Lois Kahn (“Letter to the editor: Too many abortion foes are pro-birth but not pro-life,” Feb. 19) has voiced a sentiment I have harbored in my heart since my opinionated teen years.

Her letter hit the nail squarely, and I am thankful that she was able to share the excerpt from the Bill Moyers TV show that quoted an activist nun regarding the inaccurate terms we persist in using to describe a woman’s right to make decisions on her own health.

I have consistently decried the use of the term “pro-choice” to describe an individual’s path of action when a pregnancy is confirmed. The “choice” to engage in an act that results in pregnancy may well have been a choice, but there are many ways that women become pregnant in which they had no choice.

Government has no right to trace every pregnancy back to its origins unless an illegal act has been committed.

I have always considered my stance as “pro-life” and will continue to do so while vehemently disagreeing with those who tout their off-balance beliefs under that moniker.

I would join a movement that better clarifies the two camps.

Advertisement

Eliminate “pro-choice” entirely from the political vernacular and replace it with the label we should have claimed at the start: “pro-life.”

Finally, let’s redefine those who don’t fully represent the meaning of that label and rename that group “pro-birth.”

Lisa DeAngelis Lane

Waldoboro


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.