One Chapter's Experience

By Margie Montgomery, Executive Director
Kentucky Right to Life Association

I am honored to have the opportunity to share with NRL News readers some of the many lessons I have learned in my 30 years experience working in the Right to Life movement in Louisville, Kentucky.

I am often asked what it is about me that makes it possible to come to the office today with the same determination I did January 23, 1973, the day after the nightmarish Roe v. Wade decision was handed down. The most concise answer is because the grace of God has given me, along with many of the readers of these pages, the vision to see the unborn child as he or she truly is--a unique, living human being made in the image of God.

The practical answer lies in my enthusiasm for all people and my determination to stay focused on the goal we've sought since Roe was decided. Right to Life of Louisville, the first and largest chapter in the Kentucky Right to Life Association, was formed in 1970 in the living room of our home by my husband, Schu Montgomery, myself, and 11 other deeply concerned people who came from diverse backgrounds.

The origin of this first meeting was a 1970 editorial aired by the CBS affiliate in Louisville which advocated liberalizing Kentucky's abortion law. I made a televised response and the resulting calls drew these pioneers together.

I well remember those next three years. They were filled with sounds of the front doorbell ringing as folks would drop by to pick up literature, films, or tapes, which were displayed in the basement where the board of directors would meet monthly. Elections had taken place and our board included a physician, two registered nurses, two social workers, and a Baptist minister. As part of outreach, the directors held meetings in different parts of the city.

In 1974 the directors decided that the Louisville chapter had grown enough to open an office in a nearby suburb. A secretary was hired and I became the executive director.

Visibility and Community Presence

One of the chief priorities of any new chapter is to attain visibility in the community. This was accomplished by publishing a simple newsletter, sending out media releases, and by placing notices of the fledgling group's upcoming public forums or meetings in church bulletins.

Another key project began in 1974--the annual January 22nd memorial ad. This two-page ad was filled with signatures and appeared in the Courier-Journal newspaper, which has a statewide readership. Seeing all those names together is quite impressive.

The strength of the organization was evident in 1978. Two proposed ordinances on abortion spurred dramatic public hearings that garnered media coverage and citizen participation. Successfully prohibiting tax dollars from being spent for abortion in both Louisville and Jefferson County and the ban of non-therapeutic abortions at the city's primary public hospital set the stage for statewide prohibitions against abortion funding.

Since the late 1970s there have been annual rallies for life on the courthouse steps. Featured speakers included representatives from many religious denominations, crisis pregnancy centers, and youth groups, as well as other pro-life community leaders.

Our (502) 897-HOTLINE has boosted our ability to quickly disseminate information to grassroots supporters. Recently, like many pro-life organizations, we have established a web site [www.krla.org] that is also growing in use and effectiveness.

Another outreach to the public is a booth at the Kentucky State Fair, which is a wonderful way to meet the public over an 11-day period. This past August marked the 23rd consecutive year we set up our double booths.

As always the lifesize fetal models are the major attraction. We design a creative backdrop for our theme and a continuous video is shown on our TV/VCR.

In addition we also set out petition sheets which people can sign for pro-life federal legislation. These sheets in turn are copied and sent to both our U.S. senators, to our six representatives, and to National Right to Life.

We have plenty of pro-life pins, bumper stickers, and literature available, along with free pro-life designed plastic bags for fairgoers making purchases. On occasion we have conducted a raffle for a hand-crafted ceramic doll in a small bassinet.

By far, our two most outstanding events of the year are the Celebration of Life Banquet in April or May, and our Walk for Life in September. They are excellent ways to publicize the cause of unborn children.

Our first banquet in 1974 featured Mildred Jefferson, M.D., the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School, and a pioneer of the National Right to Life Committee. There were 200 in attendance at that dinner and the First Albert J. Schweitzer Humanitarian of the Year Award was presented to Monsignor Herman J. Lammers, the director of Catholic Charities.

The 2001 event drew more than 1,400 enthusiastic people from throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana. Past speakers include many distinguished pro-life leaders.

The five-kilometer walk, which is a fundraiser for both the chapter and for Kentucky Right to Life, musters several hundreds of youth and adults. Each participant receives pledges for every kilometer walked.

Volunteers remain the lifeblood of this chapter. The large, two- story building, which now serves the Louisville chapter, Kentucky Right to Life Association, and its PAC and Educational Foundation, has a fabulous cadre of volunteers who oversee each of the many lifesaving projects of the organizations.

Lobbying, a vital part of any pro-life group, is conducted by the state as is the annual Congressional Breakfast held in Washington, D.C., before the March for Life. Typically, the breakfast is attended by over 700 Kentuckians and our federal representatives and senators. NRLC Federal Legislative Director Doug Johnson, or one of his assistants, also addresses the assembly.

Though we are all saddened that Roe has not yet been reversed, we have had our successes in legislative efforts and public opinion in Louisville. In fact, in 1999, our major abortuary in Kentucky stopped doing abortions.