By Guy Page
Vermont Election Day voters on Tuesday added Article 22, the ‘Reproductive Liberty’ amendment, to the Vermont Constitution — 72% voted yes, 22% voted no.
Article 22 is a radical departure from Roe v. Wade in that it does constitutionalize abortion on demand throughout all nine months of pregnancy. Roe only established an absolute right to abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Concerns that Article 22 would guarantee the right to late term abortions and transgender medication and surgery for people of all ages apparently had little impact on voters’ decision-making. Neither did last-minute reports of criminal sentencing reform activists’ support for Proposal 2.
Vermont Daily Chronicle observed that an election asteroid would hit Vermont — although it was unclear whether Democrats or Republicans would be most affected. There are signs that the asteroid impacted on Republican candidates, and pro-life Republicans most of all. And that the asteroid could well be named “Article 22.”
Two years ago, Vermont State House legislative leaders, the Vermont Attorney General’s office, and Planned Parenthood worked together to create legislative language to amend the Vermont Constitution to enshrine ‘reproductive liberty.’ It sailed through the Legislature.
Gov. Phil Scott, who signed and supported the legislation sending Article 22 to voters, was the only Republican to win a statewide race on Tuesday. Rep. Peter Welch crushed pro-life GOP candidate Gerald Malloy 67-27%. State Sen. Becca Balint (60%) defeated Republican Liam Madden (27%), whom her supporter Bernie Sanders incorrectly called ‘anti-choice’ in the final week of the campaign. Pro-life Libertarian Ericka Redic garnered just 4%. Balint outpolled both candidates together by almost 2-1.
In the Vermont House of Representatives, Republicans appear to have won only 38 seats (there are couple of ‘too close to call’ elections), far away from the veto-supporting goal of 50 party leaders hoped a “red wave” would help them achieve. Vocally pro-life candidates, including Vicki Strong of Albany, were defeated. Of the winning Republicans, less than 10 can be considered at least moderately pro-life voters on the floor of the House of Representatives. Anne Donahue of Northfield is perhaps the most outspoken pro-lifer re-elected yesterday.
There was at least one pro-life pickup: Charles Wilson, a retired store owner and farmer, won a Caledonia County House seat for Lyndon.
In general, Republicans who won their legislative races tended to fall more under the description of fiscal-conservative, moderate on social issues. This is particularly true of the GOP House and Senate winners in Franklin County, which went ‘red’ for both Senate seats (Randy Brock and Bob Norris) and majority red in its House races.
Tuesday night, one of the pro-choice Republicans (who easily won his House seat) approached me at the GOP gathering at the Elks Club in Barre. Noting the House electoral losses, he said, “this is about abortion.” Hours earlier and miles away in White River Junction, voters leaving the polls said the same thing. When asked by a VDC exit-poller about their number one concern in the election, the voters in the admittedly bluer-than-blue district chose abortion.
“Planned Parenthood used massive financial resources to launch a misleading advertising campaign on all Vermont airwaves. Voters were inundated with false messaging that successfully managed to hoodwink Vermonters into believing that they must support passage,” Vermont Right to Life leader Mary Beerworth said Wednesday. “Thousands of Vermont voters were misled into believing that abortion would become illegal in Vermont unless citizens cast their votes in favor of passage of Proposal 5/Article 22.”
Abortion wasn’t the only reason GOP candidacies suffered, of course. Redistricting hurt Strong and Rep. Samantha Lefebvre, who also lost. Former President Donald Trump’s announcement that he will likely run again may have mobilized voters.
Furthermore, Vermonters’ employment is increasingly dependent on government sourcing or approval for funding — healthcare, education, not-for-profits, energy providers, a proliferation of government contracts among manufacturers, and government itself. When government funds or controls your livelihood, voting for the success of Big Government really is a kitchen-table issue.
No doubt other causes for Republicans’ electoral demise could be named. But even the staunchest of pro-lifers have to admit that this year, anyway, the abortion issue didn’t help the Party of Lincoln.
