2008 Woodie Awards
The Language of Abortion
Issue date: 10/6/06 Section: Commentary
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To the Editor:
I read with interest Nadia Mariano's commentary on the use of language by UNH Students for Life. Never mind that abortion advocates stretch credulity with their euphemisms and routinely describe abortion as a procedure in which "the contents of the uterus are emptied," or the "POC" (products of conception) are removed. Ms. Mariano would rather object to the use of the word "violence" to describe an abortion and is uncomfortable with what she perceives to be an effort by Students for Life to "shame" women by making them feel guilty about having an abortion."
It seems to me, however, that Ms. Mariano's objection lacks foundation. What is the meaning of the word "violence?" The Oxford English Dictionary says the word means "the exercise of physical force so as to inflict injury on, or cause damage to, persons or property." What is an abortion? Again, the OED says it is "the act of giving untimely birth to offspring, premature delivery, miscarriage; the procuring of premature delivery so as to destroy offspring." Now certainly it would be silly for Ms. Mariano to maintain that untimely births or miscarriages are matters of "choice." Rather, Ms. Mariano is defending the last of these definitions, and advocates for the liberty to "destroy offspring."
And what is it to "destroy?" It is "to undo, break into useless pieces, or reduce into a useless form, consume, or dissolve." And what does it mean to "break into useless pieces?" "Break" is defined as "to sever into distinct parts by sudden application of force, to part by violence." And now we are back to that word again.
More to the point, who is being violently destroyed in an abortion? Who is it that is being broken into useless pieces and severed into distinct parts? It is the "offspring" of a pregnant woman and "offspring," according to the OED, is not the "products of conception," but rather "the progeny which springs or is descended from someone; a person's or couple's children." This means, very simply, that abortion is the violent destruction of a child. It is breaking into useless pieces and severing into distinct parts a human being not yet born.
I read with interest Nadia Mariano's commentary on the use of language by UNH Students for Life. Never mind that abortion advocates stretch credulity with their euphemisms and routinely describe abortion as a procedure in which "the contents of the uterus are emptied," or the "POC" (products of conception) are removed. Ms. Mariano would rather object to the use of the word "violence" to describe an abortion and is uncomfortable with what she perceives to be an effort by Students for Life to "shame" women by making them feel guilty about having an abortion."
It seems to me, however, that Ms. Mariano's objection lacks foundation. What is the meaning of the word "violence?" The Oxford English Dictionary says the word means "the exercise of physical force so as to inflict injury on, or cause damage to, persons or property." What is an abortion? Again, the OED says it is "the act of giving untimely birth to offspring, premature delivery, miscarriage; the procuring of premature delivery so as to destroy offspring." Now certainly it would be silly for Ms. Mariano to maintain that untimely births or miscarriages are matters of "choice." Rather, Ms. Mariano is defending the last of these definitions, and advocates for the liberty to "destroy offspring."
And what is it to "destroy?" It is "to undo, break into useless pieces, or reduce into a useless form, consume, or dissolve." And what does it mean to "break into useless pieces?" "Break" is defined as "to sever into distinct parts by sudden application of force, to part by violence." And now we are back to that word again.
More to the point, who is being violently destroyed in an abortion? Who is it that is being broken into useless pieces and severed into distinct parts? It is the "offspring" of a pregnant woman and "offspring," according to the OED, is not the "products of conception," but rather "the progeny which springs or is descended from someone; a person's or couple's children." This means, very simply, that abortion is the violent destruction of a child. It is breaking into useless pieces and severing into distinct parts a human being not yet born.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Mike Gauthier
posted 10/06/06 @ 10:13 AM EST
Yeah, I think abortion is violence, and pretending that it isn't is a design to make people feel better about their choices. I'm pro-choice, but it disturbs me that something like 25% of pregnancies end in abortion. (Continued…)
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