From: wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Rick Russell)
Newsgroups: houston.general,tx.politics,rice.politics
Subject: Anti-choice vs. Pro-abortion (was Re: Houston Defending Choice Coalition needs you)
Date: 19 Aug 92 01:57:45 GMT
Distribution: tx
Organization: Texas A&M University, College Station

In article <exuptr.320.714175652@exu.ericsson.se> exuptr@exu.ericsson.se (Patrick Taylor) writes:
>In article <16846EEAB.JLOCK00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU> JLOCK00@RICEVM1.RICE.EDU (Joseph L. Lockett) writes:
>>See above.  'Pro-abortion' is a loaded term, 
>
>so is anti-choice, hypocrite.

Well, I didn't see myself speaking up on this thread, but now I feel
forced to...

Pro-abortion and anti-choice are not equally derogatory terms. Those
who support the traditional pro-life stance are, by definition,
anti-choice, since in most situations they would claim that a pregnant
woman should have the child, no matter what her personal choice is.
Hence the term anti-choice. Choice is antithetical to the pro-life
stance. Anti-abortion seems like an appropriate name for people who
hold this view too.

(I can see it now; someone's going to speak up and say "I'm pro-life
and pro-choice too!").

Pro-abortion, on the other hand, is a term specifically meant to debase
pro-choice supporters. Pro-abortion suggests that the person in question
not only supports the right to choose abortion, but also would personally
encourage abortions or receive an abortion.

This is simply not the case. There are many, many pro-choice
supporters who would never recommend abortion, encourage abortion, or
get an abortion for themselves. They are not pro-abortion in any
sense, they only want women to have the option of safe, legal
abortion.

>>by the way, unless you're
>>attempting (unsuccessfully) to 'subtly' advocate the anti-choice view.
>
>>>Just go vote and make your views known that way--that's
>>>the purpose of a democracy.
>> 
>>Yes, and the Clinic Defense effort isn't overtly attempting to sway
>>anti-choicers' views 
>
>anti-choice and anti-life, that must be it.  Some people just can't see
>how they do what they judge others for...

I guess I just never understood the pro-life position. Unjust death
occurs in this country, and the world, all the time. While induced
death may seem somehow more... sinful?... than death by starvation,
abuse, neglect, or poor prenatal care, there's nothing inherently
worse about it.

When pro-lifers can demonstrate to me that they

1) Are ready to provide pre-natal care and appropriate post-natal care
to all children, regardless of social, racial, or economic standards,
and

2) Would extend their hands to unwed, pregnant women with promises of
comfort and help rather than accusations of sin and ostracism,

then I'll be ready to help eliminate abortion from the world.

>    "This must be Thursday.  I never could get the hang of Thursdays"
>                                                       - D Adams
>  - Patrick Taylor
>    Ericsson Network Systems
>    exuptr@exu.ericsson.se                       "Don't let the .se fool you"
>    alternately, exuptr@ZGNews.Lonestar.Org
-- 
# Rick Russell    | TAMU Meteorology   | wrr3118@tamsun.tamu.edu (Internet) #
# "Snow Goons are bad news." - Calvin  |                                    #
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