Why Abortion is NOT about a Woman’s Choice

Abortion advocates who engage in discussion with pro-life advocates frequently justify their approval of abortion by saying that it is a woman’s right to choose. Whereas “pro-life” is the quip for the side against the practice of abortion, “pro-choice” has become the handle for those on the other side who are not against abortion. I believe that “pro-choice” is a misnomer, an intentionally inaccurate label, used by individuals and groups to take the focus off the real issue. I offer the following for your consideration:

Everyone Already Believes A Woman Should Have The Right To Choose

As a strong advocate of the pro-life position, I am taken back when it is implied that I would restrict a woman her right to make choices. I grant that there may be exceptions to the rule, individuals who are truly sexist in their outlook on life (however, this is irrelevant because there are sexists on both sides of this debate, perhaps more so in the pro-abortion camp due to their neglect for the man’s right to choose). Pro-lifers arrive at the pro-life position because of their view on the value of life, not because of their view on gender. Women should have (and, in fact, DO have) the right to choose who they will date, marry, and have as their friends. Women should have (and, in fact, DO have) the right to choose what they will wear, what they will eat, how they will spend their free time, what kind of education they wish to pursue… I could list more, but the point should be clear: Women, as a gender, should have the same rights that men have.

Advocates of abortion already know this about us, yet they ignore it and assert that they are truly “pro-choice” because of their stance on the issue of abortion. They realize that by calling themselves “pro-choice” they are saying that their opponents are against a woman’s right to make a “choice.” Is that fair?

So-Called “Pro-Choice” Advocates Neglect Equal Attention To The Father’s Choice

When a woman gets pregnant the child in her womb is the son/daughter of BOTH the father and the mother. This is not an opinion, it is science. The child in the womb is the result of a sexual encounter between a man and a woman. This is true 100% of the time.

Now consider the logic of saying that out of the three people (the father, the mother, and the son/daughter) the mother’s choice is most important. If the pro-choice position was truly about choice then why not campaign for the father to have an equal say in the matter? What about the son/daughter? Does their desire to live or die (regardless of their capability to communicate it) factor in? It seems to me that the label “pro-choice” is far to vague to be accurate or useful in everyday discussion. The so-called “pro-choice” advocates give far more preference to the woman while disregarding the preference of the father as well as that of the fetus.

Might I suggest that an outlook which disregards one person’s choice while elevating another person’s choice is just as much “anti-choice” as it is “pro-choice”?

Abortion Is The Choice To Murder

What if, for the sake of argument, we grant the term “pro-choice” to the abortion advocates. It seems that having a choice is better than not having a choice. So what kind of choice is it that they are in favor of? In one word: Murder. In ten words: The legal and ethical assassination of a helpless, innocent fetus. Imagine coming into this debate for the first time, asking questions to better understand the issues. “Ok, so you are ‘pro-choice,’ what choice are you in favor of?” An honest answer would be along the lines of “we are in favor of a woman’s right to have her unborn (or in some cases, recently born) fetus executed if she so chooses.” However, accuracy does not often characterize the “pro-choice” presentation. This newcomer is much more likely to hear “we are in favor of a woman’s right to do what she wants with her body” or something similar.

The abortion argument is about the legality and the morality of murder, not the legality or morality of choice.

So Why Keep Calling Abortion Advocates “Pro-choice”?

In many cases, an argument is won or lost before it begins. When one side frames the argument in an inaccurate way that seems to make them correct, they have already gained a serious advantage over their opponent. Spectators to the argument (or discussion, or whatever you want to call it) may not be aware of this, and as a result, end up siding with the side that rigged the debate in their favor.

This is EXACTLY what is happening when someone totes out the label “pro-choice” in the abortion discussion. They are framing the debate around the legality/morality of choice rather than murder. While claiming to be in favor of “choice” they disregard the father’s choice and the fetus’ choice. And to add insult to injury, they also cast their opponent as begin against choice, rather than against murder.

So is “pro-choice” an accurate label in the abortion debate? I don’t see how it could be. It could be applied to any other issue of legality or morality and be just as accurate (or, more precisely, inaccurate). Why not make illegal immigration about the immigrant’s right to choose, rather than about citizenship? Why not make traffic violations about a driver’s right to choose, rather than about safety? Why not make the decision to go to war about the president’s right to choose, rather than about the actual issues he is basing his decision on? As absurd as these examples are, they use the exact same reasoning which abortion advocates do when calling themselves “pro-choice.”

I would suggest that pro-life proponents take the lead on calling out those who attempt to cast us as sexist villains who desire to strip women of their right to chose. Early on in the discussion, when the issue of choice is brought up, point out that you are not against choice, you are against murder. Remind them it is unfair to alter the topic of the debate and make it about a non-issue. Help others who are listening in (or reading your online discussion) understand that abortion advocates must stoop to cheap debate tactics in order to survive an intellectual encounter. That they must defend their position by essentially attacking a pro-life strawman, who is a sexist, chauvinist, bigot.

Were abortion proponents to honestly label their position, they would be “pro-murder” or “pro-abortion,” not “pro-choice.”