Join us on Family Talk as host Gary Bauer engages in an inspiring conversation with Vicki Dunn, a lifelong pro-life advocate from Missouri. Vicki shares her incredible journey from grassroots activism to recognizing the miracles in her life that fueled her passion for the sanctity of human life. As someone who heard Dr. James Dobson’s voice on the radio, Vicki’s life was profoundly shaped by his message and mission. Together, they discuss the challenges of state-level battles post-Roe v. Wade and the continued fight for pro-life legislation.
Welcome everyone to Family Talk. It’s a ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute supported by listeners just like you. I’m Dr. James Dobson and I’m thrilled that you’ve joined us. Welcome to Family Talk, the broadcast ministry of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Gary Bauer, Senior Vice President of Public Policy here at the Dobson Policy and Culture Center. I’m also host of the Defending Faith, Family, and Freedom podcast. We’re having another one of our everyday heroes today. My guest on Family Talk is right in the middle of the fight to protect the sanctity of human life. In fact, she’s been in the middle of that fight basically her entire life. Her name is Vicki Dunn. Now, look, there are a lot of heroes of the pro-life movement. Some of them are very well known, some of them not so much so. And, of course, Dr. Dobson was a real hero of the pro-life movement, and we obviously have all been inspired by that. But Vicki Dunn has got a special story because she’s not only over her life relied on following godly principles, but by doing that, by just showing up and standing for godly principles, she has made a mark for herself in the pro-life movement. And I believe she has saved a lot of lives that she probably won’t know about until she’s with the Lord someday. And of course, she’s been a leader in the state of Missouri in the pro-life movement. And Missouri is still a pro-life state, although there are a lot of folks trying to change that as we talk. Vicki’s faith journey started at an early age, but it took a dramatic turn one day when she first heard the voice of Dr. Dobson broadcasting on the Vought Radio Network. And by the way, that relationship with the Vought Radio Network is a relationship that continues right up until now. Family Talk is proud to be broadcast on the Vought Network. During her early years in marriage and parenting, Vicki relied on the fatherly advice she heard from Dr. James Dobson, listening on the radio at her kitchen table. I wonder how many people there are out there, mothers and fathers, that sat at those kitchen tables all over America and and got advice from Dr. Dobson by doing that. His passion for families became her passion for families as well, and that fire still burns brightly in her heart to this day. Vicki and her husband still live in the great state of Missouri, and her work with Missouri Right to Life has impacted thousands of people over the years. Vicki Dunn, welcome to the Family Talk broadcast. I know how special Dr. Dobson was for you, particularly in certain significant parts of your life. But I want to let you know that if Dr. Dobson had not gone on to be with the Lord, he would be in this studio right now. Looking forward to talking with you today because he was a great admirer of yours. So, Vicki, welcome to Family Talk.
SPEAKER 02 :
Wow, thank you, Gary. I don’t know what to say. What a privilege. But I’m but a blade of grass in the grassroots movement of the pro-life community here in the state of Missouri. We did have quite a battle on our hands in the past year, November 15th. Fifth, we flipped. There is an evil, evil force within our Constitution that we are all now gearing up because the Lord has given us another chance to come against and claw back some of those forces. horrible provisions that are in our Constitution under the Bill of Rights, actually. So I appreciate all your kind words, but I tell you, there are many out there, so many organizations that have been in the battle so many years, and it’s just a heartbreak that that has happened to our state. But God is good. He is faithful, and he has given us another opportunity to stand and fight again. So thank you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you’re welcome, Vicki. I mean, we’re facing this all over the country. Obviously, we won a tremendous victory when Roe versus Wade was overturned because we got rid of this horrible lie that somewhere in our God-inspired Constitution and Declaration of Independence that there was this sacred right to kill your unborn child. And at least that’s gone. But I’m not sure we were completely ready for the big fight that immediately erupted in each state. And we’ll talk a lot more about that in the time we have together. Let’s find out a little, tell our audience a little bit more about you. Now, I know that Dr. Dobson and his ministry on radio was something that was important to you, but you were a faithful Christian before you heard Dr. Dobson. So can you tell us a little bit about how you came to the Lord and share that with our audience?
