The pro-choicer's losing battle
8 comments
We're losing support for abortion rights.
A new poll has produced dismal results. Whereas the majority of the population used to support abortion rights, now only 47 percent of Americans feel abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a drop from 54 percent a year ago.
45 percent say it should be illegal in all or most cases, up from 41 percent a year ago.
While conducting my major research paper on the pro-life movement (download the paper here if you're interested in reading it or watch the video I made summing up my findings), I realized how cunning and manipulative these activists are. By convincing more and more people each day that they are immoral baby-killers who are no better than Ted Bundy if they support a woman's right to choose, they are gaining this support.
But it is partly our fault as well. The pro-choice movement needs a change. We're stuck on addressing the political aspect of abortion, and never discussing the morality of it. By doing this, we leave out a huge chunk of the population that believes that a woman should choose what to do with her pregnancy, but still feels uncomfortable at the thought of ending a "life." Naomi Wolf, feminist author, wrote in her 1995 article "Our Bodies, Our Souls: Rethinking Pro-Choice Rhetoric,"
The movement's abandonment of what Americans have always, and rightly demanded of their movements - an ethical core - and its reliance instead on a political rhetoric in which the fetus means nothing are proving fatal.
A very bold and controversial observation she makes, but there is a lot of truth to it. It's time for an image change, or we're fucked.
Posts
October 3, 2009 at 3:22 PM
It is telling that appeals to reason, science, and rationality are losing and emotional appeals and misinformation are winning. I shouldn't be surprised. These are the same people who want creation in the classroom and teach abstinence only education. And it's all based on emotion and not facts. Sometimes I so disgusted with our country.
October 3, 2009 at 7:24 PM
also, i think we may need some more actual info on this group who did the survey.
who are thse people: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life?
someone needs to dig, even i've never heard of them.
just because they say they are non-partisan doesnt mean crap.
October 3, 2009 at 10:55 PM
It is unbelieveable to me that more than half of our population does not support a woman's right to choose. In reality if abortions were illegal they would STILL happen. But it would be unsafe and underground just like it used to be. Many women will die trying to give themselves an abortion. Those who cannot afford to have a child, will be forced to bring up a baby in severe poverty. I thought America was about moving forward, not going back. I don't understand when pro-lifers say that pro-choicers are unfeeling murders. No one WANTS to have an abortion. No one agrees that it is a positive thing. So it's important to prevent unwanted pregnancy as much as possible. It's obvious that teaching abstinance in the classrooms doesnt work! I think the most important thing is to teach prevention through contraceptives.
its OUR body. OUR choice.
October 4, 2009 at 5:25 AM
This pew poll is the same results they had six months ago.
So really, the numbers haven't changed.
October 4, 2009 at 11:58 AM
It's true that we should look into where these numbers came from, good point!
Regardless, many pro-choice activists will still agree that pro-lifers are gaining support rapidly, which is why I didn't really question these stats.
October 4, 2009 at 12:00 PM
P.S.: here is more detailed information on the study that was conducted, from the Pew Forum's website: http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=441
October 4, 2009 at 4:01 PM
You should always question and investigate something you are linking as fact, regardless of what people are "saying".
That's called 3-party rumor until verified.
October 4, 2009 at 4:56 PM
No, I agree. That's why I checked out their website. They explain exactly how they conducted the study, so you can either take it or leave it :)