A proposal: Can we, progressive, stop using the term "pro-life?"

[question everything]

Sure, this is how they like to be known, keeping pregnancy at all cost, even if the woman dies.

Let's face it: the term "pro-life" is a visceral appeal to everyone. Who is not pro-life? While "pro-choice" is more cerebral (in my mind).

I've often thought that we need to talk about a woman's privacy, since a woman's body really is no one's business. When we go ahead with them and use their term, we, tacitly, agree they are pro-life while we are the "baby killer."

Let's call them anti-choice, or anti women. Let's not accept their terminology.

[Bluebear]

1. I ALWAYS have said anti-choice. Good post.

[silverojo]

2. Anti-choice or anti-abortion

Though we know they're anti-women, that's a moniker that would only backfire against us.

[ColbertWatcher]

3. Anti-doctor.

The GOP is anti-doctor.

[silverweb]

4. Absolutely right.

I've been calling them "anti-choice" for years now and often make that point to others if the subject comes up.

[libnnc]

5. anti-choice

:kick:

[mooseprime]

6. YES! this is right on and WAY overdue.

and, we should shift the argument to the ethical question posed by legally compelling someone to use their own organs to support the life of someone else. next thing, citibank will be harvesting organs from people who miss a credit card payment.

[Heidi]

7. Anti-medical privacy. (nt)

[fulllib]

8. Absolutely agree!! (new poster!)

We are all pro-life, just anti-criminalization. Even if someone is against abortion, asking if they are willing to criminalize women for getting an abortion is a different question. I totally agree with you.

[Bluebear]

9. Welcome to DU!

[fulllib]

12. Thank you Blue Bear

Love the sig!

[question everything]

11. Right. There was a pastor at the convention

and when interviewed he said that while he believes that life begins at conception, it does not end at birth. Meaning that once the babies are here, there is not much incentive to provide for them.

And Welcome to DU!

:toast: :bounce:

[fulllib]

16. Even more broadly . .

We should never be using the terminology agreed on by Fixed News and Assoc.

Climate Change is another pet peeve of mine- its GLOBAL WARMING! Repub tax cuts should be called tax-shifters (to state and localtax), or debt-makers.

I don't mean to take the focus off the them of your post, its just this area of the left capitulating to the language he right uses could be a forum on its own.

[demodonkey]

10. I always say anti-choice. nt

[Middle finga]

13. Agreed for now on it's anti choice for me

[billyoc]

14. I call them "clinic bombers", but I'll consider toning it down to "fetus worshippers"

if it will help.

[REP]

15. Fetus fetishist is nice; so is antiabortnoid

"Flaming fuckstick" also works.

Oh! Oh! Pro-LIE is one of my faves.

[jillan]

17. Great idea because being pro-life applies to providing healthcare and taking care of the living

as well.

These Repugs are definitely not pro-life.

[riverdeep]

18. If they can bring the term 'Democrat'

as in Democrat Party (no fuckstick, it's Democratic party) into popular usage, then why not?

[TheWraith]

19. This same thing goes around every so often, and it never does anything.

The bottom line reality is that no matter how many times a handful of people call the other side "pro forced birth" or whatever idiotic term is chosen at the time, in the public mind it's always going to be "pro life" and "pro choice," because those are the acceptable and neutral terms usable in newspapers and media.

[duaporte]

28. pro, anti- abortion rights

The newspapers and media have starrted using the term "pro-abortion rights" , which is a mixed blessing. It starts with "pro-abortion", but at least the other side gets tagged with "anti-rights"

[JDPriestly]

20. My very elderly mom tells pollsters that she is pro-choice, but, she proudly

says, she does not tell them what she means by that -- which is that she is anti-war.

The real pro-lifers are the anti-warers.

[Qutzupalotl]

21. How about "enforced pregnancy advocates"?

NOW has used that term before.

[caduceus111]

22. I think the better term is...

...against reproductive rights.

Anti-choice is vague. Anti-women is misleading (however true it may be).

I hate the term "pro-life." A lot of "pro-lifers" are hypocrites that also advocate capital punishment, unjust war, etc. They're only pro-life until the fetus is out of the womb.

[Tigress DEM]

24. I agree. And welcome to DU!

[RedLetterRev]

27. Exactly

I've tried to get it out there for years that it is philosophically irreconcilable to call one's self at once pro-war and pro-death-penalty then have the nerve to throw "pro-life" into the mix. I love to make a theatrical show of "I don't even want to know what weeeeeirrrd mental gymnastics you have to go through, just how much you have to lie to yourself to tell yourself you can be all three at once. Just think about it -- it's impossible." War is death; just think about death penalty -- and they want to holler that they're pro-life?

I think not. Not in front of me they won't.

I will well ask, just to make a point. "Are you pro-war?" Nearly reliably, they answer a hearty "Yes!". Then I'll ask, "Are you pro-death-penalty?". Same hearty, blood-lusty "yes!". Then I'll calmly give them the skewer: "Then you cannot say that you are 'pro-life'". I deliver this quietly, calmly, almost in the manner of a librarian helping a visitor find just the right volume they've wanted for so long.

It upsets a lot of folks who try to put it in my face. But I will never let them get away with it.

[Tigress DEM]

23. Don't beat me up, now, but can we also.....

Try to find ways to reduce the number of abortions needed, because let's face it....

Even if it is a valid choice, it shouldn't be top of the list. It's no fun for the person having it either.

If we could swing the dialog back toward allowing women more control over their bodies way before abortion ever becomes a factor and educating girls to think more of themselves so they aren't persuaded by the first cute guy who comes in contact with their hormones to let it all hang out.

I don't think young women should have to be prudes, but I think a lot of these situations happen when girls are first learning the ropes about the business end of dating and dealing with the pressure to put out when their own bodies are screaming, "YES!" and that tiny rational voice is saying, "wait.. he's got a cro-magnum uni-brow and freaks out if he bowls under 239 - do you really want HIM as your child's father? YECH."


DEMs are taking religion back, why can't we take back the dialog about abstinence but approach it from a positive aspect of giving yourself time to take care of your own entry into adulthood and preparing to take on the world?

[Greyhound]

25. Been calling them what they are, anti-choice, my whole life. Kick & R. n/t

[old mark]

26. I have been using anti-choice

since that is actually what they are. They are not really pro anything except their own opinion.

Rec.

mark

[DailyGrind51]

29. "Pro-life", only if it also incorporates opposition to the death penalty,

and pre-emptive war, and believes that healthcare IS a universal right.

[kwolf68]

30. I use pro life

To explain my positions on war, poverty, crime, disease, health care.

When discussing what a women can do with her own body I say its none of my fucking business.