As the nation prepares for the most pro-abortion president in history, Charmaine Yoest vows to continue the fight to protect women and preborn children.
The new president and CEO of Americans United for Life (AUL) said she's hopeful that, despite the challenges, life advocates will recharge and re-energize their efforts at the state and federal levels.
"The life movement will reassess and regroup for the next election cycle with new ways to communicate that even the weakest amongst us should be welcomed in life and defended in law," Yoest said Wednesday.
Yoest spoke with CitizenLink about her pro-life work and her hopes for the future.
1. Congratulations on your new role with Americans United for Life. What prompted you to leave your job with the Family Research Council (FRC)?
It was an honor to be a part of the FRC team, and it was hard to leave my friends and colleagues there. But when the opportunity came up to join AUL, I really felt God was opening that door and nudging me. I feel so privileged to be joining a team that has been doing such remarkable work in the legal trenches of the pro-life movement for so long — AUL was the first national pro-life organization and has been involved in every life-related case that has come before the Supreme Court. I feel so blessed that God has put me in a position where I get to wake up every morning and think about how we can do a better job defending life in our country. That's my passion, and to be able to have that also be my life's work is a great gift.
2. In the wake of Tuesday’s election, do you have hope for the future of the pro-life movement?
I do have hope! We have to stay focused on the positive developments we are seeing. We live in the "Ultrasound Era." You can go online and find 4-D sonograms of unborn babies. Would you like to be on the side that is arguing against defending the rights of those babies? They may have the better-funded public-relations gurus and the slick ad campaigns, but we've got the truth. I like our chances in this fight! Even liberal legal scholars admit that Roe is bad law, and feminist author Naomi Wolf wrote an article a few years back cautioning the abortion movement that they had to find a way to deal with the reality that it is impossible anymore to deny the humanity of the unborn. They are the ones with their backs against the wall.
That's not to say we don't have some daunting challenges in front of us. With Barack Obama in the White House and Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi controlling Congress, we confront a very difficult pro-abortion political situation, and we will have to be very wise and strategic in confronting that reality. We are already geared up to fight the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), which President-elect Obama promised would be the first piece of legislation he would sign in the White House. It is an extreme piece of legislation that would wipe out every piece of abortion-restrictive legislation we've passed since Roe.
3. Where do we stand in the fight to protect life?
We're at a real crossroads. We see such progress — the numbers of abortions declining; a younger generation that increasingly self-identifies as pro-life; the advance of technology making unborn life visible and undeniable. But, we have a lot of work to do to get our laws to catch up to those cultural advancements.
I believe AUL is uniquely positioned to lead the legal effort to reverse Roe, and that's really exciting. Over the last several years, the demand for AUL's legal expertise on life issues from pro-life legislators and attorneys general across the country has grown significantly. That's a very encouraging sign of health for the pro-life movement. I'm really energized about building our capacity to meet that need.
4. What made you decide to dedicate your life and career to fighting for the family?
I've always loved politics. I vividly remember going door to door for our local congressman when I was a teenager, and how excited we were when he won. My first job out of college was working in the Reagan White House, where I met Gary Bauer. That led to me working for Family Research Council back when it was a division of Focus on the Family. That was such a remarkable opportunity to bring together my love of politics (with) my firm conviction that family issues were the foundational ones that really matter to our country. I feel very grateful to have had different opportunities since then to work on family issues in public policy. I am amazed at some of our critics who want to silence those who are defending the family and advocating for the right to life — these are principles without which all of our other rights become meaningless.
5. What advice do you have for pro-life Americans who are discouraged by the election and other trends in this country?
Whenever I get discouraged, I think about the great social reformers who have come before us. William Wilberforce worked for over 40 years in his efforts to abolish slavery. Catherine Booth is a heroine of mine — she founded the Salvation Army with her husband and raised eight children, several of whom joined them in their ministry. They were tireless in their dedication to reaching the poor with the Gospel and improving their lives.
We can get discouraged — everyone does — but we have to pick ourselves up each day and renew our dedication to the calling that God has given us. We have to run this race that has been set before us, and it won't be easy. But the victory is not ours, and that is what gives me peace and keeps me optimistic. God always opens up a way.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit Americans United for Life online.
Learn more about the Freedom of Choice Act, and sign the petition to fight it.
(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)
