May 18, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) — As Ireland’s pro-life movement works frenetically to get their supporters out to the polls on May 25 for the referendum on the Eighth Amendment, the Save the 8th Campaign and dozens of pro-life organizations are putting boots on the ground all day, every day. Many have quit their jobs or taken leaves of absence in order to give the campaign their all — and one of these pro-lifers is Ray McIntyre, a middle-aged professional salesman who decided to take responsibility for turning the area of Mullingar and Country Westmeath into a solid win for the “No” vote.
When I met him, he was leading a team of locals he’d recruited to canvass voters and encourage pro-lifers to show up on May 25, each wearing red “Vote No” vests and wielding large stacks of information brochures. The entire town of Mullingar had multiple pro-life signs on nearly every lamp-post — there was only room for a handful of “Yes” signs by the time the pro-life activists had covered the town. He knew he’d face some opposition, Ray knows that this campaign is essential to protect preborn human lives in Ireland. “I thought, am I a man, or am I a mouse?” he told me. The following is an interview with Ray McIntyre on his efforts to save the Eighth Amendment.
When and why did you decide to work full time on the referendum?
I had it in my mind in early 2013 after the Irish pro-life movement had lost a legislative campaign (a Dail/parliamentary vote, not a referendum) with the then-coalition government on so-called “limited abortion” on the grounds of suicidal ideality.
The next battle over the repeal of the Eighth Amendment was looming and it was the next planned step by the abortion industry, the media, and the political elite, so I knew there was a final showdown coming in the next few years. So I visualised being able to devote nine or six months of my life volunteering to help organize campaigning in my local counties of Longford & Westmeath (total population circa 150,000)
However, I was deeply involved in a struggling family business, a new car dealership ravaged by the recession. Still the dream persisted and as the worldwide abortion lobby focused on our little nation, funded by George Soros and friends like Amnesty International, I grew more determined that I was not going to stand idly by and see multi-billionaires destroy our unique Irish pro-life culture without giving them the fight of our lives. I’ll take on Mr. Soros any day, and the bigger the challenge the more I thrive on it.
As things worked out, our family business led by my brother and I found a way out of the savage recession 2016 by taking an opportunity to sell our firm. I found myself “out of work” and between careers pending starting a new business. I decided that before embarking on a totally new career I would wait to fight the looming referendum, which was 18 months out. I bided my time and made plans. So here I am today having had the unique honor and privilege of having been able to help lead our local pro-life campaign over the last nine months virtually full time living on my own resources.
