The Ohio Supreme Court dealt a blow to grassroots pro-lifers in Ohio yesterday by unanimously ruling in favor of Ohio’s “Reproductive Freedom Amendment.” The Amendment, modeled on California and Michigan’s extreme pro-abortion language, would enshrine abortion on demand in the Ohio constitution as a fundamental right, preventing any state legal protections of the baby in the womb.

On March 13, the Ohio Ballot Board, led by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose rubber stamped the euphemistically named “Reproductive Freedom” Amendment and allowed it to start collecting signatures.

Soon thereafter, pro-lifers from Cincinnati Right to Life sued the ballot board arguing that the they had been derelict in their duty to ensure the amendment was in fact only one amendment. The Thomas Mores Society joined in the suit filing an amicus brief arguing that the amendment was a collection of subjects matters intended to logroll some highly controversial measures (such as abortion on demand up to birth) with other less controversial ones such as contraception or even the right to receive medical treatment or continue with a pregnancy.

The Ohio Supreme Court completely ignored the argument made by the Thomas More Society in its amicus brief even though the “Reproductive Freedom Amendment” is a textbook example of logrolling. Logrolling is precisely what the amendment does when it ties together diametrically opposed actions; pretending that “reproductive freedom” can on the one hand, justify the taking of the life of the child in the womb, while on the other hand guarantee the right to continue with a pregnancy.

Of course, what is missing in the “Reproductive Freedom Amendment” is any concern whatsoever with the right to life of the child in the womb. While purporting to be about “freedom” the amendment is really about the complete dehumanization and and subjugation of the rights of the child in the womb.

The amendment is nothing but the most extreme expression of cancel culture, canceling the right to life of all unborn children in favor of so called sexual freedom.

In fact, if the “Reproductive Freedom Amendment” passes, the legal status of the unborn child in Ohio will fall below the legal status of bodies of water or wild animals.

That thought seems not to have crossed the minds of the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, or the Supreme Court of Ohio. The first two are self-professing pro-lifers, the latter is made up of Republicans elected judges who were elected in part by a pro-life base intent on preserving the constitutional right to life of the preborn child.

With pro-life stalwarts like these, who needs abortion advocates?

Last month Ohio pro-lifers did obtain a mixed victory by getting the legislature to pass a referendum to determine whether to raise the threshold needed to approve constitutional amendments via the citizen’s initiative.

However, if the ballot measures of 2022 are any indication, the pro-abortion forces will outspend pro-lifers and could very well defeat the August referendum and then move on to follow in Michigan’s footsteps and completely strip the pre-born child of the right to life in Ohio.

All of this could have been avoided if the AG, the Ballot Board, or the Republican Supreme Court had demonstrated the courage of their supposed pro-life convictions, instead, they all decided to hide behind the flag of the public’s will in the referendums coming in the next few months.

Pro-lifers in Ohio are well organized and will surely put up a fight, but will they be able to match the fundraising prowess of the abortion industry and its legions of billionaires, media companies, and lock step political organization?

We can only pray and donate to the campaign to defend the right to life in Ohio.