"Pro-life" and "Pro-death" works for me......every time.
*whispering* "She nailed it,
didn't she?"
Angel babies
Posted on 03/25/2010 10:12:09 PM PDT by OneLoyalAmerican
Words matter. They speak volumes about issues. So when individuals or groups try to change the words associated with a heated political issue, take note and take care.
The folks at National Public Radio understand the power of words. Managing Editor David Sweeney announced yesterday that the station would no longer refer to people in the abortion debate as "pro-choice" and "pro-life." Instead, the station will say "abortion rights advocates" and "abortion rights opponents," according to a memo circulated to NPR staff.
In making this change, NPR is shifting the terms of the debate to make it more friendly to the pro-choice position.
Being pro-something sounds much nicer than being anti-the other thing. So while the pro-choice and pro-life labels may not be particularly profound -- neither group is anti-choice or anti-life, after all -- they do convey each side's position on a level playing field. One believes women should be able to choose whether to keep a pregnancy, the other believes that even the unborn have an inviolable right to life.
Is NPR planning on referring to advocates of gun control as "gun rights opponents"? As the Cato Institute's David Boaz wrote earlier this month,
In 415 NPR stories on abortion, I found only one reference to ‘abortion advocates,' in 2005. There are far more references, hundreds more, to ‘abortion rights,' ‘reproductive rights,' and "women's rights.' And certainly abortion-rights advocates would insist that they are not ‘abortion advocates,' they are advocates for the right of women to choose whether or not to have an abortion. NPR grants them the respect of characterizing them the way they prefer.
I called Sweeney to ask him if NPR was going to change its terminology concerning gun rights. He did not return my call (I will post an update if he does).
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
I totally agree with you. Abortion-rights advocates fought hard to get the “pro-choice” label, and they’ve wanted the term “anti-choice” for their opponents.
The last thing they want is the word “abortion” in their title. Heck, NARAL actually changed their name from National Abortion Rights Action League to “NARAL-Pro Choice America”, keeping the NARAL as an undefined abbreviation.
Being “pro” is only marginally better than being “anti”, and wholly depends on the feelings about the thing you are “pro” or “against”. “Pro-Death-Squads” never sounds good, no matter how nice “pro” sounds.
I disagree with your take as well, and agree with the freeper who said this is better than their “pro-choice”/”pro-life” labels; and MUCH better than the “pro-choice”/”anti-choice” that many pro-abortion groups use.
Almost every argument I get into with abortion rights people get upset if I call them “pro-abortion”, and if I say “pro-abortion-rights” they get mad and say I’m saying they are “pro-abortion”.
“Abortion rights supporters” and “abortion rights opponents” is NOT “as neutral as possible.” It paints one side positively as “rights supporters” and the other side negatively as “rights opponents.” It presumes that there IS such a thing as a “right” to an abortion, and thus it automatically takes a side in the debate.
More neutral would be to use the term “legalized abortion,” since that, in fact, is what happened when the Supreme Court struck down states’ laws in 1973. “Supporters/opponents of legalized abortion”–that would be more precise and neutral than to presume abortion as a “right.”
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Excellent point!
"Pro-life" and "Pro-death" works for me......every time.
Leni
Bump
I completely agree. The starkness of the word “abortion” is much more fitting than the meaningless ‘pro-choice’ euphemism.
That’s my thought. ‘Pro-life’ and ‘pro-choice’ are both propaganda words that sound positive in their own right. I’m okay with labeling abortion (rights) opponents as such, as long as abortion proponents are labeled equally. Maybe it’d be less loaded if ‘rights’ were taken out of it and they were simply pro- or anti-abortion advocates or groups.
*********************
Quite right. Just as they've redefined themselves as "progressives" rather than "liberals". The Left is all about deceit and manipulation.
Just like their ideological “father” (John 8:44).
If they were honest about their goals and worldview,
they’d never see the halls of power,
because decent people would reject them.
Instead they cloak their goals in the guise of “good intentions”.
Exactly. “Doublespeak”, if you know the word.
You're partially correct. If they simply said "abortion advocates" and "abortion opponents" I'd agree with you. But by inserting the word "rights," they imply that the anti-abortion position is bad. You can just hear the thinking on the issue: "Isn't America all about personal freedom? Isn't it wrong to restrict someone else's rights?"
The most amazing thing to me about the abortion debate is that it's a debate at all. We're talking about killing babies. Could you imagine someone discussing "murder rights advocates" and "murder rights opponents?"
Must be why they get along so well with the Radical Islamics — they have a love of deceit as well! (Taqiyya)
Yep, the road to hell is paved with “good intentions”. As I said the other day in a debate about another issue — that warmth they’re feeling is NOT Global Warming, no wonder they are so confused!
"Pro-life" and "Pro-death" Your comment that "The life, liberty and pursuit of happiness rights that men enjoy are an endowment from our Creator. As stated as such in the roots of our Nation's founding document, the Declaration of Independence" is significant, and it lies at the heart of the philosophy of our Constitution's protections.
"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them." - Thomas Jefferson
Semantic tricks by NPR can never change the underlying premise of our liberty--that it comes to us from the hand of the Creator!
Smoke and mirrors and semantic shenanigans are the tools of those who have taken America away from its foundations in Creator-endowed life, liberty, and laws to protect them.
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