Weekend question: In the battle over abortion language, what persuasive words do you use?
NARAL Pro-Choice VA has removed a blog post identifying 1 state senator and 5 state representatives who it met with in April for a “legislative debriefing” (although the post is cached here, and I saved a screen shot just for fun). Here was an interesting quote (underline/italics theirs):
In the last part of the evening, we had an enlightening impromptu discussion about ceding battles of language to anti-choicers. Although we know that they are not “pro-life” (as one attendee said, we are pro-life, we are the ones who care about saving lives), we often use other anti-choice word choices without realizing it or considering the consequences….
There is no such thing as a “partial-birth abortion.” Humans are not “babies” until they are born alive. We are PRO-CHOICE, not “abortionists.” Pregnant women are women who happen to be pregnant, they are not “mothers” until they have children.
When we allow the anti-choicers to shift the debate using words like “life” and “unborn,” we give them power. If you haven’t before, it’s time to become more cognizant of the words you use.
Hear, hear. It is indeed important to be cognizant of the words we use.
As illustrated, the other side cannot stand being correctly identified as “pro-abortion” or “pro-abort,” which is terminology I always use (unless I’m having a productive conversation with an abortion supporter and don’t want to alienate him/her). What’s the prob?
And they are indeed abortionists, no different than podiatrists or orthodontists or gynecologists. Again, what’s the prob?
Yes, I do say “pregnant mother,” not “pregnant woman,” because a woman is biologically a mother from the moment she conceives, not from the moment she gives birth.
As a matter of fact, I don’t say “unborn,” I say “preborn.” I think that’s more positive.
Also, as a matter of fact, NARAL, there is indeed such a thing as a “partial-birth abortion.” It has been identified and defined by law.
Other phraseology…
I say “commit abortion,” not “perform abortion,” to make it sound like the criminal act it really is.
And I try to say “human embryo experimentation” rather than “embryonic stem cell research.”
Yes, NARAL is right. Language is powerful. What other pro- and anti-life terminology are you aware of?
[HT for NARAL post: FamilyFoundationBlog.com]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
Never give a balloon, hang a flag, or plant a yard sign that says, “It’s a Girl!” or “It’s a Boy!”
SHE is a girl and HE is a boy.
Don’t refer to an embryo and fetus as an it. Choose either he or she. For example, the embryo will travel down the fallopian tube and into the uterus where he will come in contact with the endometrium.
I like to refer to the “culture of death” because abortion is a key component of a larger culture that devalues human life based on subjective, utilitarian criteria and promotes termination of life or reduced access to resources based on these criteria.
Well, actually, I never use the word “fetus”. We know that it’s a Latin word meaning “little one”, but THEY (pro-aborts) don’t seem to know what it means, and they use it to de-humanize a baby, so I consider it “their” word. I say baby, he, she, etc.
I don’t know about the rest of the country, but here on our local news and in newspapers reporters can’t seem to say “baby” or “child”. They can be talking about a NEWBORN, and they say things like “The boy was found…” or “the girl was taken to the hospital..”. You’d think they’re talking about a 6 year old, or a ten year old. They act like “baby” is a dirty word!
“There is no such thing as a “partial-birth abortion.” Humans are not “babies” until they are born alive. We are PRO-CHOICE, not “abortionists.” Pregnant women are women who happen to be pregnant, they are not “mothers” until they have children.”
The devil is described, more than anything else, as a liar. He has no power to defeat God, but he is skilled at lying, and convincing people to listen to his lies. Anyone who lies is modeling their behavior on the devil.
Abortion is the terminating of a baby, not only the ending of a health event, pregnancy….
In case of the terminating mother, her child is the victim too. One dead, one wounded and scared for life.
Just some words….John
Pray for the little ones!
I try to help them see the humanity of their unborn baby and in the process see their own humanity. I try to help them to comprehend the vulnerability of their baby and their duty as the first hedge of protection for their baby. I try to speak to their spirit and their heart. I use words like baby, sanctuary for the womb, and mom for the mom. I try to speak the truth in love. Most of all I try to help them see their own beauty as a mom so that those who advocate for the death of their baby will have a more difficult time. I try to with as few words as possible to bring healing to the disconnect they feel with their unborn. I try to help them see the wonder of life.
