Some musings about the abortion debate

[fnottr]

I've been reading up on the whole ideas of framing issues and how language shapes perceptions, and I realized something about the abortion debate. The anti-abortion crowd call themselves 'pro-life' from which it follows that if you don't agree with them you are 'anti-life', a term I've even seen used a few times. We call ourselves 'pro-choice' and call them 'anti-choice.

Well, it occurs to me that someone can be 'anti-choice' about a whole bunch of issues and not come off sounding like some sort of lunatic. For example, someone could be 'anti-choice' when it comes to drugs, that is, they don't believe people have to right to choose to do drugs. While I might disagree with this stance, it's still rational and reasonable viewpoint.

The opposite cannot be said about their term. I can't think of a single situation where someone could claim to be 'anti-life' and not come off sounding like a psychopath. 'Life' is just a much stronger rhetorical term than 'choice'.

Now, my idea is, why don't we start calling ourselves 'pro-woman' certainly it's no more inflammatory then them calling themselves 'pro-life'. I would argue that it's less inflammatory because we really are pro-woman, where they are certainly NOT pro-life when it comes to certain things (the war, the death penalty, etc). This would force them into the position of having to show that they are not actually anti-woman, whereas right now they don't have to argue that they aren't 'anti-choice' because it's not a strong enough term to have to fight against.

EDIT:

Let me give a short example:

If you went up to a fundie who was picketing planned parenthood and asked them, "So, are you telling me you're anti-choice?", they'd probably say, "You're damn right I'm anti-choice!" and that would be that. Whereas if the Fundie asks one of us, "So are you saying you're anti-life?" it forces us into a little song and dance routine about how we're not actually anti-life, but were really for the rights of the woman, etc. Now, if we adopt the term 'pro-woman' and ask them, "So are you anti-woman?" then they have to do the song and dance.

[DrCorday]

1. Haha fire with fire.

Yeah, and they do this a lot. Same concept that leads to:

"Bush fights terrorists." : "Bush fights Kerry." : "Therefore, Kerry is a terrorist."

You see that type of reasoning a lot in Republican propaganda. I agree with your proposal. Knock an email over to NARAL and see if it goes anywhere, it will be quite fun to watch later on cable news.

[shraby]

2. It's also the right to have a doctor

and medical care.

[fnottr]

3. Exactly

the term 'pro-woman' meshes with a whole bunch of our other issues, such as health care, day care for single mothers, equal pay, and a whole bunch of other things.

[ChairOne]

4. i LIKE it!

good one! <clap><clap>

[theorist]

5. Insert Ann Coulter joke here.

In all seriousness, though, it's a great idea.

[saltpoint]

6. I think your post is thoughtful and encouraging.

Only one thing to throw in --

A friend of mine often shows up with positive, acclaiming hand posters in support of physicians who perform abortions.

He will often be the only positive, acclaiming "protestor" there, and is usually outnumbered by the "pro-life" faction.

But I really like the idea of positive reinforcement.

[rhino47]

7. Good Point

They are not pro-life.They are pro-birth.
Have the baby at any cost.Then neglect to want to feed cloth educate it until its of the age to join the military.

[Bzzzz]

8. George Carlin said something similar...

"Have the baby at any cost.Then neglect to want to feed cloth educate it until its of the age to join the military." at a Ball State homecoming a few years back. You should have heard the RW 'gasps' in the audience.

[rhino47]

9. lol I wish I could have been there

Actually that point was brought up to me by of all people a nun.
Sister Joan from the sisters of mercy in Erie pa.
She is really vocal in her distain of the "religious" right.
She did a special on pbs in nov.I think it was on NOW.

[fnottr]

10. LOL

Read me sig, Carlin's the man

[Eric J in MN]

11. Good. You can also call their position "pro-birth."

Kos of the Daily Kos recently, approvingly quoted an email he got which said we should call their position "pro-birth."

[fnottr]

12. I like that one too

the term 'birth' has far less teeth than the term 'life' does. 'Birth' is a colder and more clinical term, calling them pro-birth makes them seem like they want women to be "Brood-mares for the state" as George Carlin once so eloquently put it.

[gollygee]

13. ITA - very few "pro-lifers" are pro-life

here's a thread that is related: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2926818

Other anti-life stances of this administration:

the war
medical care and prescription costs (people die all the time because they can't afford medical care and prescriptions)
death penalty
pollution
safety regulations