Happy Sunday, ya’ll! Welcome to our very first Choice Chat. Today’s guest is Gloria Feldt, the former president of Planned Parenthood Federation of American. Gloria is the author of several books, including The War on Choice, as well as Behind Every Choice is a Story. Her latest book, Send Yourself Roses, was co-written with Kathleen [...]
Episode 2 of Reyna’s pro-choice rants. What’s your take? How do you talk to kids about choice?
Every semester I ask my students to write an essay and describe their ‘personal political identities’, giving policy positions as examples. Abortion is a popular issue. Oklahoma is a rural, conservative, and devoutly religious state. My class is comprised mostly of Freshmen taking their required Govt credit. Given this, I’m always surprised (impressed?) by the [...]
A few nights ago, I gave a new acquaintance a ride home after a party, and before I knew it I was in the middle of an abortion heart-to-heart. I felt a little out of my element talking about abortion with (a) a man (b) a man I didn’t know well and (c) a man [...]
Engaging in a biblical debate about abortion might seem a little ridiculous if you do not, in fact, believe in God or the Bible. But you’ll never get the choice message across to a Christian fundamentalist without trying! The bible does not mention abortion. It does not define life at conception. Below are a few [...]
But the single most important thing we can do to ensure that women and girls have access to safe, legal and affordable abortion and family planning services is to refuse to allow the other side to control the way that we debate abortion and choice. We can, indeed, we MUST refuse to talk about “partial-birth abortion” as there is NO SUCH THING. Late term abortions are a reality. The reasons for them are many and varied. But doctors do not cut healthy babies out of healthy women at 8 months gestation because the chick decides she needs to fit into her prom dress.
Kate has done a really good job of outlining a few basic tips for talking choice. This week I wanted to delve a little bit further into the topic by sharing a few suggestions for talking to pro-life family members about choice. I intentionally use the term pro-life here instead of anti-choice, because many people [...]
The fine folks at fivethirtyeight.com recently ran a piece titled ‘Pro-Life States Have Lower Abortion Rates?’ that utilized SurveyUSA opinion polling and CDC abortion stats gathered from state health agencies’ voluntary reports. Study caveats: Some states, like Florida and Louisiana, do not report their abortion statistics, and in other cases — Kentucky’s figures are suspiciously [...]
Last week I talked about personal activism. Although I find it easier to talk to young fresh minds and Kate gave us all some Tips for Talkin’ Choice I find myself in a quandary. I find myself intimidated to talk to a man who is both welcoming and giving yet has the words “Pro” and [...]
5 simple ways to be an effective advocate for reproductive freedom: 1. Be audience appropriate: Be conscious of where you are and whom you are addressing. Words that pack a punch on the picket line might not be the right words for a coffee shop or class discussion. Matching the tone and tenor of the [...]
