As an advocate for life, it is crucial that you can provide a compelling pro-life defense whenever the need arises. This week Brad and Victor are joined by Cam Higby and Michael De Marco as they discuss how to deliver a powerful pro-life defense. Cam and Michael share their experience interacting with pro-abortion activists and coming out on top. Join us for this week’s Straight Talk on Life Issues.
Resources
Abortion Fast Facts
More than ever, it’s important to know the facts about abortion. For instance, did you know that more than 62.5 million unborn babies have been lost to abortion in the United States since 1973, the year the Supreme Court legalized abortion?
Here’s 5 more abortion facts you:
- The most recent CDC report shows a total of 620,327 abortions in the US in 2020.
- Planned Parenthood performs over 300,000 abortions a year, 40 percent of all abortions
in America. - Abortion is a multi-billion-dollar industry.
- 86% of Planned Parenthood’s abortion centers are in minority neighborhoods.
- 49% of abortions were experienced by households with incomes under the United States federal poverty line.
War on Semantics Takes a New Turn
In the battle to protect unborn babies and their mothers from abortion, the war of semantics has taken a turn.
Advocates of abortion on demand are savvy opponents who understand that choosing your words carefully makes a difference in being persuasively effective.
Semantics of course is the art of phraseology, that is, the ability of using nice-sounding words to describe something not so nice—like abortion.
The public debate regarding abortion’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed and underscored the adaptability of the other side to alter its vocabulary. Their success remains to be seen.
Language Police
A rose by any other name is still a rose, but some organizations are determined to make the pro-life movement appear less than beautiful.
In a war of words, National Public Radio’s managing editor, David Sweeney, recently issued an internal memo, instructing reporters to stop saying “pro-life” and instead use the phrase “abortion rights opponents.” And while staffers aren’t permitted to say abortion supporters are “pro-abortion,” they are free to call those of us in the pro-life community “anti-abortion.” It’s no small change. NPR is bent on framing the murder of the unborn in a friendlier light while casting a negative spin on the pro-life cause.
We Like Abortion
During the late ‘80s the battle to protect preborn life took a tragic turn. Pro-abortion activists had millions of dollars at their disposal, so they hired pricey Madison Avenue marketing people who knew language generates emotion. It paints pictures with words. Marketing gurus excel at this manipulation of words—we call it semantics.
Media Semantics
I often speak about semantics, the words we should use when talking about abortion. The following is euphemistically called a Code of Ethics for Journalists on Abortion. It’s a tongue-in-cheek jab at journalists.
Use fetus in all prenatal contexts, not just those involving abortion. Never mention mother in abortion contexts; always say woman. Always use pro-choice for abortion rights supporters. Avoid discussing why some pro-choice groups defend coercive abortion programs in China.
Always say anti-abortion, never pro-life, to describe abortion rights opponents. In stories involving non-treatment of handicapped infants or euthanasia, you should express surprise that anti-abortion forces are even interested.
Renaming Revolution
An online network for mothers produced a Renaming Revolution Glossary, a list of preferred semantics. Anything associated with abortion was put into the category of “Loss.” The word abortion is interchangeable with words like “compassionate removal” or “miscarriage without symptoms.”
Men can't have an opinion on abortion
Does life start at conception?
Guests
Cam Higby is a pro-life advocate and viral content creator. Despite censorship and deplatforming he has achieved millions of followers, and his content has been seen by millions more. Cam was previously pro-choice, before exposure to pro-life education made him a powerful advocate for life. Cam has been featured on Fox news, PragerU, Jubilee, as well as radio and podcasts across the country.
Michael De Marco currently a Junior at Seton Hall University, he is pursuing a degree in Business Administration. He’s been advocating for the unborn since high school. His pro–life mentality can trace its roots to his faith, as well as to the fact that he was a premature baby. He was delivered at 29 weeks and weighed only 2 lbs. 14 oz. Many people worked around the clock to sustain his life. He is the president of Pirates for Life at Seton Hall. Within this role, he works with his members to share the truth about the sacredness and dignity of all human life on campus and to speak up for the voiceless and defend the defenseless.
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