I've seen a rote dismissal of pro-lifers as religious fanatics, male chauvinists, Christian supremacists, sexual oppressors, and worse. I believe that this is one of the VERY FEW issues that can be irreconcilable by reason and logic. And it's not just for religious reasons- there are non-religious pro-lifers. I believe this characterization is wrong and very ineffective, even counterproductive.
Before I state my peace, I'll state my views- I'm pro choice. I don't believe a zygote/fetus is a human, I'm anti-death penalty, pro-stem cell research, and a strong progressive Democrat.
But the characterization of much of the pro-life movement on some diaries I see is WAAAAY off, and it shows why so little progress has been made with regards to damping the ferocity of the pro-life movement.
Most pro-life people believe that a fertilized egg is a human being, with the moral equivalence and rights of a human baby. That's it. They REALLY, HONESTLY believe it's a baby. And they REALLY, HONESTLY believe millions of babies have been MURDERED since Roe vs Wade. Barack Obama understands this- this is why he has reached out to pro-life groups to try to find solutions to reduce demand for abortion. Sure, there are religious fanatics, oppressors of women, male chauvinists, etc., but for most pro-life people, they believe they are trying to stop mass murder of babies.
I think they're wrong. I think most of the people here are right about the abortion issue. But the characterization of the ideological opponents here is not only WRONG, it's STUPID and INEFFECTIVE. You will never change any minds when you call them fanatics and sexual oppressors, even when some of them are. You MAY get some pro-life people to work with us on things like contraception, sex education, and other efforts that actually reduce unwanted pregnancies (and therefore abortions) if you are realistic about their motivations.
They characterize us as unfeeling bastards, who don't care about human life. They believe we want to euthanize those with disabilities, old people, sick people, and other "undesirables", and believe they're fighting to save millions of lives. With a lot of the views here, our characterizations have been almost as stupid. Barack Obama understands how GOOD PEOPLE CAN DISAGREE on this issue, and I think it's important that we do too.