|
Are you prepared to vote for the voiceless this November?
We are called to be faithful stewards of the opportunities entrusted to us, including the privilege of participating in national, state, and local elections. Though it seems like every election is contentious lately – this election year is shaping up to be especially contentious. And yet, according to Pew, 36% of eligible voters did not vote in 2024. We have a responsibility to make our voices heard. If you are eligible to vote, make sure that you are registered, prepared, and that on (or before) election day you take the time to vote. When you do, vote pro-life. GCRTL does not endorse candidates at this time, but in the weeks and months to come, we will be sharing some candidates and resources with you. But before we get to that, we wanted to give you some updates and reminders that might be helpful. For Ohio’s November 3, 2026, General election, the deadline to register to vote or update your registration (if you have moved, changed names, etc) is Monday, October 5. You can register online through the Ohio Secretary of State or find additional election information online. Ohio also offers early in-person voting at your county board of elections before Election Day and any registered voter can request an absentee ballot by mail. If you choose to vote in person – either during early voting or on Election Day, you must present an acceptable photo ID, such as a valid Ohio driver’s license or state ID, a passport or passport card, US military or National Guard ID, or a Department of Veterans Affairs ID. Young people should also remember that if you will turn 18 years old on or before November 3rd, you may register to vote before your 18th, provided they are otherwise eligible to vote. Lastly, consider talk to your pastor or priest about if it is appropriate to honor both faithful citizenship and the 250th Birthday of the U.S. with a voter registration drive!
0 Comments
This week brings two heavy memorials to mind. The first is September 11th. It is a day that is heavy on my heart. Like so many, I have vivid memories of that day, a college senior sitting in Econ class and watching the news. For many years, I have made it a practice to visit the Memorial at the Ohio Statehouse and walk to my church for some time in prayer.
I’ve mostly stayed off of social media, as others have much more poignant things to say. That changed a few years ago when a friend visiting the NYC memorial sent me a photograph of the memorial where etched into the stone depicting the names of the victims were the words “and her unborn child.” Those words actually occur 11 times. Ten times for the victims of the Twin Towers and once for a victim of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. When I was sent that photograph, I had been working in the faith based and pro-life community for some time. But it resonated on a few levels. What has stuck with me is that arguably the most identifiable memorial in the United States specifically recognizes the humanity of the unborn child. It is a moment of clarity in a world clouded by confusion. It is a small step to make the invisible victim visible. The second memorial is September 12th, the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children. It is a day set aside since 2013 to pray at gravesites where aborted children have been buried and memorials dedicated to the children lost to abortion. It is intended not only to mourn children lost to abortion, but to offer hope and healing to mothers, fathers, grandparents and others affected by abortion. There is something powerful about visiting a physical memorial or a gravesite. Here in Central Ohio we do not have any gravesites set aside for the victims of Abortion listed on the national page for public remembrance, but we do have a number of places where those children are permanently remembered.
Abortion seeks to destroy the humanity of the unborn child, and it leaves behind survivors who are in need of help, hope, and healing. This week, remember the unborn victims that our culture has tried to make invisible. Their lives were brief, but their humanity never diminished or defeated. As Ohio courts continue to interpret the impact of the 2023 abortion amendment, there are two recent decisions to keep in mind.
