New Poll: Pro-Choice & Pro-Life Labels Don't Reflect American's Views
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A newly released Gallup poll shows that while fewer Americans identify as pro-choice, support for abortion rights isn’t dropping.
Abortion is a tough subject and labels like “pro-choice” and “pro-life” simply don’t reflect the complexity of how most people actually think and feel. Life isn’t just black and white and people’s views don’t always fit the preset categories. Instead of putting everyone in one category or another, we should respect the real-life decisions women and their families face every day.
According to the poll, “it is notable that while Americans' labeling of their position has changed, their fundamental views on the issue have not.” When you take away the labels, 77 percent of Americans still believe abortion should be a safe, legal, and accessible procedure.
The movement to support a woman’s right to an abortion developed as a result of the landmark case Roe v. Wade, but that was 40 years ago. As the Washington Post’s Sarah Kliff wrote, “It might be that a label developed 40 years ago might not speak to abortion rights supporters in a way it did for previous generations.” Things change over time, and the public’s views on abortion — an admittedly complex issue — can no longer be defined in only one of two ways.
While many may disagree on the specifics, one thing is clear: a woman, not politicians, should make the decision when it comes to her own pregnancy.