I deliberately mix up fetus and baby. I want them to make the connection. When describing fetal development, I mention that a person has a heartbeat just a month after conception. A person has little feet ten weeks after conception. We also need to share ultrasound images (like people are doing on facebook and other social websites). An ultrasound and a child’s name are worth 1000s of word :>)!
Yes, Jasper; he may win a battle yet he will lose the war. Though we live in time going forward and looking back, our ways are not God’s ways. The victory has already been won. We fight from a knowledge of victory. They can play with vocabulary all they want, but we will have won.
Abortion on demand IS birth control.
The ‘dead babies r us’ mob are committed to limiting as many live births as possible.
As master terminator and killer of premature infants Leroy Carhart put in so succinctly:
“My intent in every abortion I have ever done is to kill the [human] fetus and terminate the pregnancy.”
Washington, the left coast state not D.C., defines abortion as:
“Abortion” means any medical treatment intended to induce the termination of a pregnancy
except
for the purpose of producing a live birth.”
A live birth is defined as a post a natal child who, after expulsion or extraction “from it’s [her/his] MOTHER shows evidence of life which “include
breathing,
beating of the heart,
pulsation of the umbilical cord,
or definite movement of voluntary muscles.”
Elective abortion is homicide.
Last and certainly not least my favorite question for the ‘dead babies r us’ klan is:
When your mother was pregnant with you, what species of embryo/fetus was present in her uterus?
They usually become as non-reponsive as a liberal/progressive/democRAT when you ask them to define ‘rich’ and ‘fair share’.
When I was at work at some high rise condominiums in Dallas last Thursday a person came into my office who I had never met before.
He is an exterminator and the name of his company is ‘The Rat Patrol’. He was there to deal with a problem with ‘flying rats’, aka, pigeons.
I asked him if he had time to hear a joke.
He sure, go ahead.
————————————————–
A fellow goes into a curio shop in Washington, D.C. and finds a really nice casting of brass rat to use as a door stop.
He asks the proprietor, how much for the rat.
The proprietor says 12 bucks for the rat and 100 bucks for ‘the story’.
The fellow says you can keep the story, pays the 12 bucks and takes the brass rat and leaves.
As he is walking down the sidewalk he hears a rustling noise behind him. He looks back and there are rats following him. He starts walking faster, then jogging. By the time he reaches the Potomac River there are thosands of rats in hot pursuit.
He throws the brass rat in the river and the live rats all jump in after it and are drowned.
After the fellow catches his breath, he returns to the curio shop. When the proprietor sees him come through the door he asks, “I guess you came back for the story, huh?”
The fellow says, “No, not really.”
The proprietor says, “Well then, what I can do for you?”
The fellow says, “Do you have a brass democRAT?”
—————————————————
The exterminator, who’s company name is after all, ‘The Rat Patrol’, does not laugh, chuckle or even crack a smile. His only response is to say, “My, my” and turn and leave my office.
Liberals do not have a sense of humor of which they are aware.
Or maybe his pet gold fish just died.
All is not lost. Rahm Israel Immanuel can put a dead fish to work.
“And they are indeed abortionists, no different than podiatrists or orthodontists or gynecologists. Again, what’s the prob?”
Yeah, I don’t see why some people feel the need to make sure abortionists are always referred to as “abortion providers” or “doctors who perform abortions.” If they think there’s nothing wrong with abortion, why hesitate to call someone an abortionist?
I know “fetus” is a medical term, but seeing as pro-choicers have tried to use it to dehumanize human beings in the womb, I’m not that fond of the connotations it has at this point. And what do they mean, there’s no such thing as partial-birth abortion? Kid is partway out of mother. Abortionist kills kid. Voila, partial-birth abortion.
Some of these people are so ridiculous. They probably think Sharon Tate should have begged the Manson family, “Please, let me live to turn my fetus into a baby” instead of “Please let me live to have my baby.”
