CHOICESPEAK:

THE LANGUAGE TO ABORT THE CONSCIENCE

by Robert Evangelisto

From where Winston stood, it was just possible to read, picked

out on its face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the

party:

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

1984, by George Orwell

Language has always been used for deceitful and misleading

purposes. Misrepresentations, distortions and outright lying

have been employed for ulterior motives throughout all of

recorded history. And, as man has "progressed," his abuse of

language has reached new levels of sophistication and

treachery.

The abuse of language for devious purposes has been given

several definitions over time. The term "doublespeak" (or

"doubletalk") refers to language which APPEARS to be

meaningful, but is actually a mixture of sense and nonsense.

George Orwell, in his famous novel *1984*, coined the word

"Newspeak," denoting a propagandistic language marked by

ambiguity and contradictions. Its stated purpose: to

"diminish the range of thought."

Never has language-for-propaganda been more cleverly or

effectively used, however, than by our contemporary

pro-abortionists. To as great an extent as possible, abortion

advocates have conceptualized and debated abortion without

mention of, or attention to, the act itself. For the last

twenty years, they have strived to redefine child-killing as a

"choice."

Sadly, their endeavor has met with great success.

One commonly hears, for instance: "Whose CHOICE is it, who

decides?" "This fight is for reproductive CHOICE."

"Pro-lifers are the anti-CHOICE minority." "Pro-CHOICE is not

pro-abortion." "The issue is not abortion, the issue is

CHOICE." And even in the "neutral" media: "Anti-abortion

demonstrators squared off with pro-CHOICE activists."

Given the spread, like so many cancer cells, of such

pro-abortion euphemisms throughout our language, it is clear

that a new term is necessary to definitively characterize the

pro-abortionists' misleading use of words for propaganda

purposes. The term I propose to serve this purpose is

"Choicespeak," which I define as "propagandistic language

marked by ambiguity and contradictions DESIGNED TO INCREASE

ACCEPTANCE OF THE ANTI-LIFE MENTALITY."

Specific examples of Choicespeak are not at all hard to find.

A preborn baby becomes, via Choicespeak, the "product of

conception." The scientific fact that a human being's

biological life begins at fertilization (conception) becomes,

via Choicespeak, a "religious view." The killing of a CHILD

becomes, via Choicespeak, the "termination of a PREGNANCY."

(In terms of intent and effect, abortion and childbirth should

be contrasted as follows: CHILDBIRTH is the termination of a

PREGNANCY; ABORTION is the "termination" of a CHILD.) And,

last but not least, abortion --- the killing of an innocent

preborn baby --- becomes, via Choicespeak, a valid "choice"

that a woman may consider.

Words can be used as weapons so long as there is a target. In

abortion, the targets are easy prey. Simply put, the abortion

industry has wielded its powerfully deceptive words against

vulnerable mothers and the innocent children within their

wombs. Women are exploited; their babies destroyed; men are

alienated. And the family, the very foundation of society, is

assaulted at its core.

Therefore, the Choicespeaking zealots must be exposed; their

NON-truths must be replaced by THE truth. To do this, one

must be alert when exposed to pro-abortion rhetoric and

anti-life logic. Probe beyond the surface and ascertain the

underlying principles; uncover the real meaning behind the

alluring message. Otherwise, the abortion seducing "Big

Brother" may very well distort YOUR perception and diminish

YOUR "range of thought," increasing your acceptance of and

tolerance for abortion -- a truly unthinkable crime.

Woe to those who call evil good,

and good evil,

who change the darkness into light,

and light into darkness,

who change bitter into sweet,

and sweet into bitter! (Isaiah 5:20)

---------------------------------------------------------------

Robert Evangelisto, recently appointed to the American Life

League Media Outreach Program, is the co-author of a new booklet

entitled MORAL AND LOGICAL ARGUMENTS AGAINST ABORTION, which will

be made available from American Life League in January 1990 for

$2.00

This article was taken from the November/December 1989 issue of

ALL About Issues, copyright 1989 American Life League, P.O. Box

1350, Stafford, VA 22554. The American Life League gives

permission for reprint of this article provided that credit is

given to the American Life League, their address (above) is

mentioned, and that you send a copy of your publication to

Editor, ALL About Issues, at the above address.

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