Most of us in the “pro-life” community do not mind the label “anti-abortion,” although in fact pro-life also means we are against euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the like.
On the other hand, lots of people who call themselves “pro-choice” are offended at being called “pro-abortion.” This is illogical, of course: people who have no firearms, and no intention of ever buying one, are still called “pro-gun” if they simply believe that other people should have the right to keep and bear arms. And political associations being what they are, a fair number of the very people who resent the term “pro-abortion” are likely to use the term “pro-gun” in exactly the same way.
There’s a reason for this, of course. Even “pro-choice” people know there is something inherently wrong with abortion (for reasons other than saving the life of the mother), and so they don’t want to be thought “pro-abortion,” since that’s like being called “pro-evil-thing.” I understand their reluctance. If I was all for unfettered freedom on the part of some humans to take away the right of other humans to live, I’d want to hide it, too.
Nevertheless, pro-lifers, cheerfully anti-abortion, should deny the use of the term pro-choice as cover for people who want to deny the right to life. It is simply a “term of art” created by clever public relations people, not a descriptive term of the actual position. When someone tells me they are “pro-choice” I usually say, “You mean, pro-abortion?” And the discussion that ensues allows me to make the obvious point above.