When it comes to pro-choice/pro-abortion, I think sometimes the two words reflect two different mindsets. There are some pro-choicers who think abortion should be legal, but don’t try to talk women into having abortions. The pro-abortion people, on the other hand, think certain circumstances mandate or practically mandate abortion, and that certain types of people shouldn’t be alive.
“When your mother was pregnant with you, what species of embryo/fetus was present in her uterus?”
LOL. I actually asked my mother, who is a retired attorney, former legal counsel, and who has been on the Board of the local Planned Parenthood. She responded that it’s obvious that the species was “homo sapiens sapiens;” but what she was carrying was a fetus – as opposed to a “human being.” And that belief is consistent with her Reformed Judaism which is, as you informed me, blasphemy. (We used to be Christ killers, now we’re “baby killers” – a term frequently used in the “battle” over abortion and one which alienates the secular, liberal Protestant, and Reformed Jews from the pro-life movement).
But perhaps in certain, ah, less than intellectually sophisticated communities(The former Confederacy?)this line passes for sheer genius. Meanwhile, those whose lives are not rooted in the Inquisition find it laughable. Mazel Tov with that line of thought.
And BTW, “fetus” is the term used in biology texts not used by Christian home schoolers and possibly Texas.
And “Elective abortion is homicide” – sorry pal, the law, under most circumstances, doesn’t see it that way. And even if Roe is reversed, there will still be states that will allow the termination of a fetus even if you kill all the abortion doctors – but then that’s “justifiable homicide” – right, Ken?
Jill, I’ve written an article detailing my opinion that the best way to refer to those children who aren’t yet born is: “soon-to-be-born”.
Can’t figure out who to submit it to. But I think it is a much bigger difference for the cause than “pro-life/anti-abortion”.
Dear former fetus
At what point did you become a baby? Congratulations on your own intellutual capacity hopefully the next time your life is as vulnerable as a unborn baby it will serve you well.
Sabra is such a pretty name, sorry you’re not on our side yet. When you were conceived, Sabra, you began a rapid forward-moving development. Eventually you were called a toddler, but not until you were older. Is it alright to kill a very tiny human being because his name is not ‘newborn’? I don’t think so.
Posted by: Sabra at June 26, 2010 5:28 PM
——-
A fetus simply describes a stage of development – and you’re mother was completely non-sensical stating a homo sapiens was present, but not a “human being”. I’m sure your mother would find it offensive if someone regarded her as a non-human being.
Oh, yes – that’s right. Many do. But that’s not really those who come here to discuss the issue of life.
What is killed in an abortion, regardless of the stage of development, is a child, whose parentage cannot be denied, particularly with the mother. That fact never changes regardless of time or development.
A child is present from the moment of conception – but a fetus is not. Technically, you have a zygote, a one celled human being. This particular stage of development is called the embryonic stage, the organs are being developed until the fetal stage is entered around the eighth week.
Just about any group can collectively call another group of human beings non-humans for the purposes of eliminating them. That Jews (and I’m not singling out any particular denomination ) do this and collectively have aborted close to 2 million in Israel alone is quite sad because it proves Torah.
As for carrying on about “Christ-killers” – get over it. The Jews are no more guilty of killing Y’shua haMoshiach than any of us.
Re: Jewish culture – it becomes increasingly difficult to have one if there is no one available to pass it on to.
sorry about the typo. That’s intellectual capacity and as an unborn babies
My heart goes out to all of the poor, lost souls who are deceived into believing that it is acceptable for a mother to kill her preborn child. Words are important because they create images, much like the photos of a CBR GAP display.
It doesn’t concern me if I provoke a strong reaction from my descriptive terminology. In fact, it concerns me more if I don’t get a strong response. It’s a good indicator that I’m striking a nerve in the kingdom of darkness.
That said, like Jill, if someone appears to have a heart that is softening in empathy toward the vulnerable, defenseless, innocent preborn children being slaughtered by the thousands every day, I am more careful to reason with them compassionately.
