue to spread the message that babies aren’t a burden, families are necessary, and women can make better choices for their future.
Nicole Russell ( @russell_nm ) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a mother of four and an opinion columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in Texas.
Ohio's abortion outcome is not so surprising
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08.11.2023
Conservatives seem shocked to see that Ohioans passed Issue 1 on Tuesday, preventing restrictions on abortion access before fetal viability and if the mother’s life is at risk. Pro-life advocates have every right to be saddened, but they shouldn’t be surprised. The passage of the amendment should provide a moment of clarity on the state of abortion in the United States.
The amendment passed with over 56% of the vote, and about 3.8 million cast ballots in this race , according to local news sources. While that’s a large turnout for a nonpresidential year, to put it in perspective, there are nearly 8 million registered voters in Ohio, and 6 million voted in 2020. This means only one-quarter of Ohio’s registered voters passed the referendum, hardly a majority by any stretch.
BIDEN CAMPAIGN TAKES VICTORY LAP ON DEMOCRATIC WINS AFTER POOR POLLING
Still, watching abortion rights groups champion the abortion referendum and succeed is disappointing. They’re........
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