No-one can fault the articulate, hardworking activists at Vermonters for Good Government and elsewhere who kept Article 22’s flaws in the public eye until the very end. You can lead a horse to water.
Neither does it mean pro-life candidates should have done differently. Sometimes you’re forced to choose a hill to die on. As his troops faced Pickett’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg, Major General Winfield Scott Hancock was asked to leave the line for a safer place. He replied, “there are times when a corps commander’s life does not count.”
And finally, there’s this thought: like comic book characters, political fortunes don’t always stay dead. When need calls, they can be miraculously revived.
Guy Page is publisher of the Vermont Daily Chronicle. Reprinted with permission.
The good Lord will have the last say, and any who harm a child will pay for eternity
I’m sorry to say, Vermont is a hopeless cause. I gave up this year and moved south. I suggest everyone else do the same that has conservative values. Life is much better down here. Don’t waste your time on a lost cause.
Hey Chris and other transplant’s, could you tell us where you moved and update on how it’s going.. would be much appreciated for us that want or about to leave.
South Carolina. Sunny weather, low taxes, opportunity, southern hospitality, and common sense.
Thanks Chris, I was there in 68 but not so great accommodations, Parris Island. Will research further as the climate was kinda hot but not much freezing.. lots of sailing opportunity with lakes and Ocean.
This just goes to show when you have liberal transplants within your state
with ” no morals “, this is the nonsense you get !! , and our elected officials
push this as a ” victory ” ……………..a victory for who, not the baby !!
Vermont’s killing fields, kill your baby, now that a ” great ” mother, just think
if you can read this then your Mother didn’t abort you…..
Why not just use your brain instead of your woo-woo, you’re pathetic fools !!
Whatever happenned to Adoption, when a girl got pregnant too early?
Couples unable to create children themselves, or adoption for any of many reasons.
Adoption used to work very easily, great for the unable mother and
for the couple unable to make babies of their own.
Around 140,000 children are adopted by American families each year.
There are no national statistics on how many people are waiting to adopt, but experts estimate it is somewhere between one and two million couples.
https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-myths-facts/domestic-us-statistics/
If the estimates are correct, then the total number of abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation are 11,500 per year. (Johnston Archive)
https://healthresearchfunding.org/21-compelling-third-trimester-abortion-statistics/
Do the math. Then, will someone explain to me again why Article 22 was so compelling to so many people?
The responsibility for Article 22 passing falls directly on Republican Party leadership. They failed to analyze the wording of the article and the ways it could be interpreted but bought into the democrats propaganda that it is about abortion. The article does not mention abortion. The leadership should have gotten the word out about what could become a constitutional right.
Since there are no limitations on age and gender consder one possibility that teachers (or anyone else) can have sex with an underage student just so long as it is consensual. Parents won’t be able to take any legal action.
Both of your points need correction.
The VT Republican Committee is certainly not responsible for Article 22’s passage.
Credit is due the PAC’s, VT Democratic Party and Planned Parenthood that spent millions to assure passage.
Article 22 does not usurp current law regarding minors and sex- yet. It may be used as a defense in court for a multitude of behaviors in the future. What Article 22 does do is subrogate individual rights “if the state has a compelling interest”. This too shall be carefully litigated and is the most egregious and dangerous part of the amendment.
Our country and specifically VERMONT is in a spiritual war the likes we’ve never seen. God, however, is in control, he chooses our leaders and their words, something I’ve struggled with, how can he possible allow this? Well there has been much worse in the world and he’s taken to shape things, to bring about his glory, not ours. It’s not easy, more so when we are in the moment, and these moments can last for decades. Look at king Herod, killing all the babies, who had the last word? Certainly not Herod!
If you have the chance to hear the writings of Assyrian kings, you will squarely meet narcissism, sociopath/psychopath mind that believes they are God. And this is what. We face today in government, same personality, never questioning their thoughts or words, certainly not questioning them against words of truth and love.