On August 20th, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously dismissed a challenge brought by Trumbull County Judge David Engler. Engler questioned if the constitutional amendment was being applied in a way that eliminated the judicial bypass process for minors seeking abortions. The case was novel in its approach, with Judge Engler arguing that anecdotal evidence regarding the number of minors seeking judicial bypass in his court violated a key check to the law provided by the judiciary. The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the case. This dismissal does not likely give any insight into how the larger legal fights over the Amendment will play out. A separate challenge remains pending in Butler County, and other cases continue to work their way through Ohio courts, including the state’s 24-hour waiting period, telehealth and other abortion pill restrictions, and even requirements related to the disposition of fetal remains. We’ll talk about the fallout over the abortion pill case further below. On August 21, Ohio’s First District Court of Appeals issued a decision in Women’s Med Dayton v. Vanderhoff, a case involving state regulation of abortion-providing ambulatory surgical facilities. The court allowed the underlying constitutional challenge to continue and upheld, with limits, an order requiring Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff to be deposed regarding licensing and variance decisions. The abortion clinics allege that Ohio has applied its regulatory discretion in a discriminatory manner toward facilities that perform abortions. Recent Ohio Court decisions have tended to focus on procedural questions: who has standing, which questions move forward, who can be deposed, and which laws will be enforced or enjoined while the litigation moves forward. It can be very frustrating, because the fallout from those decisions is very real. Real lives hang in the balance. The abortion industry propped up their campaign with the false rhetoric that it would be protecting the status quo in Ohio, but it has actually been the radical expansion we predicted. There is nothing that showcases this like the abortion rate and policy over the abortion pill. Prior to Issue 1, the abortion pill had to be administered in person, by a licensed physician who would report severe side effects that hurt women and provide full informed consent at least 24 hours prior before starting the pill. Those requirements are all suspended pending various legal cases post Issue 1. The most recent fallout has been the serious complication reports which were reported to the State Medical Board. These reports, which had no patient identifying information, were public records that we were able to publish. They provided important information over the years that we have been able to review to identify concerning patterns, ensure women had accurate information, and file complaints against abortion providers who were flouting the law. A Judge has now blocked the requirement to issue these reports. This is not a pre-Dobbs status quo, it does nothing to help protect and advance the rights of women, and it certainly harms babies. It leaves us completely unable to educate the policymakers of Ohio – in this case the voters, about the consequences of what they voted into our Constitution. All of this comes at a time when medication abortion is rapidly becoming dominant. At the federal level, mifepristone is once again receiving significant scrutiny. A federal lawsuit brought by states seeking to challenge FDA expansion of the death drug, including changes leading it to be delivered by mail and evade what legal protections still exist in Ohio, was recently paused until December 1, 2026, or until the FDA completes a safety review. According to ODH monthly reports, more than 5000 abortions were reported in June and July. About 3200, or 64%, were medication abortions. These are just the ones that are being reported. We are on track for 30,000 abortions to happen in Ohio, a number we have not seen in Ohio for nearly 20 years. How does that make you feel? Are you shocked? Do you grieve? Does it anger you sufficiently to move you to action? It should. Response is not optional. Our response at GCRTL takes the form of prayer, education, and advocacy. 40 Days for Life and our several advocacy trainings are great places to start. We are also expanding our educational programming on Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). We’ve partnered with PDHC to provide a joint training to the community, and they are scheduling quickly (we can only accommodate a few more in 2026, and our 2027 books are open). This program will help you to understand how the abortion pill regimen works, what women may experience, and what options may be available when a woman changes her mind after taking the drug. If someone asked you – would you know what to do? We also have a growing collection of educational and outreach resources available for you to use, including Spanish language materials. If you speak Spanish or another language in use in our community and are willing to help us with translation, presentation, or outreach skills – we have a role for you. These programs are optimal to bring to your church or school and compliment programs such as the USCCB’s recent national initiative focused on stopping the spread of the abortion pill. Lawsuits. Laws. Federal debates at the FDA. These may all seem far away or distant or insurmountable. But the truth is that you can have more of an impact that you think. This is no longer niche work in the movement. It is the work of the movement, and you can impact it today. |
RSS Feed
|
DONATE TO OUR MISSION
Your donation will directly help promote and protect the dignity of all human life through prayer, education, and activism at the local level.
|
Sign up for Emails from UsGet timely and important information from GCRTL by joining our signup. We never sell, trade, or share your information.
|
Frequently Searched For |
Greater Columbus Right to Life | 4900 Reed Rd, Ste 200 | Columbus, Ohio 43220 | 614-445-8508