Pro-abort admission of weakness

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Jul 02, 2003

A news story in the Washington Times (whose generally conservative editors should know better) reports that a bare majority of American women-- 51%-- now embrace the pro-life position on abortion.

In fact, over the years pollsters have consistently found that most American women are pro-life, assuming that the question is phrased in reasonably neutral terms.

But this particular poll does represent a shift toward the pro-life viewpoint, because the same survey in 2001 found only 45% taking the pro-life stance. The poll was conducted by the Center for the Advancement of Women, which is described as "a nonpartisan advocacy group for pro-choice women's rights." The Center is headed by Faye Wattleton, the former Planned Parenthood leader.

So this group of nonpartisan advocates (whatever that means), which lobbies for women's rights (as long as they're pro-choice), has been forced to admit that most women don't qualify for "Advancement" by their criteria. Pro-lifers are still losing the battles in courts and legislatures, but we're winning hearts and minds.