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, I’d be delighted to. I grew up in a wonderful family. Mom and dad were faithful attenders of church, and I heard the gospel. one of seven children. I’m the oldest daughter that they had. And when I was 41 years old, I was invited to a Bible study, community Bible study. And I went, it was eyeopening. But until a few years later, when my husband and I, we have a hobby farm outside of a little community in the rural area. And I was driving a tractor with a wagon load of children on the back of it. And the tractor started going down the hill too fast. And all of a sudden, it stopped right before I feared that I would be turning the hay wagon over. That evening, my husband said to me, what do you think happened? And I said, it had to be the hand of God. I know of no other reason that that tractor would have stopped. I was sick to my stomach thinking of what could have happened to the children. But three days later, the community Bible study leader called me and asked me if I wanted to be a children’s leader. Well, I had told her no the year before because I didn’t want to march or do crafts. And then in the middle of the conversation, I said, I think I’m supposed to do this. God just saved a wagon load of children for me. The back of my mind, I said, I could stay a year. I could do it a year. Well, I stayed seven years. But what she said to me transformed my life and came to be true. She said, you will be blessed for your obedience. And I have before me milestones of blessings that continue to this day. So that is kind of when I got in God’s word and learned it like a two-year-old that my eyes started opening and sat in leader’s counsel with prayer cards and where we prayed for each other’s families. And like a new believer, like all the new believers, you want everybody to be saved. You know, you tell the good news. You go around saying, you know, Jesus is the only way. And I had that new believer’s enthusiasm. And the first blessing that happened is that my mother at 81 years old joined me in Bible study at 81. And so my daughter joined that year and my granddaughter, who was less than a year. So four generations studying God’s word.
SPEAKER 03 :
Incredible. That’s incredible. Uh, Vicki, I want to, I don’t want to leave that tractor incident. I mean that, what is such, you know, right immediately we pray, uh, We should, and we’re called to, and we pray for help and guidance and blessings in every way that we can. And sometimes it takes a long time before we realize that that prayer, that pleading had been answered. But there you are in this situation that could have turned into an unbelievable tragedy in And the first thing you thought about is, God, I need you right now. These children are at risk. That must have been just an unbelievable moment for you to see a miracle like that happen almost instantaneously.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, I wish I could say I did pray, but I was terrified. And when the tractor stopped, it was in retrospect that I thought, back and said, it was God’s hand. When my husband said, well, what happened? And that’s when I said, had to be the hand of God. It was my road to Damascus experience, but being in community Bible study with two-year-olds was my road to Emmaus experience where the scriptures were opened up as I grew in my faith and sat with those mature, believing women in leaders’ council and That’s what I needed to do is sit there for the seven years that I was a children’s teacher and just listen to that godly. But they also were the ones that introduced me to the radio. And to listening to Dr. Dobson. So that is my connection through them that that happened.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I was getting ready to ask you about that. I actually remember the first day I talked to Dr. Dobson and I was in the Reagan White House. I was in some kind of controversy about something because I am a conservative Christian and somebody on Capitol Hill was upset with me or whatever. But my secretary buzzed in and she said, your doctor’s on the phone, Dr. Dobson. And I didn’t know, you know, should I put him right through? And I go, why? my doctor is not Dr. Dobson. And then I realized it was Jim Dobson. And he said he had seen the controversy I was in and asked me if I wanted to come on his radio program to tell his listeners about it. But do you remember the first time you heard a Dobson show? But even if you can’t, tell us about how, as you began to listen to him, how that helped you and your early part of your marriage and raising your children and so forth?
SPEAKER 02 :
I can remember sitting in the bleachers watching my daughter play softball when she was about 10 with the earbuds attached to my little transistor radio. I’m that old, but we called them transistor radios, just listening to his wonderful voice and that godly wisdom. But what impacted me, I think, the most of all of the resources and things was the Truth Project when I obtained, after going through it several times, that strong biblical worldview. So that was so critical. But all along the way, I just, all of that wisdom and advice, the monthly letters, the magazines, the books, I consumed it all.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, you know, I’ve often wondered how many people that are listening and how many people out there that maybe are not listening to our conversation today have a similar story. I know when Dr. Dobson and I would go to various events that we were both going to speak or maybe we’d be walking through an airport together. And complete strangers would stop him, often women, and tell him that he had had a major impact on their lives, either in saving their marriage or in helping them raise their children. So it’s a tremendous legacy. And, of course, as I mentioned earlier, Dr. Dobson often did his show about the sanctity of life. Mm-hmm. And so people would come up and say, you know, Dr. Dobson, I was getting ready to have an abortion and I heard your show and let me introduce you to your godchild you’ve never met or whatever. So were you influenced by Dr. Dobson’s really powerful pro-life message that he regularly would share?
