An Influx of New Members
Young Families, African-Americans Swell Pro-Life Ranks
By Dave Andrusko
Ernie Ohlhoff is a 30-year veteran of the Pro-Life Movement. In his capacity as NRLC director of outreach, he has his finger on the pulse of the Movement about as well as anyone this side of Jacki Ragan, NRLC director of state organizational development.
"A lot of times, there are quiet little eddies of activities that few people know much about," he told NRL News. "But occasionally there are torrents swirling about that are pretty hard to miss."
By this Ohlhoff said he meant the growing involvement of young families, many of whom home school their children, and of African-Americans.
"My office gets calls everyday from young mothers who've been moved to get involved in a serious way," he said. Sometimes the impetus is a pastor - - either because he has spoken out on behalf of life or because he refuses to take a stand.
Other times the source for this typical young mother is very personal. "Pro-abortionists like to believe that because there have been over 44 million abortions, the public has grown tolerant or indifferent to abortion - - or may even actively support abortion because so many women have aborted," Ohlhoff said.
"But it isn't working out that way," he argued. "After chatting for 45 minutes or longer, it's obvious that some callers may have had abortions themselves and most other know of a woman who has. No one can convince them abortion is not a disaster for unborn babies and their mothers."
And it also would be nearly impossible to exaggerate the impact of the lengthy discussion of partial-birth abortion. "NARAL and Planned Parenthood specialize in putting a pretty face on the slaughter of unborn children," Ohlhoff said. "The partial-birth abortion debate tore the mask off to reveal abortion's ugly face."
Likewise for the awakening in the African-American community, he said. Most people don't realize that there are two abortions for every three births in the Black community, so they don't know how devastating abortion's impact is on African-Americans.
"Callers are looking for information, for resources, for people and places to turn to," Ohlhoff said. He always tries to connect callers with an NRLC affiliate. And on many occasions Ohlhoff is able to put them in touch with Day Gardner, the head of Black Americans for Life.
"Day is dynamic, articulate, and VERY pro-life," he said. In 2002 she ran unsuccessfully for a House of Delegates seat in Prince George's County in Maryland.
"You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of Black pro-life Republicans endorsed for anything anywhere by the Washington Post," Ohlhoff said. "But Day was so outstanding, she received the Post's strong endorsement along with the local Maryland paper."
Any other explanation for this positive response among young families and African-Americans? Ohlhoff suggests that we may be overlooking an obvious explanation.
"Pro-lifers love kids," he said. It's not uncommon for his caller to say (as one did recently) that she is the mother of two with a third on the way.
"For three decades millions of kids have been reared in families that revere unborn life," Ohlhoff said. "Sooner or later this was bound to make a huge difference."
When asked if this was a sudden turnabout, Ohlhoff replied, "It wasn't like someone turned on a switch. But it has been most noticeable in the past three or four years."
When he was reminded that this corresponds with the time George W. Bush has been president, Ohlhoff smiled and said, "Yes, there is probably a real connection. He has energized our folks like no other President before him."