Scott Tibbs
Printed in the Herald-Times, 7-16-2001

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pro-abortion, not pro-choice

As one reads news stories about abortion, the term "pro-choice" comes up quite a bit to describe those who favor keeping abortion legal. But what does "pro-choice" really mean? It seems logical that a "pro-choice" position should be one that respects not only the choice to have the abortion procedure, but also the choice not to participate in abortion if one has moral or faith-based objections to it.

Unfortunately, many of our politicians, while claiming to be "pro-choice", are not for choice at all. When the Bloomington City Council votes three years in a row (unanimously in 1999 and 2000, with an 8-1 vote in June of 2001) to give taxpayer dollars to Planned Parenthood, community pro-lifers are denied the choice of whether or not to financially support an organization that ends human life. When our State Representatives oppose a bill that would allow pharmacists to refuse to dispense drugs that can cause an early abortion, they deny health care professionals the ability to choose to "do no harm".

If these politicians aren't pro-choice, what are they? Clearly, they make decisions to take away the choice of Hoosiers to avoid participating in abortion, putting the "right" to have an abortion over the choice not to be involved. No matter how vehemently they protest, "pro-abortion" is the only label that fits these politicians as well as the activists that share their beliefs.