Dean said at a Minnisota visit, If I could strike the words "chioce" and "abortion" out of the lexicon of our party, I would. The debate and the difference between the parties is, we believe a woman has the right to make up her own mind about her health care, and they (Republicans) believe Tom DeLay and the boys in Congress should be making up that woman's mind."

I agree with Howard Dean, it is wrong for us to defend abortion as a moral issue. He said it so well, "I don't know anyone in America who is pro-abortion."

It just might be that the Dems. with Howard Dean leading the way, are starting to understand how to say things. It goes back to the " framing " method the Repubs are so good at.

A.B.

Excellent point. Thanks.

Life
That "dash" between your birth and death date on your tombstone.

Pro-Life

Pro-Choice

How about Pro-People?

I certainly hope so. Look at the "frames" the repubs have introduced into the American Lexicon over the last 30 years - - -

"Pro Life" - -like who can argue "anti life"?

"Death Tax" - - makes it sound like being taxed for the act of passing away.

"Tax Relief" - - only oppressors could argue with this one

"Faith Based" - - only the faithless could argue with this one either

"Activist Judges" - - secret code meaning those who support Roe v Wade or Civil Rights - -take your pick.

It's time we got on the stick. Thank you, George Lakoff for providing the wake-up call.

PRO-CHOICE, and PROUD OF IT

Dean is wrong on this issue, and it's my guess some feminists at NARAL will let him know that in no uncertain terms.

I completely agree with Howard Dean on this issue. I don't know anyone who is pro-abortion, but I also don't know any woman who wants the gov, interferring in their personal health care. The Dems need to talk about this issue differently than they have been doing for so many years, IMO.

Underbear1 please explain your post re: NARAL. Thank you.

NARAL:Pro-choice America
http://www.naral.org/

I totally agree

The folks at NARAL and PP would both applaud the ability to remove abortion as a political debate, if that were possible. They've been trying to make it a private medical decision between a woman/could and her doctor as long as I can remember. The problem is the "pro-life" christian orthodoxy (fundagelicals & strict catholics) want it to be a legislated issue and the Republicans are all too willing to comply to keep it in the forefront of political debates. A democrat wouldn't be able to get away with saying "It's a privacy and medical issue and not a political issue).

The right to a safe legal abortion has been ruled on TWICE by the Supreme Court, so for Democrats to start backpeddling and allowing restrictions on a woman's right to control her own body, (trying to pander to a few Catholic voters that were scared witless over terrorism in the last election), seems like the wrong direction for Democrats.IMO Stand up for the law of the land, and for American women.

Underbear, you completely misunderstand. This is not about Democrats backpeddling and saying to go ahead and restrict abortion, he is saying #1 there shouldn't be a debate about abortion, democrats are not pro-abortion (as the reps claim); #2 the debate should be framed to one of (privacy &) healthcare: all adults competent to make their own healthcare decisions (this includes females) should be able to do so in conjunction with a healthcare professional (parents make these decisions for thier children, older children who can understand get to provide assent); #3 the republicans claim that they and those within strict orthodox christian groups they are the only people capable of making healthcare decisions about a woman's reproductive system.

I agree with Dean.

Also, I would like to see Democrats focus on responsible sex education in schools--something the Republicans are working hard to destroy (and have successfully in Texas). With lack of responsible sex education, there is an increase in unwanted pregnancies leading to an increase in abortions. It is no secret that young people are more sexually active today and education programs teaching "abstinence only" has not helped, in fact, (in Texas) the reports have shown that since the "abstinence only" has been taught, teens are more sexually active. Only now they are uninformed and unprepared for unwanted pregnancies.

I also don't know of anyone who is pro-abortion, but those of us who are pro-choice fight hard for that right because we know that women will have unwanted pregnancies and will seek abortions. For those of us who were around before Roe vs. Wade, the stories of women seeking abortions in back alleys by butchers is something we don't want our daughters and granddaughters to face. Educating our youth may not eliminate abortions, but it would decrease the number of abortions which is on the rise today.

We should be talking about reproductive rights and freedoms. The right wing claiming that they are defending life is something we need to take out of the country's vocabulary. We're defending people's reproductive and health care rights and freedoms.