However, most people are nauseously apathetic to the horrific injustice being executed against preborn children. satan has hardened and blinded their hearts and they are in desperate need of a strong rebuke in hopes that they might wake up to their lost, clueless condition.
Abortion is genocide.
Abortionists are serial killers and mass murderers. They may be deceived, but that does not excuse their actions.
Their hands are covered with the blood of innocent children.
The pro-death mob is in desperate need of Mercy and Forgiveness from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
All of us are.
The totally awesome and great news is that He absolutly loves to shower us with His Mercy and Lovingkindness. He loves it! Every morning, He loves to say to each one of His children, “My mercies are fresh and brand new for you today! You’re starting with a clean slate! All of your past sins are totally wiped away and cleansed by My Blood!”
“Serve Me in the power of My Grace today!”
“And remember, I am with you.”
What a blessing! How comforting to know He is here to help us in this perverted, wicked, corrupt sin-sick world. Where among many other deeds of wickedness, women fight for the right to kill their own children in their wombs. They hire contract killers with medical degrees to murder their own sons and daughters, for convenience sake.
God, have mercy on us.
He will if we ask Him.
Just one more thing…
If you are a pro-abort, I implore you to seek out the Lover of Soul, and the Greatest Champion of Women’s Rights, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Don’t say, “I am Dr. Tiller.” Jesus said that by our words we will be justified, or by our words we will be condemned. We all hope that before he was tragically killed, Tiller knelt down at his church, repented for his sins, for killing so many children, and that he resolved not to kill another child, to close his child-killing center, and to become an advocate for Life.
But this is an extremely unlikely scenario.
In all likelihood, Tiller is now suffering unimaginable torments, sharing a special place in Hell with Mengele and other mass murderers of innocents.
Don’t allow your words to implicate you in their evil work.
Repent and be saved from the wrath to come.
God has a wonderful, abundant, fulfilling life for you. He has a special plan for your life.
Call on Him today.
Ugh the pro-aborts take the joy out of everything don’t they? My first mother’s day I was about 3 months pregnant. And I was very excited because I WAS A MOTHER!!!! I’d seen my baby, he had arms, legs, fingers and toes and a heartbeat. So don’t tell me I wasn’t carrying a baby. I believe my eyes more than warped, bitter pro-aborts.
My mom gave me a little tiny outfit for my baby. And I got other cards and gifts. I was a mom. It was my first mother’s day and I glowed. I enjoyed that day and no angry clinic escorts could ever take that from me. :-)
I always call a pregnant woman a mother because thats what she is. Even doctors call the pregnant woman “mother’ or use words like “maternal” while administering prenatal care.
I like to point out the way they twist the truth and use complete crap to support their positions.
I am surprised you didn’t have a blogline last Thursday about the panel of doctors the government hired in the UK to determine if a 24 week old baby could feel pain. Their conclusion was NO pain because they are usually in a semi-conscious sleep like state. wtf… of course they don’t feel pain while they sleep…but how about while they are awake and getting their limbs when they get their limbs torn off or poked in the skull with a scissors? The liberal minded can be so easily made to believe whatever the left feeds to them.
Yes, more good points. I try to say “he” or “she” also.
And I also sometimes refer to abortion as “genocide” or “holocaust,” both terms which the other side can’t stand connected to abortion.
Yes, I also interchange the use of “embryo,” “fetus,” and “preborn baby,” “child,” or even “offspring.”
Ashley, I agree with you to a point when you said, “If the person is already pro-choice, talking about ‘slaughtering babies’ and ‘murder’ and ‘committing’ abortions will just come off as hysterical.” I as a pro-lifer am even turned off by some of the inflammatory rhetoric, even if it’s all true. I try to use such rhetoric (aside from “committing abortions,” which I don’t consider inflammatory) judiciously.
We had a BABY shower 4 my cousin last week.
Her BABY girl is due July 12. I told
her husband happy 1st Father’s day.
I hear you Jill. The more passionate speech is probably more appropriate for the fence sitters, the apathetic. If used in dialogue with a hard core pro-abort, a potentially meaningful discussion would quickly deteriorate into a shouting match.
