1. Abortion is LEGAL! Get over it!
Pro-lifers believe that abortion should be illegal, so arguing with them means you are debating whether abortion should be legal or not. Saying, “Abortion is legal” to them is saying, “Abortion should be legal because it is already legal.”
Better: Abortion should remain legal because nobody has the right to use someone else’s body without their consent. Even if we granted fetuses personhood (an all-around terrible idea), the US constitution guarantees citizens the right to privacy (frequently interpreted as a right to bodily integrity), right to equality (though not of the sexes :() and freedom from involuntary servitude (state-mandated pregnancy). Other countries’ constitutions have similar protections.
2. The fetus is not alive!
Embryos and fetuses are living.
Better: Embryos and fetuses are using the pregnant person’s body to stay alive. Nobody has the right to do that without the other person’s consent. Also, blastocysts, embryos, and most fetuses are not sentient, don’t feel pain, don’t have thoughts or feelings of any kind, and don’t even know they exist.
3. The fetus is just a clump of cells!
Every living thing, including a born human, is made up of a clump of cells.
Better: Embryos and fetuses are using the pregnant person’s body to stay alive. Nobody has the right to do that without the other person’s consent. Also, blastocysts, embryos, and most fetuses are not sentient, don’t feel pain, don’t have thoughts or feelings of any kind, and don’t even know they exist.
4. Everyone should have the right to decide when they want to be a parent!
Anti-abortion crowd will tell you to choose adoption instead.
Better: Adoption is an alternative to parenthood. It is not an alternative to pregnancy. I wrote a post about why adoption is not an alternative to abortion. This article is also a good resource for explaining why bringing up adoption whenever people talk about abortion is offensive.
5. Prolifers are this…prolifers do that…
I’ve been guilty of using this kind of language more than my fair share of times. I know how frustrating it can be when it seems like the pro-life side is filled with liars and hypocrites. However, framing your argument as “Pro-lifers all think this thing” is just mudslinging and doesn’t move the conversation in a productive direction.
Better: Instead of saying, “Pro-lifers are bad because … “, say “This pro-life argument doesn’t hold up because … “ Small changes in your language can shift the focus from attacking pro-lifers as people to attacking pro-life ideas and propaganda, which is a much more productive strategy in the long term.