Great News for Florida, Tragic News for Ohio
In a recent New York Times article, the headline proclaimed:
Florida Abortion Ban to Take Effect, Cutting Off Major Access Point
The state has dozens of clinics that serve tens of thousands of women a year, including from across the Southeast. The six-week ban will require most to travel much farther.
The article goes on to describe the Florida bill, the Heartbeat Protection Act (HPA), that went into effect on May 1, and which increases protections for the preborn after six-weeks, as opposed to the state’s previous 15-week rule. The HPA initially became law in April 2023 when signed by Governor Ron DeSantis. The Florida Supreme Court had issued a decision that abortion is not a given right under the Constitution. That decision was key in upholding the 15-week law, and only a month later, proved relevant to the six-week law.
What great news for Florida and what great news for LIFE!
Florida is the third-largest state by population. Their 50 abortion clinics provided an estimated 84,000 abortions in 2023. Almost 8,000 of the abortions were for women from outside Florida. Until July 2022, Florida allowed abortions until about 24 weeks.
But, just as their life-saving law takes place, Florida faces a radical abortion amendment in the November 2024 election. Similar to Ohio’s amendment, it is extreme and dangerous and would enshrine abortion in their state Constitution.
Ohio is currently home to 9 abortion facilities with the southern-most baby-beheading business located in Cincinnati, just a few miles from where enslaved people in the 1800’s were shackled and taken back to the south across the Ohio River. Ridiculous? YES! Considering this Planned Parenthood profits from butchering black babies at a rate that diabolically outpaces white babies. This can only be considered modern-day slavery. Right here in the “north.”
So what are we doing to prepare for potential “abortion-birds,” women who travel to Cincinnati from the south to be sold the abortion lie of “healthcare”?
With the loss of Issue 1, and abortion enshrined in our Constitution, coupled with the paralysis in the Columbus Statehouse–Cincinnati Right to Life took action to fight the Ohio injustice. We have created our own “Above Ground Railroad”.
Cincinnati Right to Life has spent the last twenty-four months training Sidewalk Advocates for Life with over one hundred trained, and over thirty vibrant, caring people scheduled two full days weekly in front of our local abortion business. We love and are grateful for these soldiers for life! Soon, we will have three full days of professionally trained advocates speaking truth with love and concern to the frightened families approaching our “modern day slave block,” the Cincinnati abortion business.
We hope, with God’s direction and protection, to have every hour that Planned Parenthood is killing, soon covered with grace-filled truth tellers, ready to provide REAL help to all considering abortion.
There are some other providential and generous plans to serve the women entering this “death zone.” The intentional prayers have increased and the services offered on-site have as well. We are sharing more in a printed letter to known supporters in the next few weeks, but we are keeping these plans, these matters, close to our heart.
We will not be “shouting” our strategy on the internet, only sharing in print with our friends and members. Our actions will, and already are, making an enormous impact for LIFE in Clifton. We found out yesterday that one of the young, frightened mothers we met is expecting a girl this fall! She is beyond grateful for the sidewalk love and listening she received in March, causing her to choose life and cancel her abortion appointment. We were able to direct her to a pregnancy center for continued care. This is just one beautiful example, there are many more.
For now, until our elected officials begin to act and work on legislation that provides equal protection for moms and babies, while also exposing the lie of abortion, then we must save lives one at a time. We must educate more boldly and we must support families in their choice of life.
The three tenants of Cincinnati Right to Life’s mission, EDUCATION, GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM and POLITICAL SUPPORT are all served by our “Above Ground Railroad.”
We humbly ask for your prayers for our efforts. Prayers for our sidewalk advocates, prayers for our staff, and prayers most especially for the moms, dads, and babies we meet are needed. Your continued support in a post-Issue 1 Ohio is sustaining the pro-life work in the Buckeye State as we face becoming an abortion travel destination.