However, someone, either Christian or secular, (perhaps a modern day Prophet) needs to be sounding the alarm. We musn’t lose our sense of urgency.
You know better than I that there are thousands of children dying and their mothers wounded and scarred, every day.
We need more Todd’s waking up more churches.
As a previous commenter posted, you must “speak the truth in love.” No matter the anger we feel towards the crimes being committed against God’s children, (both the child and the mother) we must be Christ in how we talk to “pro-choicers.”
Keep using the words that you know are truth; baby, child, person. I specifically like how Myrtle Miller stated it
“Most of all I try to help them see their own beauty as a mom so that those who advocate for the death of their baby will have a more difficult time”
Very wise indeed.
Posted by: Sabra at June 26, 2010 5:28 PM
The point of the question is that the ‘dead babies r us’ crowd are so shallow, so intellectually dishonest, so ‘sold out’ to their agenda that they cannot/will not attach the descrptive ‘human’ to the noun ‘fetus’ when they are discussing the contents of a pregnant woman’s uterus.
It has nothing to do with their nationality, ethnicity, religion or gender.
It is about dogmatic ‘ideologues’ who refuse to look in the microscope/telescope and accurately and honestly describe what they are observing.
Just keep on defending the indefensible, excusing the inexcusable. You make yourself an even larger and slower moving target in target rich environment.
There is a colloquialism that says, ‘If you throw a rock in a pack of hounds, the hit dog always howls first.’
Thank you for reaffirming the truth in that homespun gem.
If you indulge in religion to support your untenable posistion on abortion then you have opened the door wide to criticism of ‘YOUR’ distorted pespective on what the ‘book’ has to say about killing/murdering prenatal children.
If want to engage in a battle on what the ‘book’ has to say about pre-natal personhood then fire away. (Go get one or more your esteemed rabbis.)
But do not complain when your sacred golden cows get gored in the process.
You have told what some rabbis say but you have not informed us how and why in the ‘book’ they have reached that conclusion.
Enlighten us ‘yentl’.
Sabra,
Don’t recall ever personally using the word ‘blasphemy’.
I did cut and paste some commentary from Jesus the Christ and Saul/Paul of Tarsus concerning Jews and the ‘law’. But both of these men are Jews themselves. Both of them held the ‘law’ in high regard. It was their fellow Jews they had problems with, particularly the religious hierarchy.
Jews do not have a monopoly on hypocisy. It is an affliction that is common to humans.
You indulged in religion, specifically Judasism, to support your position and then when you were challenged on the basis of what you believe, like the sterotypical and predicatable liberal you are, you claimed to be a victim of anti-semitism, the same way liberals resort to charges of racism whenever the nonsensical chatter of a non-caucasian liberal is challenged.
I do not for a moment believe that you are being sincere or honest when you make the charge.
You are ‘simply’ attempting to avoid going where you have good reason to believe the truth is leading you.
truthseeker
This is what I read on gestation of the human baby. At week 20 the nerve cells at this stage are making complex connections and sensory perception with the brain and the entire body. This carries on until the age of five or six. How can the baby not feel pain? And the argument they make about the baby being in a semi-conscious state if that’s their justification why aren’t people killed when their going through surgery? Can you imagine a surgeon trying to justify that.
When i was pregnant for the first time i didn’t know too much about the abortion issue (i just involuntarely neglected it)and so didn’t hear any pro-life or pro-abortion terminology…I JUST KNEW FROM THE MINUTE I FOUND OUT I AM PREGNANT THAT…I AM A MOTHER…AND THERE IS A …BABY…GROWING INSIDE OF ME.I EVEN CALLED HIM BY NAME.Nobody told me how to think and what terminology to use…there is the concience inside every person that tells them the truth about life…but some people DENY the basic things in life trying to PROTECT THEIR SELFISH LIFESTYLE and to PROMOTE THEIR NON-SENS PHILOSOPHIES.That’s just LIVING IN DENIAL and we know that denying one thing doesn’t make it dissapear.PRO-ABORTIONISTS can lie to themself,but who is onest with himself will know pregnant woman=mother and abortion=killing babies.LET’S NOT PAY ATENTION TO THEIR PROBLEM WITH THE TERMINOLOGY,IS JUST O WAY TO GET US DIZZY AND TAKE OUR FOCUS FROM THE REAL ISSUE…IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW THEY CALL ABORTION,IT NEEDS TO STOP!!!(IT’S RIDICULOUS WHAT THEY COME UP WITH!)
