Asking a Clear Question: Who Decides?

This question should be included in every abortion poll.

Republicans for Choice wanted to know: Who decides?

"Regardless of how you personally feel about the issue of abortion," the polls, which surveyed 1,000 adults, asks, "who do you believe should have the right to make that decision regarding whether to have an abortion… [?] should the woman, her family and her doctor make the decision or should the government make the decision?"

Predictably, 89 percent of Democrats believed "strongly" that the woman should decide.

More remarkably, 71 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of independents also believed strongly that the woman should decide. An additional 10 percent of Republicans believed "not strongly" that the woman should decide, and a total of 81 percent who identified as "pro-life" responded that the woman should decide.

"We challenge ALL national pollsters to include this main question (Q1) in all of their surveys to test the validity of this outcome," Republicans for Choice said in a press statement.

The results portray a much different picture from that of a Gallup poll in May, which found pro-choice identification at its lowest point - 41 percent - since Gallup began asking respondents to label themselves.

Here's the Gallup poll from May that had fetus fetishists crowing in glee. It asked people their 'self-identified position' on abortion.

'Pro-choice' and 'pro-life' have become such loaded and muddied terms that in 2010 NPR changed its policy on language.

"NPR News is revising the terms we use to describe people and groups involved in the abortion debate.

This updated policy is aimed at ensuring the words we speak and write are as clear, consistent and neutral as possible. This is important given that written text is such an integral part of our work.

On the air, we should use "abortion rights supporter(s)/advocate(s)" and "abortion rights opponent(s)" or derivations thereof (for example: "advocates of abortion rights"). It is acceptable to use the phrase "anti-abortion", but do not use the term "pro-abortion rights".

Digital News will continue to use the AP style book for online content, which mirrors the revised NPR policy.

Do not use "pro-life" and "pro-choice" in copy except when used in the name of a group. Of course, when the terms are used in an actuality they should remain." [An actuality is a clip of tape of someone talking. So if a source uses those terms, NPR will not edit them out.]

'Clear, consistent, and neutral' is essential for reporting. It is also essential in polling.

The ReThuglicans are shovelling shit against the tide on this issue. When will they wake up? After they get slaughtered in the next election?

Are You 'Pro-Life'?

Because if you are, you need to get the opposite of a Living Will, the Will to Bankrupt Your Family and the Healthcare System.

Being 'pro-life' is not just about slut-shaming, panty-sniffing, women-controlling, and pregnancy-forcing -- though admittedly those are the fun parts -- it's much more.

Being 'pro-life' includes the martyrdom selflessness of not only forcing all your family members to linger as long as they can in pain, despair, helplessness, and indignity, but to be goddamm ready to do it yourself.

So, 'pro-lifers', man up (*snerk*) and sign the paper demonstrating your willingness to suffer yourself and suffer the little children to go into medical bankruptcy so you can gasp out your last when Gord says so and not a second before.

And they have the gall to call pro-choice people selfish.

On 'pro-choice' and 'pro-life'

Alison in the comments here reminds me of a post I've been meaning to write.

In a discussion of the terms 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' at the Left-Wing Fringe Group Called 'Women' on Facebook, I said:

On 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice', all news orgs should follow NPR's lead on this. I'm OK with being called an abortion rights supporter or whatever. As long as the fetus fetishists lose 'pro-life'.

Here's the link to NPR.

This updated policy is aimed at ensuring the words we speak and write are as clear, consistent and neutral as possible. This is important given that written text is such an integral part of our work.

On the air, we should use "abortion rights supporter(s)/advocate(s)" and "abortion rights opponent(s)" or derivations thereof (for example: "advocates of abortion rights"). It is acceptable to use the phrase "anti-abortion", but do not use the term "pro-abortion rights".

Around the anti-abortion bunfest in Ottawa, I collected some headlines from MSM outfits.

Here the Toronto Star uses 'pro-life' but it is a letter to the editor and the writer of it uses the phrase.

A National Post column has this title: Sense of momentum bolsters pro-life rally.

The Ottawa Citizen has Thousands gather for pro-life rally on Parliament Hill.

And an article in the Toronto Sun has 'US anti-abortion group pleased with Canada' (and doesn't that just warm the cockles of your heart?)

CTV covered the die-in protest at Bev Odious's office with Pro-choice protest and XTRA had Pro-choice supporters make presence felt at the National March for Life.

Here at DJ! of course we will continue to refer to the two sides as 'fetus fetishists/zygote zealots/braindead' and 'the sane people' but then we're hardly mainstream.