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I would ask what they are smoking in Ohio, but given the election results tonight, I think it’s fairly obvious.
The results were so overwhelming that the constitutional amendments in Ohio – Issue 1 and Issue 2 on the ballot – were never much in doubt as soon as the results started coming in. Abortion through all nine months is going to be constitutionally legal in the state, along with the legalization of marijuana.
These numbers were nowhere near close.
DDHQ Race Call Update: ✅ pic.twitter.com/jYsImTR0Xb
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 8, 2023
DDHQ Race Call Update: ✅ pic.twitter.com/kShuSoO3Ol
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 8, 2023
Pundits are going to likely be breaking down these numbers and what they mean for Ohio going forward politically, but let’s take a moment to look at the social consequences.
As far as Issue 2 is concerned, marijuana legalization is continuing all across the country as a riskier, more libertarian attitude about controlled substances has been adopted by many. While legal use will be limited to those 21 and older, it never stays that way. Use among teenagers has gone up due to legalization, and there is real concern about the effect the drug has on brain development. As Ohio will learn, the marijuana business is not exactly easy to create and implement, as the drug still is illegal at the federal level, and legislation is still being crafted to even allow these businesses access to banking instiutions. Consequently, the states with legal marijuana shops are usually cash-based – and a hot target for robbery. But Ohio voters have spoken, and they want to join in the fun.
You would think a politically red state like Ohio would have seen Issue 1, which has now amended their constitution to allow for abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, with the sign off of only one doctor determining medical necessity for the mother’s life OR health (with no clarification if that also includes mental health or not), as a bridge too far. Apparently not.
BREAKING: Ohio has passed Issue 1 to allow killing babies in abortions up to birth. But we will never stop fighting to protect the lives of unborn children! https://t.co/G62VmMa7xp pic.twitter.com/X4V4lqTPyu
— LifeNews.com (@LifeNewsHQ) November 8, 2023
We live in a post-Roe country, but apparently people were very comfortable with the idea that abortion was always available to them, even if they never have one themselves. The pro-life movement’s biggest legal success is turning out to be a bigger social struggle among supposedly “red” states than was anticipated. The victory in the courts has not translated well into other victories at the ballot box. Why? It is likely a combination of things that can’t be easily solved or addressed in a single four-year election cycle. Our culture does not respect life at any stage – look at how callously violent society has become – so why would a baby in the womb be respected? We are no longer a people of faith who believe that a baby is a miracle created in the image of God. People who would never get an abortion themselves still want it to be legal for the most extreme cases – think of the ten year old girl in Ohio last year who was raped and became pregnant, and then her story was used by abortion advocates to prove why abortion needed to remain legal, even though there was obvious child abuse and potential illegal immigration issues at play. Were Ohio voters still thinking of this little girl’s sad story when they went to the ballot box?
The pro-life movement nationwide needs a full reset. Passing heartbeat laws is all well and fine and good, but this constitutional amendement in Ohio is a giant blot that cannot be ignored. Those who care about life in the womb need to start being those who care about life outside of the womb as well. Overturning Roe v. Wade was necessary, but it didn’t change hearts and minds. This is going to be the work of generations, and the pro-life movement needs to diversify their attention beyond the legal and into the practical. If a state like Ohio can vote for this constitutional amendment in these numbers, then we need to roll up our sleeves and get back to work, because this is a moral failure that won’t be easily solved.
Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click
Chad King says: This really isn’t that hard to understand. Whether Republicans agree with them or not, a majority of Americans want abortion to be readily available during the early months of pregnancy. Rather than adopting a European model of freely available abortion in the first trimester, the Republicans have tried to outlaw abortion entirely. Given the choice between no abortion or unlimited abortion, most Americans will vote for unlimited abortion rights (see the past couple of elections–in red, blue, and purple states alike). The smart course of action would be to pass laws giving broad access to abortion in the first trimester (but requiring parental consent for minors) and limiting access thereafter to saving the life of the mother. But no. The zealots won’t be satisfied with anything short of banning abortion entirely. How’s that going for you?
Until the Republicans wake up, they’ll continue to lose elections. Abortion falls about the same place as climate change on my list of things I care about. Maybe we should focus on out-of-control government spending, government intrusion into every aspect of our lives, a corrupt ruling class, and Democrats trying to replace the market economy that made our country to the wealthiest in the world with socialism. Once we’ve fixed these problems, the pro-life zealots can try to ban aboution entirely (good luck with that).
A reader says: *breathes*
Oh this is so, so cute. You mean advocating for bounties to be put on women’s heads or women to be arrested for crossing state lines didn’t work out for you? Whoever would have thought that the “personal freedoms” crowd would find themselves losing when people demand personal bodily autonomy!
Aside from the fact that abortions do not happen up to the point of birth and third trimester abortions are rare, you seem to think that dictating to others what they do with their bodies is your job. It’s not. It is agonizing for women to decide to have a late term abortion. It is awful for a woman to carry her rapist’s baby. The foster system is overwhelmed and people like this author aren’t exactly running out and adopting, are they? Ergo, having the right to decide when and if you carry a fetus— which contrary to what the ladies here seem to think, can and has literally killed women, even in 2023– is viewed as fundamental. Will most people have an abortion? Probably not. But they want the option, because they, unlike this author, actually give a damn about the women they know and aren’t waiting until tragedy strikes their families or friend circles to do so.
Take note: abortion will be on the ballot in 2024 whether Republicans like it or not and they will likely lose again when it is. One would think that would be a message to change course but it will likely be ignored by the self-righteous, it can’t/won’t ever happen to me or my family and friends crowd.
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