If I ever refer to a pre-born baby as a fetus, I always say “human fetus.” And of course I say “he/she” instead of “it.” Apparently, legally speaking abortion isn’t “murder” because “murder” means the unlawful act of killing, but since abortion is legal (for now), you have to say “killing” instead of “murder,” which sucks, but still people get the point.
I also try to refer to “pro-choicers” as “abortion advocates” or “abortion supporters” that way it’s a negative word along with a positive word so they balance out, whereas “pro-choice” is two positive words. I try not to say “terminate the pregnancy” because it seems to dehumanize a pre-born child and allow abortion supporters to distance themselves from killing human beings during their first stages of life.
I have a few friends who call themselves “pro-choice” and instead of arguing over the issue, I try to bring it up slightly every once in a while. That way I’m slowly implanting negative things about abortion in their minds. I’ll make a joke about abortion and then say something negative or sad about it. I read an article about how making someone laugh actually opens their mind up and they’re more likely to retain what you say. I also try to say “I understand where you’re coming from” and say “we both are just trying to do what we believe is right.” So that way you can relate to them (and they relate to you), and again they become more likely to retain what you say after that. I try to keep it short, start the conversation speak for a few minutes, then end it upbruptly (say something like “oh crap, I’ve got to go, sorry…”, because it leaves them with questions and leaves them to think about the issue for longer amounts of time, rather than having them get angry and shut you out.
I have one friend, who I was walking with and I said “I’m tired” and she’s like “why? where you up late or something?” And then I sais “Yeah, I saw this video online of an abortion and I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Everytime I closed my eyes I just kept seeing that little baby fighting to stay alive as the abortionist was poking it with the suction tube.” And she was like, “Oh. That must have been hard to watch!” “Yeah it was, I had nightmares about it and the child’s face appearing to scream.” She was very silent and just said things like “wow,” etc.
Another good way of approaching it, say “I used to be pro-choice until…(I researched it, and the science of human life or something like that, but say “science” somewhere in there).” That way they sort of feel like being “pro-choice” is something you are until you become fully educated about the issue (which is often true).
The one thing that most abortion supporters don’t like to hear about is the actually killing process! And they hate seeing pictures of the aborted child because the pictures humanize the “fetus” or “mass of cells.”
Oh and saying “Right to life” is also a good one. Say things like “I believe in the right to life for all human beings!” :)
I usually use the words embryo and fetus to describe a pre-born child, so pro-choicers can’t use the dumb “its not a baby!” excuse. Pro-choicers love to use these terms in a derogatory manner…it is like saying it is ok to kill a newborn infant because he is not a toddler yet, or it is ok to kill a teenager because she is not yet an adult.
I agree with Ashley, imnotsorry.net is a messed up site. Who cares if your child is “only” a fetus, she or he is no less your offspring than a born child.
Sabra, I was a Christian homeschooler. I also know what a fetus is, as do many others who have been homeschooled. That was quite an ignorant comment about homeschooling.
Late term abortionist Warren Hern wrote a book about how difficult it can be to actually be an abrotionist. Here are some of Warren’s words in his own book. Warren was doing some paper work in his office one night at about 9 PM. A good friend of his phoned him at work. The friend didn’t mince words. He said “Still killing babies at this hour Warren?” The 2 men shared a chuckle. Warren says he gets these kinds of comments all the time once people find out what he does for a living…….Case closed!
