It’s been an amazing journey. For the last half century, Georgia Right to Life (GRTL) has never wavered from its mission of working on behalf of all innocent human life.

Over the years, GRTL has grown into an organization that refuses to compromise on the principle that we are all—regardless of race, gender, or manner of conception— created in God’s image and deserve respect and protection.

GRTL has produced leading edge educational programs, spearheaded pro-life legislation,  promoted Personhood as the civil rights issue of the 21^st century, founded Personhood Alliance, worked to protect the elderly and infirm, and conducted effective advertising campaigns that help women dealing with an unexpected pregnancy find help that does not end in abortion.

Going Back To The Beginning

Our roots go back to the turbulent 1960’s when Georgia became one of the first states to yield to the growing pro-abortion feminist movement by passing what was known as H.B. 281 in 1967.

H.B. 281 expanded the state’s 1876 statute, which allowed abortion to save the life of the mother, to include victims of forcible or statutory rape and cases where doctors thought a pre-born child might develop life-altering physical or mental defects.

Appalled by the proposed law, three women formed the Concerned Committed Citizens: Right to Life Committee (CCC) that same year.

They organized speaking engagements, distributed information about the bill, and recruited 50 other women to lobby against the bill.

To their great disappointment, however, the majority of Georgia church leaders refused to join their efforts.

As a result, the measure eventually passed in the State Legislature and became law in 1968 after Governor Lester Maddox refused to veto it, and by state law it automatically went into effect.

The years 1970-1971 were pivotal for the fledgling organization. After attending an anti-abortion meeting, a concerned couple met with the CCC founders and decided to form the Georgia Right to Life Committee (GRTLC), which was incorporated in 1971. They also became part of the National Right to Life Coalition.

The new organization was based on God’s principle that all human life is sacred. That foundational principle remains to this day and has been the source of blessings and strength that could only come from God.

Georgia Case Used To Expand Abortion Throughout Pregnancy

At the same time, Georgia became the focal point of what would eventually become the infamous Doe v. Bolton case.

The case was initiated by an attorney who thought Georgia’s 1968 abortion law was too restrictive. She used Sandra Cano, an unsuspecting pregnant woman nicknamed “Doe,” who was seeking help in obtaining a divorce and custody of her children.

However, without the woman’s consent, the attorney applied for an abortion at Grady Memorial Hospital. Based on the 1968 law, the request was denied, giving the attorney an opportunity to sue Georgia Attorney General Arthur Bolton.

The case eventually wound up at the U.S. Supreme court which issued its ruling on both the Doe case and Roe v. Wade on the same day.

While Roe cleared the way for legal abortions in the first trimester, Doe included a redefinition of “health” that opened the way for a woman to legally abort her child up to the full nine months of pregnancy for any reason.

In response to both decisions, GRTL began an aggressive pro-life information campaign, including appearances on television shows such as WAGA’s “Confrontation” and WSB-TV’s “Today in Georgia.” They also took part in radio interviews and spoke to schools, youth groups, and churches.

Personhood Strategy

Building on these early initiatives, GRTL has become a driving force for the pro-life movement in Georgia and across the country.

For example, GRTL made legislative history by proposing the nation’s first Paramount Right to Life Amendment (Personhood) to the state constitution. The legislation was accompanied by a bus tour in support of the proposal, which we continue to work for.

Continuing to pursue this groundbreaking agenda, GRTL sponsored a Personhood Symposium with nationally recognized Christian speakers Joni Eareckson Tada and Nellie Gray.

The Symposium was followed by a Presidential Personhood Forum in South Carolina moderated by Live Action founder Lila Rose.

These initiatives eventually led to GRTL founding the National Personhood Alliance, which today has affiliates in 28 states.

At the same time, GRTL played a leading role in passing numerous state laws to protect the pre-born, women, elderly and infirm.

A partial list includes: the ban on partial birth abortions, the women’s right to know act, the pain capable unborn child protection act (GRTL eventually dropped our support after an exception for so called “medically futile” children was added), the embryo adoption bill, and a ban on assisted suicide.

Education At The Forefront

Another major area of activity for GRTL involves extensive educational and information campaigns.

“Pillars of Personhood” is our flagship educational effort which takes presentations to college campuses where thousands of students have learned about the sanctity of human life.

GRTL chapters across the state and staff members take part in speaking engagements at churches, fairs, civic groups, and conferences.

Extensive advertising campaigns have proven extremely successful in helping women deal with unexpected pregnancies.

Billboards, coupled with Google and Facebook ads, direct callers to national hotlines: OptionLine.org and Teenbreaks.com. These organizations in turn refer callers to local Pregnancy Resource Centers, which receive thousands of calls every month.

In addition, Georgia Right to Life runs ads on a 29-station Christian radio network, which covers Georgia and five other southeastern states. Each 60-second spot presents a different aspect of human life and the threats our society faces in protecting the innocent, from the pre-born to the elderly and infirm.

GRTL also sponsors oratory and video contests throughout the state which enable young people to sharpen their pro-life positions and helps prepare them to discuss those issues with others.

This article began by noting that it has been an amazing journey. It truly has been, but only because of God’s blessing, guidance, and protection, along with your invaluable support and involvement.

Watch for upcoming announcements of several special events during the year to mark GRTL’s 50th anniversary.

Please continue to stand with Georgia Right to Life as we begin our 51^st year of being the watchmen on the wall for the sanctity of life in Georgia.