The Abortion Debate Cont.

Jeromy commented on my previous abortion post.

The new language that pro-choicers have adopted (and it has been popularized the media) is that abortionists are pro "reproductive rights." And Joe America says, "Hey, I'm all about rights..."

This is exactly what I'm talking about. The language we use helps shape our thoughts and so in a debate this serious; it becomes critical to use the right language. Obviously people who support abortion rights have done a fantastic job (from their POV) of using language that makes it easier for them to support their views. If you call your side "pro-choice" or "pro-reproductive rights" it becomes harder to argue against that because suddenly you're a fascist who wants to suppress people's "rights."

It's why I support a bottom-up approach to tackling abortion rather than a top-down approach. It's easier to talk to individual family member, friends, and acquaintances than to be a demagogue (no matter which side you are on) trying to persuade the masses that your team is the right one. You can connect to people better and (hopefully) have a better debate this way rather than a shouting match that does nothing but inflame emotions and shut down real debate.