SPEAKER 02 :
Absolutely. I grew up, though, with one of seven children. So Pro-life was always big. And I was born in 1951 before the abortion was legal. So life was, and actually I can remember my mother just being horrified that somebody she knew was taking birth control. I mean, that sounds so strange right now, but we were pro-life all the way. My first job at 16 was to go down the street where we served meals to a nursing home, but it was next to an unwed mother’s home. In those days when you were pregnant, you would go away toward the latter part of your pregnancy and then your baby was given up for adoption. That was my background. I took my daughter to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life when she was in eighth grade and then worked as my background’s nursing. So I worked with the Pregnancy Resource Center and did the client advocate work. 40 Days for Life out in front of the abortion clinics praying. And, you know, that has been a huge part of. But all along, knowing that there was a champion up there with a national voice encouraging us all around the country was an important part of, you know, my listening and being encouraged. That encouraging voice is everything.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, it really is. And having somebody like Dr. Dobson being a leader in these sorts of efforts, I really was honored over the years because it’s kind of hard to believe now, but for many, many years, as I know you remember, Vicki, the Republican Party, although it’s pro-life now, And unfortunately, the other major party has gone all in on abortion on demand. But there was a battle every four years to make sure the platform of the Republican Party remained pro-life. And there was always these attempts by various moderates, so-called, to water the platform down. And Dr. Dobson was one of a handful of us that made major efforts to make sure the party understood if they did that they were going to lose millions of voters and uh you know that that platform stayed pro-life over all those years and i know missouri right to life uh and i’m sure you were involved in those efforts too
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, Phyllis Shafley, we had another wonderful woman named Donna Hearn that would do constitutional coalition educational policy.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, I remember her well.
SPEAKER 02 :
That brought in lots of speakers. So we had an abundance of wonderful resources to encourage us.
SPEAKER 03 :
Vicki, I was told that we’ve always got to be careful not to be hating on the woman who’s been deceived today. that the answer to her problem is to destroy the innocent human life in her. And I know you’ve made it a point when you’ve ministered at these abortion clinics to reach out to those women. And in fact, there’s a little thing you’ve done occasionally that you’ve become known for involving cookies, I understand. Can you tell us about that?
SPEAKER 02 :
Oh, well, that was a different story, actually. When the people that came in with the initiative petition in Missouri last year, they were collecting signatures to get this horrendous bill that is now in our Constitution to make abortion legal. just legal all nine months, take away parental permission, open the door for pseudo sex change surgery for adolescents without permission. So anyway, they were gathering up information. And so I would go stand next to these people that were collecting the signatures that were paid by outside money. And try to encourage people not to sign. But along the way, it was really a privilege to stand next to these people and just witness that there was another side to the story. And I wanted them to think of me as their grandmother. Many of them were young men. And I would chat with them and have a cordial conversation if possible. And I would bring cookies because I knew they were coming in from out of state and staying. This dark money would put them up in hotels. But that was my intention to be the favorites of Jesus Christ to them. And I often would ask them if I could pray for them. And I had a two-sentence prayer that they would be – able to have a job that would glorify God and that they would become mighty men of God. So it was a privilege to do that, to be honest. But that’s where the girls got. It was Girl Scout cookie delivery time and I had ordered too many. I wanted to get them out of the house.