After reading these comments, I went over and checked out Imnotsorry. Talk about low class! An alien looking kidney bean??? All women don’t ‘go gooey’ over babies??? So what if we hadn’t been born??? Ewwww. The interesting thing is that women who give their testimonials on SilentNoMore bravely use their names and their faces. If the notsorrys had any cojones, they’d use their names. But they don’t because they’re afraid of consequences, which of course is what abortion is all about: avoiding consequences and maintaining secrecy. They also have a very outdated picture on their homepage. What’s wrong ladies? No recent pix of your triumphs? Not enough people attending your events? I feel so bad for all the uneaten salads at Klanned Barrenhood’s anniversary celebration.
Hi Ashley. I just want to let you know I think of you and pray for you often. I am very sincere in my concern and want you to know that. My heart goes out to you and I was touched by the story of your abortion. I have friends and relatives who have experienced what you have and are now healed. Take care.
Sabra:
“I actually asked my mother, who is a retired attorney, former legal counsel, and who has been on the Board of the local Planned Parenthood. She responded that it’s obvious that the species was “homo sapiens sapiens;” but what she was carrying was a fetus – as opposed to a “human being.” ”
“Human being” describes Homo sapiens sapiens at every developmental stage of the organism’s life.
By your mother’s logic, as ‘fetus’ is opposed to human being, so too is neonate, infant, toddler, child, adolescent, adult.
I hope your mother was a better lawyer than she is an armchair biologist.
I like to emphasize the humanity of hman beings in the womb, and use all terms. I have found mixing more emotional with more dry terms to work well, like saying ‘little girl fetus’ to people who want to hide behind terms.
I also equate abortion with violence and use the two words together. It is a sad, cruel, and desperate thing.
On the proactive side, I think it’s important to celebrate the unborn and motherhood at every opportunity, to strengthen
our culture’s positive view of life and love. I am purposely public a lot when I’m pregnant. Next time I want to have shirts made, saying ‘I love my embryo’ and ‘I love my fetus’. In my circle of more liberal friends and colleagues, nothing stops people in their tracks like a happy, confident pregnant mom.
I am always amazed and saddened at the lengths pro-aborts will go to in order to justify the killing of babies. Though I’m not particularly religious, this kind of behavior is so inherently EVIL. There is no other word for it.
Tori Amos (singer/songwriter) was once quoted as saying “The anti-choice movement is what makes me saddest right now.” Then, years later, she had a miscarriage, and devoted an entire album to her unborn “baby.” She called the baby “her.” She referred to herself as “mommy.” In the song “Spark,” she says: “She’s convinced she could hold back a glacier/but she couldn’t keep baby alive.” She didn’t say “she couldn’t keep FETUS alive.”
We already know, through our advances in technology, that these are CHILDREN in our wombs. Their right to live trumps all. We do not–and never have, and never will–have the right to DESTROY a person because their mere existence puts a “damper” on our “plans.”
Being pro-life is truly pro-woman. My liberty isn’t hinged on the right to kill my child. My liberty is hinged on the right to education, to choosing a professions, and, indeed, the right to vote, first and foremost.
I like using the term “privilege” to describe reproductive privilege abortion rights in general. Talking abuot the deceptive “pro-choice discourse” and the “rules according to which it was formed” will always result in an interesting conversation.
Folks, I AM anti-choice — that is, anti-choice to-kill. Let’s do like the gays did with “queer” and make it a source of pride.
Anti-choice-to-kill “fanatics” rock!
I think “human fetus” is a good term to use.
And Sabra, cut it with the anti-Semitic stuff. I was married for twenty years to a Jewish man and have a beautiful half-Jewish daughter (who, by the way, is prolife). My ex and I are still friends and he is prolife, as well. I’ve never read any anti-Semitic comments on this site and if their were any, I’m sure Jill would delete them.
Also, it’s not just hicks that homeschool their children. One of my professors in college homeschooled his children, and he is internationally known in his field.
Ashley– good to read your posts. God bless you.
A CHILD IS A GIFT
A CHILD IS HOPE
A CHILD IS LOVE
Boy, Sabra sounds a lot like Artemis….