These leaders in their arrogance are going against natural law and supernatural laws, which rarely tolerate such deviancy for long, and the longer they strive against these laws the greater the consequences, their sin will find them out. Lord have mecprcy on them they know not what they are doing.
We can spread the truth and love, like those who have done, with great success. There is much we can do in the meantime, that will show our true hearts. It will expose the hearts of those doing so much harm, we need not say a word about them, others will and they will never forget.
I brought this up in a of Rutland republican committee…
They did not want to discuss it but I was insistent that it was something republicans needed to address and hesitantly it was brought up.
There was another person in attendance and I think her for having the guts to stand up and say it is a responsibility of republican leadership to address this.
At that same meeting there were several republican representatives and only one of them spoke up and that was Butch Shaw .. he said that the republican members got together and decided to say nothing it was better to let everyone just vote their conscience….
I mentioned to butch that I felt it was an idiotic thing to do this since republicans and democrats had no idea what was in the bill and we had a duty to explain this bill completely to the voting public.
However the answer was they did not want to be involved in such a bill.
I said to butch it would have been nice if the republicans got together and decided to keep quiet about denouncing president Trump… A president many people admire in spite of their opinion… Of course being considered a peon by the republican leadership I was scoffed at and butch walked away.
I am still amazed at the fact that any republican that supported a republican candidate in favor of article 22 can still look any of the voters in the eye.
Our own republican party was trying to shoot down this bill while at the same time pumping up candidates that were totally in favor of article 22 and the slaughter of The unborn.
I have said it before and I will say it again that the republicans don’t care anymore about our constitutional rights then the democrats do.
When our right to freedom of speech is quickly censored in our republican committee meetings or on any republican forum it is wrong and totally not acceptable…
I have mentioned this numerous times but at the clarendon republican committee meetings and about our clarendon republican committee page..
If we believe in our constitution why are we so afraid of the truth and input from others who do not agree with us?
The Rutland republicans keep saying get out and vote for republican candidates…. And I keep saying give us some republican candidates to vote for!
We are losing this battle because of our own faults.
Even if you didn’t want get in the fray, there is much to do.
Could have promoted adoption
Could have promoted ultra sound
Could have promoted proper family planning, “wait until your married” is an idea that was common not too long ago.
Could have spoken about what else the bill implies without even getting into the main topic.
I’m of the belief that this evil will be used for good. It was planned and there was nothing man could do. This bill will backfire massively.
And in the meantime there is much to do, see above. The other perhaps most important is to forgive those who went down a wrong path, who have regret, they now know they were lied to. We need to display mercy and love.
The state is now a list with China and North Korea as the states practicing infanticide. It puts Vermont on map.
Ending all hope for a baby in the womb and now out as well, just more leftist, and apparently some brainwashed on the Right, to add to the life’s worthless culture. But guns are the problem….
How soon will they tie this into taking parents rights to oversee their children’s decisions away. Grooming culture more leftist social depravity.
A sad day in the continuing decline of once proud independent Vt’ers.
So, some sad foreshadowing of things to come.
https://vidmaxviral.com/video/215735-worst-daughter-ever-gives-the-most-wretched-euology-of-her-dead-dad-because-he-was-a-trump-supporter
God suggests that we should honor our father and mother……watch this video. It is so filled with pride, so filled with hatred, these are the children we are raising, perhaps more accurately these are the children our state schools and smart phones are raising.
Could there have been any love, anything that this father did for his child that was positive? She certainly couldn’t find any.
We don’t teach our children to be grateful. Our school systems teach our children envy, lust, and strife. We need to get back to truth and love. Lord have mercy.
How about this truly profound foreshadowing from two millennia ago:
“But Jesus, turning to them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.” Luke 23:28
“For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!” Luke 23:29
Here’s another one:
“Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.”
–Mark 13:12
None of what we are seeing in this current culture should come as a surprise. It’s prophecy being fulfilled.
