Cal Thomas: Control the language, control the debate

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Thursday March 21. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio. I’m Myrna Brown.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Up next: abortion at the ballot box.

Many Democrats think the abortion issue alone will let them keep the White House for another term. But WORLD commentator Cal Thomas says the pro-life side ought not appease or surrender.

CAL THOMAS: Polling consistently shows that voters dislike the Biden administration’s performance on the economy, foreign policy and many other issues, with one exception: abortion.

The president and Democrats up for re-election in Congress believe they can ride this single issue to victory in November. It is why Vice President Kamala Harris recently visited a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota, becoming the first vice president–while still in office–to tour a facility that performs abortions.

Just as cities clear the streets of the homeless when heads of state arrive, Harris’ visit appeared to go no further than a photo-op in the clinic lobby. Behind her was a sign that appealed to “reproductive freedom.” Controlling the language often means one gets to control the debate and its outcome. 

Harris should have been asked if she has had a personal experience with abortion as that frequently colors one’s attitude toward the procedure. While she was there, I expect she didn’t watch an ultrasound-guided abortion or see any “products of conception.” And she probably didn’t visit with any women who just had abortions, some of whom might have been crying or in shock. That’s too bad, because if she had witnessed an abortion and the aftermath, especially one in the second or third trimester, it might have at least rattled her position of no restrictions on the procedure for any reason.

Securing the language and not showing horrifying images of the Holocaust was a tactic used by the Nazis during World War II. No Life magazine photographers had access to the gas chambers and ovens until after the Allied victory. It is why Gen. Dwight Eisenhower ordered cameras to visit some of the death camps so no one would be able to deny what had occurred (though many Anti-semites still do).

Republicans should not shy away or try to appease the “pro-choice” side. Polls show many in the middle want at least some restrictions on the procedure. If Democrats are going to make abortion in the post-Roe era a major issue in the coming election, Republicans should fight back with facts. Create ads in which women say they regret having had an abortion (especially women of color who are disproportionately affected).

Feature information about the free services at pregnancy help centers and the free services they offer. (Abortion clinics usually charge.) Interview people who survived abortion and are happy to be alive. Interview women who have had abortions who say they would have made another choice had they had more information or had not been pressured by a husband, boyfriend, or parents. Show ultrasound images of babies in the womb.

Abortion is a moral, medical, and political issue. Republicans can fight back on all three levels because they hold the high ground on each one.

I’m Cal Thomas.

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