“We Have to Be
Stronger Than Ever in 2011 and 2012”:
An Interview with NRLC’s Jacki Ragan
By Dave Andrusko
 When
I sat down with Jacki Ragan, director of NRLC’s State
Organizational Development Department, the very first
thing she said was to remind me that “our people are not
basking in the glow of the November elections.” No
pro-lifer “is saying we are ‘taking a year off’—that’s
not where they’re at—they understand pro-lifers have a
window of opportunity that they must take advantage of,”
she said.
That opportunity
is courtesy of an unprecedented campaign by NRL PAC and
the PACs of National Right to Life’s 50 state
affiliates.
In addition to the
arrival of a huge number of new pro-lifers in the state
Houses and state Senates, 13 new pro-life Republican
governors replaced pro-abortion Democratic governors—a
net gain of 11 pro-life governors. (In two states
retiring pro-life governors were replaced by
pro-abortionists.) At the federal level there has been
an overall net shift in the pro-life direction in the
House of Representatives of 40 to 55 votes, depending on
the issue, and between four and seven in the Senate,
again depending on the issue.
To take maximum
advantage pro-lifers are simultaneously looking straight
ahead—to the 2012 elections—and to either side—to
passing protective legislation in both the state
legislatures and in Congress.
However, the
extent to which the Movement takes full advantage of the
openings provided in November will, as always, depend on
the energy, drive, and focus of grassroots pro-lifers.
Jacki wears many hats at NRLC, but it is at educating,
organizing, and motivating pro-lifers in communities
around the country that her skills are unmatched.
In our discussion
Jacki checked off, one by one, the many projects in
which NRLC its affiliates are involved. In addition to
such important ongoing activities as church bulletin
inserts and the petition to “Support the No Taxpayer
Funding for Abortion Act” there are a number of new
initiatives, some of which are already in motion, others
about to be launched in early 2011.
There is, for
example, “Rose’s First Photo Album,” an extraordinary
collection of prenatal photos and drawings available in
six different size formats—from key-ring-size to
11”x17”(http://www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/Feb11/nv022311part2.html).
“We know there is
no more effective educational tool in the pro-lifer’s
toolbox than photos that remind people that unborn
babies are just like us, only smaller,” Ragan said.
Speaking of
motivation, nothing seems to motivate Jacki more than
talking about the growing importance of young people in
our Movement and the heightened involvement of churches.
“Young people are
coming out of the woodwork,” Jacki said. “I’ve never
anything like this in all the years I’ve been in the
Pro-Life Movement.”
How do you measure
this? I asked. “It’s easy,” she responded. “Look at the
number of young people who want to intern for NRLC and
our affiliates; who’ve enrolled in the NRLC Academy; who
go the camps put on by six of our state affiliates; and
who are attending the Youth Summit in Washington, D.C.”[http://www.nationalrighttolifenews.org/news/2011/03/still-time-to-apply-for-the-national-right-to-life-academy/]
Young people, she
said, “are already making a real difference.”
Churches have
always been a mainstay of the Movement. “But it’s been
decades since we’ve seen the kind of response we’ve
witnessed since pro-abortion Barack Obama was elected
President,” Jacki said.
One example
illustrates her point. Each year NRLC sends out a
mailing to pro-life churches.
“Only this time
I’ve had many churches call me before I called on them,”
she said. Those not already members of NRLC want to
become members, Jacki said.
One of the
benefits of membership is a package of information and
DVDs which make it possible for them to easily conduct
their first meeting. Jacki’s goal is to double the
number of identified pro-life churches.
Our conversation
concluded, as it always does, with Jacki singing the
praises of pro-life chapters. “They are the face and
voice of NRLC in their communities,” she said.
At a time when few
organizations are able to convince people to attend
meetings, NRLC local chapters are a conspicuous
exception.
“There is nothing
like that face-to-face contact to create a sense of
companionship and to stimulate new ideas,” Jacki said.
What she called
“brick-and-mortar” chapters are supplemented by other
local chapters that use the tools of social networking—Facebook,
YouTube, Twitter—to educate their communities. What few
people realize is that more and more chapters are
becoming independent sources of ongoing information. For
instance, in addition to linking them to Today’s News &
Views and National Right to Life News Today, many now
send out their own news summaries of stories relevant to
pro-lifers.
Looking ahead to
2011 and 2012, Jacki asked that I pass along the
importance of e-mail addresses. “This is a way of having
the maximum educational impact with the minimum
expenditure of money,” she said. “If you would, please
ask your pro-life friends and family if they would be
willing to receive emergency legislative alerts and
occasional fundraising appeals.”
When they do,
please send their e-mail addresses along to Jacki at
Jragan1@aol.com.
All of this is in
service of deepening and widening the strength of
grassroots pro-life America. “Obama will be President
for two more years,” Ragan said. “If we are going to
thwart his pro-abortion initiatives and regain ground
lost the past two years, we have to be stronger than
ever in 2011 and 2012.”
I need your
feedback on both Today's News & Views and National Right
to Life News Today. Please send your comments to
daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who
are following me on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/daveha
Part Two
Part Three |
