Americans who identify as pro-choice down to 41%

[treemom]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/154838/Pro-C ... 20Politics

http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/201 ... ro-choice/

It has some interesting analysis, specifically that this has happened because the debate is framed on moral terms.

[RebelJinger]

I thought it was interesting that views on legality remained steady. More people identify as pro-life, but those new pro-lifers might still be against making abortion illegal. I think a lot of them realize that banning abortion doesn't stop it from happening, just makes it a lot harder on the people who get them.

The abortion debate has been frantic for a long time; even the two sides are named with hyperbole (no one ever admits to being anti-life or anti-choice, even if their opponents call them that) and I think a lot of people forget that there can be overlapping opinions on both sides. People who identify as pro-choice might choose adoption; even people who are pro-life might not want to make it illegal.

[treemom]

I thought it was interesting that views on legality remained steady. More people identify as pro-life, but those new pro-lifers might still be against making abortion illegal. I think a lot of them realize that banning abortion doesn't stop it from happening, just makes it a lot harder on the people who get them.

The abortion debate has been frantic for a long time; even the two sides are named with hyperbole (no one ever admits to being anti-life or anti-choice, even if their opponents call them that) and I think a lot of people forget that there can be overlapping opinions on both sides. People who identify as pro-choice might choose adoption; even people who are pro-life might not want to make it illegal.

We have had this discussion before to a certain extent. The pro-life lobby is decidedly anti-choice. However you can't argue that the pro-choice lobby is anti-life. The vast majority want legal, safe choice. They don't actively recruit people for abortions.

Individuals are different and there views tend to be a mosaic.

Personally, I don't mind pro-life people. I just wish more understood that reducing abortion comes through actions to help people not legislation.

[deelaem]

Interesting. I just read an article that stated the exact opposite. I don't hold much trust in statistics, though. I did grant writing for years and know how they can be skewed.

"I just wish more understood that reducing abortion comes through actions to help people not legislation."

LOVE this statement!

[treemom]

Interesting. I just read an article that stated the exact opposite. I don't hold much trust in statistics, though. I did grant writing for years and know how they can be skewed.

"I just wish more understood that reducing abortion comes through actions to help people not legislation."

LOVE this statement!

Agreed. How the question is framed is important.

[Sola]

Interesting. I just read an article that stated the exact opposite. I don't hold much trust in statistics, though. I did grant writing for years and know how they can be skewed.

"I just wish more understood that reducing abortion comes through actions to help people not legislation."

LOVE this statement!

Well 87% of statistics are made up on the spot :lol:

[RebelJinger]

Personally, I don't mind pro-life people. I just wish more understood that reducing abortion comes through actions to help people not legislation.

Definitely. Like proper sex ed in schools, which is also under attack :(

[treemom]

Definitely. Like proper sex ed in schools, which is also under attack :(

We live in an abstinence only district. The amount of draw dropping falsehoods taught to my middle schooler was appalling.

[bananacat]

I mind pro-life people because their name is meant to accuse people like me of being anti-life. Honestly, just using that term is offensive to me since I care more about life and have done more to save lives than 99.9% of people who claim to be pro-life. Why can't I use that label for myself? Maybe I'll try to reclaim it for myself and others who actually do things to save lives.

[Minerva]

Not a surprising tendency considering how much more loud-mouthedprominent "pro-life" politicians have become since the beginning of the war on women. I think people, when choosing their beliefs, tend to be biased towards what the laws are in their region (I attribute this to an unfortunate tendency to trust those in power because they are in power). A slew of anti-choice laws have been attempted or passed recently. Therefore it's quite obvious that those in power are anti-choice. This might not be enough to change people's answers when explicitly asked if they favour legalized abortion, but I don't doubt it affects the more discretionary choice of whether to call oneself pro-life or pro-choice. Just my theory.

Also, anti-choicers tend to be way scarier and more judgemental than pro-choicers. I don't blame people for wanting to fly under their radar.

[bananacat]

If you look at the data, the actual beliefs of people have only changed slightly. Most people still think abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances. The difference is that now the term pro-choice has been tarnished and it's a shameful thing to be. It's not much different than the women who want equality but will deny the feminist label, or the people who don't believe in any gods but call themselves "non-believers" instead of the scarier "atheist".

It is still a significant problem that the pro-choice label has become shameful and that will almost certainly have long-term effects, but the actual beliefs of people aren't as extreme as I expected.

[Minerva]

If you look at the data, the actual beliefs of people have only changed slightly. Most people still think abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances. The difference is that now the term pro-choice has been tarnished and it's a shameful thing to be. It's not much different than the women who want equality but will deny the feminist label, or the people who don't believe in any gods but call themselves "non-believers" instead of the scarier "atheist".

It is still a significant problem that the pro-choice label has become shameful and that will almost certainly have long-term effects, but the actual beliefs of people aren't as extreme as I expected.

:clap: Well said.

I hate that we've let them do that to us. Pro-choice is not synonymous with being cool with elective abortions at 8 months. But because we've let social conservatives frame it that way, a lot of people think it is or are afraid their peers will think it is.