Saturday, October 30, 2010

Facebook status on the word "anti-choice"

On Wed, October 27, 5:36P I made this status + comment on Facebook:

Facebook Status:

I have often preferred to use the word "anti-abortion" rather than "anti-choice", because the former is more specific. It's also the most neutral choice between "pro-life" and "anti-choice" and I hope this would be a good compromise if I ever speak with anti-abortion believers. But...

Comment under:
I feel that the "pro-choice/anti-choice" dichotomy can be different than the "anti-abortion/pro-abortion" dichotomy. For one thing, many self-identified pro-choicers find themselves to be "anti-abortion" is some way. Often these folks are ones who would never think they would have an abortion themselves, but would not want to stop others from having one whether by law or verbal lecture. Also, "pro-choice" is meant to be supportive of ANY choice the pregnant woman might make, whether abortion, adoption, raising the baby yourself, or maybe giving it to a family member to raise. Surely this includes such choices as raising a baby with the father BUT not marrying the father or perhaps not even continuing the romantic or sexual relationship. Ideally, I think the hetero-couple should psychologically keep their relationship's evolution separate from their co-parenting responsibilities. I disagree strongly and fiercely that couples should stay together "just for the kids".

So ultimately the "choice" word is far more meaningful than the "euphemism for abortion" that many claim it to be. I can't fully say that the motivation to euphemize is not there. And that is because I understand humans to be ALWAYS motivated by more than they are saying (or consciously thinking). BUT the motivation of standing for choice is strong enough to be NOT a peripheral motivation, but a primary one (if not THE primary one).

So now we are just left with the feelings of those who may be called "anti-choice". I can only say this: there is far more important things at stake than how you feel being called that. If taking this stand means I have given you permission to call me or my friends YOUR preferred labels (pro-death, pro-abortion, pro-abort, pro-murder) then I can live with that. I hope my friends might feel the same, but then again I know that my fellow pro-choicers suffer a lot more than me in fighting. I'm watching the Assassination of George Tiller and I see what clinic escorts and doctors have to put up with. I can't speak for them in determining how much THEY should have to tolerate in being called the preferred labels of anti-abortionists.

Even among the non-violent (in thought and deed) subset of anti-abortion citizens there are those who still support abstinence-only, no contraception, no sex outside of marriage or procreation, and no life without religion. They may not represent the whole subset, but it bothers me so much that even here among the better angels we find intolerance for people's choices to live as they are, sexuality and all.

I feel that the anti-abortion folks are "pro-life" only in the sense of life as biological function and absence of clinical death. Life is so much more than that, and that is what women are fighting for when they travel x-number of miles to an isolated clinic where anti-choice screamers will be.

It not an issue, it is the lives of women.

2 comments:

freewomansholyinheritance said...

"I feel that the anti-abortion folks are "pro-life" only in the sense of life as biological function and absence of clinical death. Life is so much more than that, and that is what women are fighting for when they travel x-number of miles to an isolated clinic where anti-choice screamers will be."

YES! But, more than that, I feel that the use of the word anti-choice is correct unless and unTIL ProLifers promote the right to life of all other humans' along WITH the right to life of the fetus. Or promote uterine donation in the same manner that all OTHER forms of organ donation are promoted. I feel that the term ProChoice is correct and any labels that the anti-choice would apply to us are incorrect, because we DO promote the right to bodily autonomy of ALL humans.

Until they can prove otherwise, anti-choice is correct for them while ProChoice is correct for us.

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