# Poll: Which terms do your use for the two sides of the abortion debate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 23, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118 "2010-02-23T14:21:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/41 "2010-02-23T23:38:55Z")
I generally use “Pro-Choice” and “Anti-choice” when referring to the legal issue as to whether or not a woman should be allowed to choose to have an abortion. However, I use “pro-abortion” and “anti-abortion” when I’m talking about whether we actually should abort fetus’. I’m anti-choice, pro-abortion. Damnit woman, you don’t get a choice. No go make me a sammich. What? Not funny? I thought it was hilarious. I’m Pro-choice, but against abortions, personally. ---
**Author:** ![figure9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@figure9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/figure9)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/42 "2010-02-24T00:04:56Z")
> [@](#): > > None of those are good terms. It does not serve a rational debate to use any of them. You may as well use the terms baby killers and women en-slavers instead. The terms people should use are pro abortion rights and anti abortion rights. I agree. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/43 "2010-02-24T01:41:13Z")
It depends on the context. I’m willing to call them “pro-life” when engaging in a debate, but I think “anti-abortion” is generally more accurate. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/44 "2010-02-24T01:51:27Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > So if the pro-choice side chose to call themselves The Ones Who Are Right, you’d be perfectly willing to go along with that, for the sake of civility? I think, in that case, most pro-lifers would be only too happy to let those they disagree with make fools of themselves. I’m not sure what I’d do if one side wanted to call itself “The Strawmen”, though. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/45 "2010-02-24T02:00:36Z")
Picked option #1, but would like to have seen: “Meddlesome, heartless, self-righteous fuck” and “Humans dealing as best they can with the cards they got dealt.” I’ve known a lot of women who’ve had abortions. None of them looked at it as “birth control” as much as “the less sucky choice.” ---
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/46 "2010-02-24T02:17:03Z")
For me not being pro doesn’t necessarily imply being anti. If I asked you if you wanted a brownie or cake for dessert, and you picked a brownie, doesn’t mean you are anti-cake. I think women’s rights is important. I think protecting an embryo is more important. Pro-life, although flawed, is a much more accurate term than anti-choice. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/47 "2010-02-24T02:47:45Z")
[Great debate thread to prevent warnings. 🙂](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12154530#post12154530) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/48 "2010-02-24T02:53:48Z")
What, no anti-choice and pro-death? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/49 "2010-02-24T03:11:24Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > Picked option #1, but would like to have seen: > > “Meddlesome, heartless, self-righteous fuck” and “Humans dealing as best they can with the cards they got dealt.” > > I’ve known a lot of women who’ve had abortions. None of them looked at it as “birth control” as much as “the less sucky choice.” [Stern Moderator note]And I would like _you_ to dial it back to a level more appropriate for this forum immediately. If you can’t act like an adult and control yourself, take it [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12154530#post12154530). The same goes for anyone else who feels they can’t stick to the OP.[/Stern Moderator Note] ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/50 "2010-02-24T04:29:41Z")
I chose that I say “pro-choice” and “pro-life”. As to why, I do not use the terms with any hidden intent; it’s honestly just because those are the most commonly used terms, as far as I’ve noticed. If I were to say “I’m pro-choice”, or “She’s pro-life”, people would know what I was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/51 "2010-02-24T11:40:09Z")
Wrong question: there are more than two sides. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/52 "2010-02-24T16:20:45Z")
I call people what they choose to be called - so pro-choice and pro-life - understanding that there are many shades of grey and that someone can be personally pro-life and politically pro-choice - or you can be pro-choice, but support some limitations. Or you can be pro-life, but support abortion in some cases. People and their opinions don’t tend to fit into little boxes. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2010, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/53 "2010-02-26T23:50:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think she was just going with the most common terms used. > [@Giles](#): > > I like “pro-choice” and “anti-choice” myself. I’ve given money to NARAL, and they use “anti choice” in their emails, so it’s not uncommon. But in everyday conversation, I don’t hear people use “anti choice”. I try to, however. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/54 "2010-02-27T00:06:04Z")
I use Pro-life & Pro-death. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/55 "2010-02-27T00:23:13Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I use Pro-life & Pro-death. Most persons I know who support abortion rights oppose capital punishment. Most persons I know who oppose abortion rights support capital punishment. You see a problem with your fomulation? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/56 "2010-02-27T00:57:11Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I use Pro-life & Pro-death. Bit unfair to the anti-abortion crowd to label them as pro-death, isn’t it? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/57 "2010-02-27T14:32:34Z")
I use the terms “pro-choice” and “pro-life” to identify people who most often seem to use those terms to identify themselves, but I dislike both terms, because they appear to indicate that one group is against choice per se, and another group is against life per se. I think the most accurate terms would be “for legalizing abortion” and “for prohibiting abortion”. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/58 "2010-02-27T14:45:00Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Bit unfair to the anti-abortion crowd to label them as pro-death, isn’t it? :dubious: Was that a typo or a whoosh? Pro-choicers would be the pro-death portion of that list (not that I’m suggesting that’s the appropriate name). If it was just a typo, then, yes, it’s a bit unfair, similar to the term “anti-choice.” This debate always goes the same way. There’s a certain tribe (I’m among them) who say, “Call 'em both what they prefer to be called.” Then there are the factions who see their choice of term as unambiguous and logical, unlike those other guys who have chosen a politically charged non sequitur for their moniker. No one is ever convinced otherwise. In reality, both sides selected a name that has positive connotations, implies something negative about the opposition, while being overly broad and imprecise. Both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2010, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118/59 "2010-02-27T16:58:33Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Pro-choicers would be the pro-death portion of that list Correct. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-which-terms-do-your-use-for-the-two-sides-of-the-abortion-debate/530118.md?page=2)