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by Thomas A. Glessner
I have set before you life and death, blessing and curses. Now cohose life, so that you and your descendants may live. (Deuteronomy 30:19)
 Pro-life forces fight for the sanctity of human life on a number of fronts. One such front is on the battleground of public relations where abortion advocates have skillfully used words and symbols to advance their cause. Those who promote abortion on demand have been particularly successful in persuading the public that being pro-choice with regards to abortion is consistent with the American way, having all options open. The movement for abortion rights does not require that members of the public support abortion. Rather, it asserts that people need only to be for the right to choose. Proponents of abortion maintain that while one may believe that abortion is wrong, one should acknowledge another's contrary viewpoint as equally valid. Supporters of abortion recoil at the suggestion that they are pro-abortion. To the contrary, they argue that they are simply pro-choice, respecting the views of all on this issue.
The word "choice" is very powerful. In public debate, it is argued that American pluralism requires that differing views on abortion be tolerated. Hence, to support a woman's right to choose is merely an acknowledgment of the cultural pluralism that Americans enjoy. Being pro-choice is portrayed as being enlightened and tolerant. Consequently, those who are personally opposed to abortion are upset about being portrayed as anti-choice, unenlightened, and intolerant.
Ironically, public opinion polls on abortion reveal a paradox. When asked specific questions about abortion, such as in what cases should abortion be allowed, respondents overwhelmingly show strong pro-life opinions. However, when asked to describe their positions regarding abortion, a majority of respondents say that they are pro-choice.
A few years ago I was privileged to hear a presentation from Richard Wirthlin, a national pollster who worked in the Reagan White House. Mr. Wirthlin stated that his polling identified two words in the English language which have a great impact on the public's perception of abortion. The first word is "choice." "Choice" is perceived to be the American way. We are a tolerant and diversified people, and allowing "choice" on a number of issues indicates the strength of our pluralistic democracy. (Indeed, many of us in the Pro-Life movement are pro-choice on certain issues, such as school vouchers, homeschooling, keeping and bearing arms, etc.) However, the reason that abortion supporters have been so successful convincing so many to wear the "pro-choice" label is that they have used the word "choice" to avoid a discussion of the true issue altogether.
I vividly recall that in 1990, shortly after the pro-life community won a significant victory before the Supreme Court, leaders of the Abortion Rights movement began to state publicly that the issue was not the morality of abortion but rather: "Who decides?" Such pro-choice language resonated throughout a public uncomfortable with abortion but unwilling to be seen as intolerant of women's rights.
Wirthlin went on to say that in the abortion debate, the second word which is just as powerful and persuasive is the word "life." Our Declaration of Independence says that life is an inalienable right. Under our Constitution, life is to be protected and cannot be taken without due process of law. It is precious and should be preserved and enhanced in public policy decisions as well as in decisions of private institutions. Decisions in the medical field, in the courtroom, in our state legislatures, and in the halls of Congress are, for the most part, based upon what result will enhance life and achieve the greatest happiness for our people.
The abortion debate has focused on the conflicting and competing values of these two concepts: "life" and "choice." When pro-life advocates are portrayed by the media as anti-choice, intolerant, and bigoted, the movement is demeaned in public opinion. However, when pro-life people are shown as supporters of life (both the lives of the unborn baby and her mother) the public's perception of the movement is positive. The power of words has the ability to persuade public opinion in a huge way.
Because of the public's affinity for the words "life" and "choice," I believe that we should begin to utilize both words in combination. Combining these two words, we come up with "choose life" or "life choice." Such a phrase accurately describes the work of pregnancy help centers. The phrase is also Biblical in nature as the passage from Deuteronomy indicates.
In the political arena, we should declare that we are pro-life, working to pass laws which will protect the lives of both mothers and their unborn babies. In the pregnancy help arena, however, it may be more advantageous to say that we are pro-life choice. When a woman comes into a crisis pregnancy center considering abortion, she has a choice to make. If she decides for abortion, we cannot stop her because the law, unfortunately, gives her that right. We oppose the choice of abortion because it kills an unborn child and wreaks havoc on the mother's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, but we strongly and enthusiastically endorse the choice of life.
The role of the pregnancy help center in the life of an abortion-minded woman is to empower her to choose life. One of the best tools for empowering women to choose life is the provision of the medical service of an ultrasound examination. This view into the amniotic chamber inside her introduces the mother to her unborn child. In the vast majority of cases, once such a connection and bonding are made, the mother chooses life.
The National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) recently launched a program which incorporates the Biblical concept of choosing life. It is called The Life Choice Project (TLC). TLC provides pregnancy help centers with all of the necessary resources, including an ultrasound machine, to provide medical services to clients and to empower them to choose life. Other medical services such as STD testing and pregnancy diagnosis meet the immediate needs of abortion-minded women and empower them to choose life.
TLC provides to pregnancy centers resources and training through a consultant who has successfully converted her center into the medical model. Nurses of pregnancy help medical clinics can receive training to enable them to perform ultrasound exams. Also, center administrators and boards can receive consultation on fundraising strategies to raise needed monies for the development of the medical clinic.
It is the goal of TLC eventually to oversee the conversion of 1,000 pregnancy centers into medical clinics by the year 2010. We envision that these new medical clinics will make a major impact, empowering women to choose life and reducing the number of abortions.
Thomas Glessner is the President of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates. For more information on TLC, contact the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) at (540) 785-9853 or visit www.nifla.org.
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