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s a great story. You know, I remember back It seems like it was 1,000 years ago now. But just going back to Bill Clinton’s administration, do you remember he used to say, look, nobody likes abortion, but we want it to be safe, legal, and rare. And that seems so quaint now because— We’re at a time when our opponents on this issue, they want all stigma removed from the taking of an innocent human life. And I saw the other day a group called Shout Your Abortion. Be proud of it is their point. And they literally have come out with a little book. aimed at five to eight year olds to try to teach these innocent little children that the right to abortion is like a superpower that they all have. And it enables them when they grow up to make the life that they want to make. And I, I was reading about this and thinking, my goodness, these children aren’t that far out of the womb themselves because their parents didn’t abort them. And here’s this group of, It’s just hard for me to imagine something more evil than trying to deceive these little children.
SPEAKER 02 :
I agree. And I actually, when we talk about the abortion issue, think we need to back the train up. and go back to the sanctity of sex. And when we were fighting to keep this out of our constitution, there was a little local newspaper that letters were flying back and forth on both sides because it was a big issue in Missouri. And the one letter that struck me as profound was a letter writer said that sex has become recreational. And so when you have sexualized the children, such as you’re talking about happens in our libraries and in our schools and making it a recreational activity, we need to reclaim the sanctity, the beauty, the holiness of what God had intended for for the sexual union within a marriage. So part of my grieving on where we are was that we haven’t stood and we had and we have in our constitution. And this is Dr. Dobson as well when we were fighting for the sanctity of marriage. I’d started way back then in Missouri. I think it was 2003, maybe. I remember standing on the street holding my sign, marriage is a man and a woman. And he spoke of that as well on the radio. I think there were 31 other states that had it within their constitution that it was a man and a woman. So I really feel like we need to reclaim that. the sanctity of marriage and sex within marriage. And when I was in the counseling room, when I worked with the pregnancy resource centers that I did, we would introduce secondary virginity and try and introduce the gift that that is within marriage, that it really is the protection that God has so that the hearts aren’t hurt and it doesn’t hurt the family. So part of this process with me, we’re so far down the road now where we’re speaking on these issues, but it was when the Olympic Committee took the Last Supper and made a parody of that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Oh, my goodness.
SPEAKER 02 :
And then I read an article in, I believe it’s called the Epoch Times, that talked about the loss of the sacred. And so now I am just, my heart is opened up to reclaiming all the sacred, which starts with the innocence of children, to keep them away from the pornography, and then to reintroduce the beauty of marriage, of sex within marriage. So it’s been a whole journey. Yeah.
SPEAKER 03 :
Vicki, I’m really enjoying this conversation. I enjoy all of these, but you just have such a great story of relying on faith and prayer. And I got a lot more things I want to talk to you about. Is there any chance that you could come back and be with us for another show?
SPEAKER 02 :
That would be wonderful. I would love to. Thank you, Gary. Thank you.
SPEAKER 01 :
Vicki Dunn reminds us that you don’t have to be famous to make a difference. You just have to show up and keep on showing up day after day, month after month, year after year. You’re listening to a special edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, featuring Gary Bauer’s conversation with pro-life advocate Vicki Dunn. Now, if you missed any portion of today’s broadcast, or if you’d like to share this encouraging story with a friend, visit JDFI.net. For nearly 50 years, Dr. James Dobson championed the cause of life and family through every available platform. His voice encouraged countless believers to take a stand for what matters most, and today that mission continues through the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. We exist to preserve and promote the institution of the family and the biblical principles on which it is based, to introduce people to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to defend the sanctity of human life at every stage. Programs like the one you heard today are only possible because friends like you believe in this work and choose to partner with us. Your generous donation, whether large or small, helps us broadcast biblical truth to millions of families all across America and also equips everyday heroes like Vicki Dunn to keep standing strong. Now, if you believe in this mission, we invite you to stand with us. You can make a donation securely when you go to jdfi.net. You can also make a contribution over the phone. A member of our constituent care team will be happy to take your call at 877-732-6825. That’s 877-732-6825. Or if you prefer, you can send your contribution through the U.S. Postal Service. Our ministry mailing address is Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Once again, our ministry mailing address is Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, or just use those initials, JDFI for short, P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado, the zip code 80949. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and from all of us here at Family Talk, thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to join us again next time when Gary Bauer continues his conversation with Vicki Dunn as she shares a powerful story of answered prayer and how her husband and grandsons were recently baptized together. That’s coming up on the next edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you can still trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
