The primary success of the American pro-life movement over the past half-century is the stigmatization of abortion against all cultural odds. Despite ongoing attempts by abortion activists to “shout their abortions”; to insist on “abortion on demand and without apology”; and to characterize abortion as “jut healthcare,” it hasn’t worked.
When pro-life activists debate about choice, abortion activists win. People love choices. But when pro-life activists focus the debate on what is being chosen, they often win—because the reality that abortion kills a baby is incontrovertible.
Some abortion advocates have realized this. After Dr. Christina Francis, an anti-abortion OB-GYN testified about abortion on July 19 during the U.S. House Energy and Commerce hearing on the impact of the Dobbs decision, Congresswoman Kathleen Rice of New York’s 4th District weighed in—to object to the word ‘abortion.’
“I would suggest you stop throwing the word ‘abortion’ around because you think it’s one that is going to raise emotions about having reasonable conversation,” she stated. “[The] word has been weaponized, in my opinion, by certain people in this country because if we’re going to have a real conversation about this, we have to stop using language that is going to prevent an actual meaningful conversation from happening.”
To sum up: Congresswoman Rice wants to have a meaningful conversation about abortion without using the word abortion because that word conjures up certain connotations in people’s minds.
