Dean: We need to change the debate on abortion....do it on our terms.

[madfloridian]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/031005/dean.html

SNIP..."Dean spoke at the House Democrats’ weekly meeting for 15 minutes and took questions from lawmakers, according to several sources inside the well-attended closed-door gathering...."

The last paragraph caught my interest, and I think I like this idea. He has been saying we should not use their terms, trying to show the way they have misused it. He did this with liberal, finally determining the Republicans had damaged the word too much to fix it.

SNIP..."On abortion, Dean told the caucus that the party needs to change the language of the debate, which he said is now conducted on Republican terms. The language, he said, needs to be changed from “pro-life, pro-choice,” to “rare, safe and legal.” And he promised to discuss those changes with groups favoring abortion rights..."

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. I could not agree more

We should make it clear that one should ever be happy about an abortion, but that sometimes it is the only humane thing to do and the woman should have that legal option.

[countryjake]

24. Holy effing crap! You're saying that now we should tell women...

how they should FEEL about any medical procedures they might have? A gal who's had a few unplanned, terminated pregnancies & felt nothing but extreme relief, afterwards, should be ostracized, no BRAINWASHED, into feeling sorrow for doing something that was strictly her business? Jesus, I can see the mental health racket now, treatment for feelings of extreme inhumanity...gee, think we could get disability for that?

[vpigrad]

2. I still think the real issue needs to be discussed instead!

For "conservatives," the abortion issue has nothing to do with babies. It has to do with control of women. We should use language like "force a woman to be enslaved to another person for 18 years" or "force a woman to gain dozens of pounds and spend many thousands of dollars." I've noticed that while teaching when you present the facts of the repuke's hatred towards young women, almost all of them will come around to the right side. For the boys, too many of them love the idea of controlling women so they don't support freedom.

[GiovanniC]

6. Tripe

n/t

[CornField]

3. Doing so will also bring to light the hypocrisy of the anti-woman crowd

It is time that the general public was made aware of the ties between the economy and abortion rates.

[HockeyMom]

4. Pro BIRTH, not Pro life

They just want them to be born. Don't give a damn what happens to them once they are. Witness this administration's policies to the ALREADY BORN.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CornField]

10. You're very cute... however the jury is still out on possible intellegence

Abortion rates in the US dropped dramatically during the Clinton years. You do remember those years when the economy was good, right?

As the economy began to slip under the Bush* administration, abortion rates raised significantly.

A close look at the statistical data shows that there is a close tie between women's perceptions of the economy and their willingness to continue a pregnancy. When women see after school programs and other social programs being cut, they are much less likely to continue a pregnancy to term. When women view the world as a dangerous place, they are much less willing to bring more children into the world.

Now, I'm quite sure you know where to stick your double-edged sarcasm.

[Heddi]

17. Boy---ya'll are out in full force today

oh! You got me all in a twitter! Why, you're right...why CAN'T cars run on aborted Feti?

:slaps forehead: Why, the answer to peak oil has been staring us in the face the WHOLE TIME!!!!!

:dunce:

Now, were you saying something, or was that a belch I just read on my computer screen?

[Yosie]

5. And this slipper slope equating of abortion and stem cell research

is junk theology hoookum and junk science bull crap -- for the "Intelligent Design" and "Young Earth Creation" and "Rapture Right" sheeple.

[madfloridian]

7. I like his pointing out how the GOP took over the terms of debate.

This can only be good, to point it out.

[countryjake]

23. The democrats put the issue up for debate back when...

Clinton added the term "Rare" to a medical procedure!

[realFedUp]

9. also talk about conservatives trying to get women pregnant

through absence of family planning and health information,
boycott of funding for family planning clinics
and of course their baby selling factories when girls
do get pregnant.

[madfloridian]

11. When did this deal about contraceptives get started in the GOP?

Is it a side effect of the right wing religious extremists trying to gain control?

[realFedUp]

25. Good question

definitely a cave man mentality

[tinonedown]

12. At least he is doing something

Goodness, seems we have been stagnant for years. We are finally moving. Up!

[Scout]

13. I'd be happier if he made a slight change

to more like this:

Unwanted pregnancies are rare, and abortion is safe and legal.

[MamaBear]

14. The Doctor Sells Out

Legal safe and rare equals expensive and hard to get. Insurance companies get to opt out on coverage ...

So they send their daughters overseas the poor women in rural areas get to raise big families on whatever they can get from Wal-Mart or Tyson Foods. Beautiful.

So much for the "doctor."

[NYCGirl]

15. That's not what it means at all. Where do you get that?

What it does mean is that birth control information and birth control is easy to obtain, so that the abortion rate is lowered.

[madfloridian]

16. Shame on you for twisting the truth like that.

It is about making information, counseling available instead of relying on abstinence....why do you think the rate of abortion has gone up under this administration? Teens are not going to abstain all that much.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

18. oh we have a machiavellian tactit here

you trying to be kniving and clever doesn't work with us here. Stop trying to twist his words.

[countryjake]

19. Why do these people continue to pretend they're reframing...

& then insert the term "rare" into a medical care issue. Abortion should be safe & legal, with no stipulations. The language needs to be changed from anything to do with pro this or that, completely, & explained as basic women's rights, as protected under the Constitution. Drop the term "right to choose" & start talking about maintaining adequate, safe, medical care for all women, including availability in rural & disadvantaged areas.

If he is really serious about changing the debate, he needs to separate the economics from the medical, where reproduction is concerned.

[madfloridian]

20. They should be rare.

.

[countryjake]

22. Why?

[rniel]

21. As far as abortions being rare

The number of abortions have increased in bush's term because he put the squeeze on poor people. This should be pointed out over and over by democratic party people.