The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York

More documents

Recommendations

Info

and the need to extend the law’s protection to the whole human family.” 29 The Lifemobile was a prototype for other similar portable exhibits that would travel around Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and abroad in Australia. 30 Through its education and lobbying efforts, Minnesota’s only (present-day) surviving abortion regulatory law passed that same year with MCCL support; the law requires that only licensed doctors perform abortions, and that a second physician must be present for abortions performed after 20 weeks. 31 Made clear by the fact only one regulatory law remains in effect today in the state of Minnesota, as the 1970s neared a close, MCCL’s statewide achievements began to plateau. Other minor legislation passed, but was often overturned shortly after becoming law. MCCL asserted it “worked hard to ban taxpayer-funded abortions” with pro-life legislative allies and “encourag[ed] them to support the strongest possible prolife language.” 32 A 1978 law banned government funding of abortions statewide, but was reversed in 1995 with the Minnesota Doe v. Gomez decision. Convinced simple local and state group efforts were not enough to enact aggressive change, in 1980 MCCL formed a federal political action committee (PAC), the first anti-abortion/pro-life PAC in the country. The PAC to this day supports pro-life candidates running for federal office. According to MCCL, the PAC “has [also] been instrumental in building the pro-life caucus in the U.S. Congress.” 33 In 1982, MCCL formed a statewide PAC called MCCL Committee for State Pro-Life Candidates to specifically support pro-life candidates in the state of Minnesota. MCCL’s efforts still continue today, and the group occupies the same 29 History of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Pamphlet, page 3, February 1995, MCCL Archives. 30 Ibid. 31 Ibid. 32 MCCL: Forty Years Forty Victories Pamphlet, 12 June 2008, St Paul, MN, MCCL Archives; and History of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Pamphlet, page 3, February 1995, MCCL Archives. 33 History of MCCL Pamphlet, page 4, February 1995, MCCL Archives. 51
physical space in Minneapolis and role as the state’s most vocal and prominent pro-life organization that it has held since the 1970s. The MCCL struggle was one that has turned from a solely state battle, to one that was often fought on national grounds. The 1973 decisions did what over six years of Minnesota pro-abortion lobbying and organization could not. Yet despite the defeat, MCCL enjoyed moderate success and thriving membership in the following decades because its tactics and debate followed the trends set forth by the 1973 decisions; Roe and Doe transformed the abortion debate from one fought on a principally state and nonpartisan level, to one fought largely on a national front and in political debate. Indeed, the 1973 decisions made the abortion debate “a whole new thing,” according to a 1973 Robbinsdale Sun article. 34 State groups like MCCL served as a model for activists in other states, offering direct financial aid and guidance through its Lifemobile and Mission Possible campaigns. Although MCCL as an organization largely maintained its government lobbying efforts on a state level, it also reached nationwide to develop grassroots groups like itself. Therefore, the abortion issue was one that continued on both a national and a grassroots level after the Roe decision. In order to maintain its effectiveness, MCCL successfully adapted its scope as one that was foremost stateoriented, but also remained connected to national groups. MCCL fought at both the state and federal levels in courts and legislatures, and also lent (or often, donated) its most prominent and effective leaders to national organizations MCCL’s founders often created themselves. 34 “Abortion: local reaction to the decision to legalize,” Robbinsdale Sun, 29 January 1973, Box 3, Folder: Newspaper Clippings 1973, Katherine Taylor Wood Papers. 52
Page 1 and 2:
Abortion as a “Medical Problem Br
Page 3 and 4:
Table of Contents Acknowledgements
Page 5 and 6: Abbreviations ACCL - American Citiz
Page 7 and 8: this first neighborhood grassroots
Page 9 and 10: in New York, California, and Colora
Page 11 and 12: is a unique and important one to te
Page 13 and 14: major factors led to MCCL’s victo
Page 15 and 16: Well before Blackmun’s 1972 Mayo
Page 17 and 18: Chapter 1: The Pre-History of the C
Page 19 and 20: practice. The law as it stands is t
Page 21 and 22: would have functioned independently
Page 23 and 24: instances also increased awareness
Page 25 and 26: threat of abortion criminalization
Page 27 and 28: the actions of new twentieth-centur
Page 29 and 30: of the MCLTP. 3 In the early 1970s,
Page 31 and 32: from the Great Depression in its se
Page 33 and 34: underestimated his opponents, as MC
Page 35 and 36: who shared a “communitarian ethic
Page 37 and 38: However, the Council did not offer
Page 39 and 40: issue-based and activist politics f
Page 41 and 42: Blake and Fred Mecklenburg and lobb
Page 43 and 44: yet united front against abortion l
Page 45 and 46: anti-abortion movement, but also be
Page 47 and 48: emerging organizations across the c
Page 49 and 50: the 1970s, and an additional thirte
Page 51 and 52: When news of Roe and Doe broke, MCC
Page 53 and 54: their efforts prior to the decision
Page 55: the part of state groups and create
Page 59 and 60: 58 of them were enacted. 37 Even fo
Page 61 and 62: looms as a menace to all mankind an
Page 63 and 64: War.” 56 President Gerald Ford di
Page 65 and 66: the 1976 Republican Party Platform,
Page 67 and 68: should be noted that pro-life activ
Page 69 and 70: with us.” 81 Needless to say, by
Page 71 and 72: ecord of being vindictive.” 90 Ca
Page 73 and 74: decades of involvement. Yet before
Page 75 and 76: nationwide effort organized by the
Page 77 and 78: in drastic (at the extreme, irrecon
Page 79 and 80: and increase political effectivenes
Page 81 and 82: willing to be window dressing - no
Page 83 and 84: Warren Schaller, and others to form
Page 85 and 86: women, which would become the speci
Page 87 and 88: On multiple levels, ACCL became a p
Page 89 and 90: multi-issue approach was a tactic a
Page 91 and 92: asserted, “often a few key people
Page 93 and 94: Lampe, and others) split to form AC
Page 95 and 96: nomination. Jefferson’s tactics w
Page 97 and 98: administration. 82 Lampe took over
Page 99 and 100: and was also a member of Planned Pa
Page 101 and 102: As previously explored, Mecklenburg
Page 103 and 104: million; Schweiker’s stance and a
Page 105 and 106: Almost immediately after her appoin
Page 107 and 108:
The last straw came when Mecklenbur
Page 109 and 110:
on the national scene cautiously, m
Page 111 and 112:
abortion debate she encountered as
Page 113 and 114:
Conclusion Supreme Court Justice Ha
Page 115 and 116:
legislatures, and celebrated occasi
Page 117 and 118:
ecognized nationwide as “one of t
Page 119 and 120:
Bibliography Archives and Interview
Page 121 and 122:
Gorney, Cynthia. Articles of Faith.
Page 123:
Press, Eyal. Absolute Convictions:
show all

The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?