Mary Beerworth, knows what is going on.
For every dollar spent or ad run or article stated, there were surely 1,000 going to EVERY smart phone in Vermont. The power of propaganda and the power of the smartphone, the most effective tool for spreading propaganda on the planet. We were not even in the stadium, let alone the same sport.
Through in debates where everything is orchestrated, through in a populace that has no education in spotting a lie vs. truth and you have a wonderful mix in which to control power and discussion across the state. We are so divorced from truth and love we are so entwined with our own selfishness, narcissism, lust and thoughts; we don’t know how to even check them with reality.
This will backfire on women tremendously. It will bring about brokenness, which is one of the underlying goals, as this is not designed to strengthen the family. They played this hand perfectly and we responded just as they wanted, assuring they have control of power and women.
Thankfully there will be reprisals on this, because the law is so self-centered, untruthful and narcissist, it will not bear fruit in the light of day.
This law states there is no such thing as a baby, until it is born.
This law states the woman has total prerogative affecting 2 other lives.
This is the woman’s choice alone.
There by logic would surmise that pregnancy is totally and entirely upon the woman’s choice.
thereby
1) the state is no longer obligated to further support any single birthing person financially; it was completely their choice.
2) men no longer are obligated to provide any child support, as they are no longer responsible for any children coming into the world, it is entirely the choice of women.
3) medical plans no longer have to provide prenatal care, as this is a voluntary and sole choice of birthing people, they do not have a child in their womb.
5) parents no longer have any say in the discussion and raising of their children and their sexual training and advice. This is the sole responsibility of the state of Vermont, and what every comes to your 7-year old’s mind. And of course, what is provided for them on their smart phone.
Vermont will be the leader, but it won’t be what people thought they were voting for, that’s for sure.
Legalizing infanticide isn’t actually necessary.
In places like Chicago, they actually let them age for a few years and then kill them.
so true,
we do it here by taking away their hope and understanding in the world, whereby they commit suicide, turn to drugs and alcohol.
It is sad, what is being put in people’s mind by those who run smart phones.
It’s pretty easy to see now- ain’t it- how well brainwashed people would load other people into boxcars to their certain deaths.
We all say “How could such a thing happen??”
This right here, what these people voted for “easily”, THAT is how it happens.
The value of human life means very little in Vermont.. is what your Constitution now says.
It’s sickening.
So now it legal to kill your baby, and these same people who wanted this will object to euthanasia, eugenics. That tells us what they are. The only possible good thing about this is, women who want to kill their baby, should not be having one in the first place.
Unfortunately, Ed, these same people who voted for this have been supporting euthanasia. Eugenics is not far off. The 2013 End of Life movement in Vermont has morphed into a death machine”. Compassionate death, of course, the sole choice of the person, patient, suffering one, etc. (as if). The problem is that the few safeguards which accompanied Physician Assisted Suicide legislation in 2015 have been displaced by the newer End of Life initiatives, Palliative Care initiatives, and by the authority granted by one single form, Vermont’s DNR/COLST, with which physicians, “care givers” and practitioners can remove life sustaining necessities, including food and water, can order administration of narcotic analgesics powerful enough to quickly end respiration, and initiate these measures INSTANTLY upon the execution of said paper. Can a signature be coerced? Can one snowed by high dose “compassionate” narcotic pain relievers be considered competent to sign away their life? Has “I changed my mind” been banned in Vermont? Can mistakes and/or misadventures be corrected by objecting patients, families or concerned others who recognize mortal error before the rush to death succeeds? Such impaired consents would never fly elsewhere, but are now growing wings in the Green Green Mountain State. So, Ed, Vermont has now, with eyes closed, bookended legal elimination of innocent humans; the very young and the sick, debilitated and elderly. Losing lives, even against their will, without their consent, and as so many fear is already and will be happening more now in Vermont, as has happened to hundreds of millions across the globe: not just to Gypsies and Jews.
Thank you, Guy, for an excellent article !