"Pro-Choice" Confusion

I have wrote many times that the person who came up with the phrase "pro-choice" was brilliant.  If it was a marketing firm I hope they got a special bonus for such brilliance. 

Why is this such a wonderful phrase?  Because all it does is cause confusion.  Who isn’t pro-choice?  We live in a country where the idea of freedom is almost a religion.  We live in a country where we believe everyone has rights to religion, speech, education, vote, etc……. So why would anyone not agree with choice?  Brilliant.

The latest Gallop pole (may 2008) really shows just how confused the American population is when it comes to choice on abortion.  It is also interesting how the media reports these poles.  We heard on the news that 82% of American’s polled believed abortion should be legal.  So why is this such an issue when so many Americans want it legal?  Because they didn’t tell you the entire story.  Here it is according to Gallop:

May 2008: 

28% think abortion should be legal under any circumstances.
13% think abortion should be legal under most circumstances.
40% think abortion should be legal in only a few circumstances.
17% think abortion should be illegal under all circumstances.

That changes things doesn’t it?  That 82% of American’s wanting it to be legal ran the gamut of opinions from no laws to extreme laws. 

So, lets’s continue the confusion.  If 40% of Americans want abortion to be legal in only a few circumstances, then logic would say that 40% of Americans want the laws to be more strict, right?  Wrong.  Only 31% (Jan 2008) say the laws need to be more strict.  What happened to the 9% that think abortion should be illegal in most circumstances?  Now watch this math -

Abortion laws should be more strict - 31%
Abortion laws should stay the same - 42%
Abortion laws should be less strict - 21%

HUH?  17% want abortion legal in all circumstances however 21% believe laws should be less strict?  Dizzy yet?  How’s this for some added motion sickness -

33% of Americans think Roe V Wade should be overturned.

I need a Dramamine! 

Let’s just add some more fuzzy math.  What are these certain circumstances anyway?  (numbers from 2003 or 2005 based on when the poll was done.  From 2003 - 2008 the percentages of people who favor/oppose etc. remained consistent.)

Nov. 2005:

Favor parental consent for girls under age 18:  69%
Favor spousal notification:  64%

May 2003:

Legal if woman’s life is endangered:  82%
Legal if child is thought to be mentally disabled:  50%
Legal if child thought to be born with life-threatening illness:  60%
Legal if pregnancy from rape/incest:  72%
Legal if woman just doesn’t want a child now:  41%

50% of people think mental illness is a good enough reason for abortion?  How far of a  digression would it be if I began to talk about Eugenics?  And only 41% of people agree with 93% of abortions today.  Oi!  Wasn’t it only 28% of people that wanted what 41% agree with?  Or is it 41% of people agree with 28% of people?

Now, what does all this have to do with Pro-Choice?  Because we have gotten so focused on choice vs life that we have forgotten about the facts.  These numbers prove that American’s have no clue what the laws are concerning abortion.  And they have no clue what Abortion is and how it is affecting women.

We all have some delusion that this reproductive control has saved us somehow.  Yet after 35 years we are still seen as sex objects with no equality making less money without respect. 

Now for a true digression - why do the women at the Fox News Channel have to look like they are about to go to a "hotel" for a "date"?  Is looking like a whore really the way to get a career now a days?  At least they are brainy sex objects.  Perhaps that will save us somehow.  We can only hope, for our children’s sake.