Changing the Name of the Game
One of the more glaring examples of this is in the abortion debate. For whatever reason we allowed the conservatives to name the game, calling themselves "pro-life". This of course opened the door to allowing those who are pro-choice be labeled as "pro-abortion" or "anti-family". We allow them to run under the name of "pro-life" and claim that they are trying to "save the babies" when time and time again they have shown utter contempt for life and children.
A recent example is that of the 14 year old girl in Poland. After being beaten and raped she found herself pregnant and petitioned for an abortion. The "pro-life" groups came out in mass to threaten both her and her doctors, prevent her abortion, and have her removed from her mother's care. Here is a child in need of her mother, her life ripped apart by both a rape and finding herself pregnant by her rapist. And yet where is that so-called concern for the child or her life?
Though the call is often that "life begins at conception" most also agree that life ends at birth, at least if that birth results in a person with a vagina. It's why "pro-life" groups have refused to back plans for children's health care, why a "pro-life" president has blocked fund for family planning and women's health care, why a "pro-choice" presidential candidate voted no to prevent teen pregnancy through education and contraceptives. From bombing women's clinics that provide abortions to blocking access to the things that would prevent the pregnancies to begin with "pro-life" groups are anything but for life.
I demand a name change. Stop referring to these people are "pro-life" and start calling them what they really are. Anti-choice, pro-forced pregnancy, anti-women. Don't buy into their rhetoric about being for lives and children when their actions tell a completely different story. Instead I would like to see the ones who are actually in favor of protecting lives being called pro-life. The ones who support health care, family planning, and education. The ones who care about the lives already here and actively work to support and protect them.
I am pro-life, I feel that all lives are sacred, and I think that we should be fighting to protect lives. And that means supporting legal abortions. Because women and children are people too and they deserve to be treated as such.
Mike Pouraryan
Political Trinity