The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York
The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York
The Pre-Roe Pro-Life Movement in Minnesota and New York
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should be noted that pro-life activists <strong>and</strong> organizations on an <strong>in</strong>dividual <strong>and</strong> group level<br />
were <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly track<strong>in</strong>g c<strong>and</strong>idates who would support their cause. After the <strong>Roe</strong><br />
decision, pro-life activists found the enactment of a Human <strong>Life</strong> Amendment a crucial,<br />
<strong>and</strong> often their pr<strong>in</strong>cipal, cause. Indeed, accord<strong>in</strong>g to a 1973 resolution, the NRLC’s<br />
“first program priority… [wa]s the development <strong>and</strong> implementation of a political<br />
campaign to effect passage of a Human <strong>Life</strong> Constitutional Amendment.” 71 In order pass<br />
the amendment <strong>in</strong> Congress, a sufficient number of pro-life members needed to support<br />
it; therefore, pro-life groups threw more of their efforts beh<strong>in</strong>d elect<strong>in</strong>g pro-life<br />
sympathizers to office. MCCL newsletters told their readers to “consider platforms,<br />
c<strong>and</strong>idates before vot<strong>in</strong>g Nov. 2” <strong>in</strong> 1976. 72 Aga<strong>in</strong>, while the presidential c<strong>and</strong>idate most<br />
sympathetic to the pro-life cause did not emerge victorious <strong>in</strong> the fall of 1976, many<br />
Congressional c<strong>and</strong>idates did. 73<br />
No strong evidence lies <strong>in</strong> the archives that pro-life<br />
groups were strongly disappo<strong>in</strong>ted with Ford’s loss. In fact, Dr. Mildred Jefferson, then<br />
<strong>Pre</strong>sident of the NRLC, proclaimed “[t]he right-to-life movement has won a great moral<br />
victory <strong>in</strong> the 1976 political campaigns…there were more victories than defeats.” 74 Of<br />
the presidential campaign, she said, “[t]he right-to-life movement made the presidential<br />
campaign a contest to the bitter end <strong>and</strong> almost won the victory for <strong>Pre</strong>sident Ford,” but<br />
71 “Resolution of <strong>Pro</strong>gram Priorities of NRLC, Inc., 8 December 1973, ACCL Records, Box 9,<br />
Folder: NRLC – Bylaws Revision 1974 (1), Gerald R. Ford Library.<br />
72 “<strong>Pro</strong>-lifers should consider platforms, c<strong>and</strong>idates before vot<strong>in</strong>g Nov. 2,” MCCL <strong>New</strong>sletter,<br />
page 2, October 1976, MCCL Archives, M<strong>in</strong>neapolis, MN.<br />
73 For example, Senator S.I. Hayakawa of California defeated <strong>in</strong>cumbent Democrat John V.<br />
Tunney, Senator John Danforth defeated former Democratic Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes, <strong>and</strong><br />
Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana (who still holds the seat today) defeated <strong>in</strong>cumbent Democrat Vance<br />
Hartke. <strong>The</strong>se <strong>in</strong>com<strong>in</strong>g pro-life Republican Senators were all elected for the first time <strong>in</strong> 1976, <strong>and</strong> all<br />
defeated pro-choice Democrats. Dr. Mildred F. Jefferson, “Statement on the Outcome of the 1976 Political<br />
Campaigns,” 3 November 1976, ACCL Records, Box 10, Folder: NRLC – 1976 (4), Gerald R. Ford<br />
Library.<br />
74 Dr. Mildred F. Jefferson, “Statement on the Outcome of the 1976 Political Campaigns,” 3<br />
November 1976, ACCL Records, Box 10, Folder: NRLC – 1976 (4), Gerald R. Ford Library.<br />
62