Pro-life won the battle with Dobbs, not the war

In less than two months, voters will head to the polls to decide the midterm elections. Republicans are looking for a strong turnout as the party nears the halfway mark of President Donald Trump’s second and final term. Meanwhile, Democrats are hoping to make major gains. While every seat in the House of Representatives is up for grabs, the Senate has 35 out of 100 seats on the line. Beyond the immediate questions of control of Congress are the statewide ballot measures. There are 164 measures on the table this November. Of those, four have to do with abortion issues of life. They are in Missouri, Idaho, Nevada, and Virginia. In Missouri, voters will decide whether to repeal 2024’s Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative. A “yes” to the ballot measure would remove constitutional protection for abortion. It would only allow abortion in cases of rape, incest, medical emergencies, and certain fetal anomalies, and only up to the 12-week mark. In addition, it would require parental consent for minors seeking an abortion. In Idaho, a trigger ban on abortion went into effect in August 2022, shortly after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. If passed, the 2026 ballot measure, known as Proposition 1, would allow for abortion up until fetal viability. After viability, abortion would be permitted in cases of medical emergency. The measure also addresses a long list of reproductive-related care. Demonstrators protest about abortion outside the Supreme Court in Washington, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo) In Nevada, the citizen-initiated ballot measure known as Question 6 would effectively enshrine abortion access in the state. This would allow for abortion before fetal viability. Voters approved the measure in 2024. It must pass again this year, which is required of citizen-initiated constitutional amendments in Nevada. In Virginia, the legislatively-referred ballot measure known as Question 1 would legally protect the right to abortion, which it does not currently do. The measure goes beyond abortion as well. It also would “provide a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, defined as ‘the right to make and effectuate one’s own decisions about all matters related to one’s pregnancy’.”It has been more than four years since Dobbs was decided by the Supreme Court in June 2022. We’ve started to see the long-term effects of that decision. It has touched every election since, to varying degrees. It continues to be the correct decision both legally and morally.The overturning of both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey did not make our nation pro-life overnight. In fact, it did not even definitively set us on that path. Any assumptions that the landmark Dobbs decision would magically alter the demand for abortion in the United States proved quickly to be false. There is no way to change the culture of a country with a single decision. It was also not going to change hearts and minds. This is especially true after nearly half a century of America under Roe. The goal of the pro-life community is the same as it was before Dobbs — to turn this into a pro-life nation where abortion is unthinkable and not treated as a regular part of women’s healthcare. Where babies are not burdens and where a woman’s worth goes far beyond her ability to reproduce. This worthy goal is not a fixed point. It moves with the cultural tide. Each successive generation must learn and understand the worth of the unborn. The fight is never really over. Pro-life voters must recognize this. The journey to a true, pro-life nation is indeed never-ending. Dobbs was not going to wrap things up neatly. CONGRESS IS WRESTLING WITH AI DEVELOPMENT. HERE ARE FIVE BILLS TO WATCHNational victories should not lull the pro-life movement into a sense of complacency. There are still ballot measures and fights over human dignity. The issue is still here, around us, and in our communities. As horrifying as the prospect is, there are still young girls and women (and enabler men) who think abortion is the right decision for them, their bodies, and their futures. It does no good to ignore this reality. It exists no matter what laws are enacted or what ballot measures are passed. The best thing to be done is to work against it by highlighting the worth of each baby as well as each mother. The negative feelings about Dobbs ebb and flow based on election outcomes. Dobbs should be cataloged as a victory, not a conclusion, as we collectively move to each new stage. Laws will change, but grassroots, pro-life activism is still where it’s at. This will alter the fabric of our nation in deeper ways than a Supreme Court decision. This election once again shows that the work is far from finished.