On August 8, Ohio voters went to the polls in a special election. On the ballot was Issue Number 1 which would raise the threshold for voter approval of amendments to the Ohio constitution. Currently, a majority of ballots cast is required for passage of amendments. Issue Number 1 would have raised the threshold for adoption to 60%, a much steeper mountain to climb. It seems that the principal objective of this proposal was to make it more difficult to pass proposed future amendments to the constitution. This November, Buckeye voters will vote on the enshrinement in that document of the right to abortion. Supporters of Issue 1 stated that they merely sought to block non-Ohio sources from interfering in Ohio elections. In any event, Ohio, a very red state, voted 57% to 43% to defeat the proposal; the simple majority threshold will be retained.
A number of states have aggressively moved to limit abortion rights since the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs which overturned the long-standing Roe v. Wade decision. This controversial decision returned the status of abortion to the individual states. Some states have restricted abortion after as little as six weeks of pregnancy, a time when many women may not yet realize that they are pregnant. Votes in some states have indicated that the majority of voters do not favor the Dobbs decision and their state legislatures and governors are acting to limit their reproductive rights. In an earlier post (A Warning to Republicans and Democrats) this blog cautioned both parties to move to the center and for the GOP to drop its strident opposition to abortion and for the Democrats to stop their class warfare. I do not for a moment pretend that this blog has any influence but that does not detract from the validity of the thesis that it proposes. In November 2024, the entire House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate and the Presidency will be up for grabs. This nation faces more important issues and challenges and it does not serve us to have abortion as the decisive issue. Despite the Dobbs decision, Roe will stand as the law since people will not voluntarily submit to government control and regulation of their private intimate lives. Quite frankly, it is none of the government’s business nor is it any friend, relative, stranger or anyone else’s business but the woman involved. The US tried to intervene and control people’s lives by passing the 18th amendment to the US constitution which established Prohibition. It was almost universally ignored and in 1933 the noble experiment was repealed by the 21st amendment. Attempts to legislate what some people classify as morality have failed miserably. Dobbs will not stand. It will be reversed. The only question is when.
Government intrusion into people’s lives reached its most extreme form in Communist Romania under its tyrannical dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu. He had decided that a great nation needs a great population and thus Decree 770 was issued. It banned abortion in women under age forty, later raised to forty-five and in women with less than five children. Exception was allowed when the health or life of the mother was in danger. The decree was enforced by requiring all women of reproductive age to be examined monthly by a health professional, and if pregnancy was detected, the woman would be under continuous scrutiny to prevent any termination of pregnancy. With the overthrow of the Communist regime the tyrant was quickly executed together with his co-tyrant wife, the decree died with him. Reference is made to this decree simply to indicate to the reader the degree of madness fanatics may be willing to go to enforce their world view.
GOP legislators and potential candidates for office would be wise to recognize that the electorate will not support them on this issue. Unfortunately, the Democrats are still persisting in their class warfare program. All of this augurs badly for the US and its future. It’s time for candidates to have courage to stand for freedom. We are quite willing to support efforts for freedom throughout the world at horrendous costs of blood and treasure. It’s time to step up and stand for freedom at home.
So what does the average American voter want? Nothing more and nothing less than peace and prosperity. Is that too much to ask from our leaders in Washington, the fifty states and its countless cities and towns? I don’t think so. Candidates for offices at all levels would be wise to realize this. November 2024 is less than fifteen months away. Wake up and stand for freedom. Stand for peace and prosperity. Stand for America.
Garry S. Sklar
Maysville, Ky
August 11, 2023
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