I also never refer to a human being as “it” even if it makes things awkward to write “he or she.” I like to use correct language and grammar, because the overall courtesy to others and impression of intelligence conveyed by correctness is worth any time and effort–much like I never write “Xmas” because the respect due to our Savior is more important than whatever time might be saved by typing 5 less letters.
I like the term pro-choice-to-dismember-babies. It’s clunky but I show respect by using their preferred term, pro-choice, while refusing to compromise truth or accuracy by glossing over what choice it is that is being considered. That it annoys them is a fringe benefit. For myself I like pro-fetal-rights. It’s specific enough they can’t well say “No you aren’t!” and incorporates (rightly) the idea that we are the ones fighting for the human rights of an oppressed group. I don’t deny that I am also pro-natalist and anti-abortion, but if someone wants to call me those thingsI would probably call them anti-birth or pro-abortion (or pro-dismemberment).
I have stood with Silent No More MN and held an I Regret My Abortion sign. It is more than regret I feel.
I have marched with Operation Outcry and held an Abortion Hurt Me sign. It did more than hurt me.
I want/need a sign that speaks to the death of my child.
Humans are not “babies” until they are born alive.
I would say that this is a very interesting statement coming from a bunch of proaborts.
Because in reality, they behave as though babies are not human until they are born alive.
Before that they are clumps of cells, fetuses, products of conception etc.
If they are not human, then anything can be done with/to them.
Of course what they really mean here is that humans are not “persons” until they are born alive and therefore have no rights at all until birth.
1) Life is (the most fundamental)Human Right – and is attested to as such by numerous national and international declarations.
http://heyitsjustablogman.blogspot.com/2009/12/well-duh.html
2) Ending a human life therefore is an act of denying a fundamental human right belonging to the victim.
3) To encourage or advocate the option of denying fundamental human rights, to allowing for the wilful killing of human beings is an extreme doctrine.
4) A supporter or advocate of extreme doctrines or practices is called an extremist.
5) Therefore, abortion advocates are in reality “ANTI-HUMAN RIGHTS EXTREMISTS”
Also, the whole need for pro-aborts to distance themselves from the word “abortion” is very telling. They’ve even successfully brainwashed their sheep into thinking “pro-choice is not pro-abortion.”
Well, yes it is. Pro-choice cannot be anything BUT pro-abortion. First, if it’s so “bad” to be “pro-abortion” then why would they have a problem saying it? And you can’t be “pro-choice” without having something that is chosen. The right to “choose” is so flimsy….Choose what? Pro-choice-to-do-what???? Have an abortion. Therefore, you are pro-abortion. You can’t be pro-choice (the right to CHOOSE abortion) and not be pro-abortion. It’s ridiculous.
Their semantics and rhetoric is faulty, and deceitful. The dehumanization of the human baby in utero is a disgrace. At the same time, they feel it’s their right to mourn the miscarriage of a “wanted” “baby,” since they didn’t “choose” the baby’s death. Also, they like to say “potential life.” Um, no, it’s a life, period. There is no magical moment in our development where we suddenly BECOME persons. We don’t suddenly BECOME human beings, we are human beings, period. So we are life with potential. I still haven’t reached my potential, and I’m in my early thirties. I’m not more a person than an unborn child. I am simply older.
Happy news: I have successfully changed the mind of someone who was so pro-choice (a lawyer, even, a very good arguer!)…..We had many many discussions. It was logic, reason, and my lining up facts calmly that changed this person’s mind.
PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON PERSON
PERSON
“Happy news: I have successfully changed the mind of someone who was so pro-choice (a lawyer, even, a very good arguer!)…..We had many many discussions. It was logic, reason, and my lining up facts calmly that changed this person’s mind.”
Posted by: MaryLee at June 28, 2010 2:45 PM
Congratulations to both you and your lawyer friend. May you both convert many more hearts and minds. :)
I don’t call a certain organization by its trading name because the name itself is a lie. They don’t promote “parenthood” at all, “planned” or otherwise. They make their money by killing pre-born babies & promoting their demise. I call them “Planned PeopleKILLERS” because that’s what they do best. They don’t deserve the name they have.