That new Gallup poll on abortion is ridiculous and misleading. It always has been.
Chiefly because it defines the issue based upon the terms "pro-life" and "pro-choice" while underscoring that suddenly more Americans are pro-life.
What about me? I consider myself pro-life, anti-abortion and pro-choice. In other words, I appreciate the sanctity of human life. I'm not particularly fond of abortion. And I support a woman's right to choose whether or not she wants to carry a pregnancy to term. So if Gallup contacted me with this poll, how the shit would I have responded?
I tend to believe that when most Americans are asked about this issue in depth, their positions aren't -- and never have been -- as cut and dry as the terms used to define it.
In fact, the so-called pro-life faction often employs the terms "choose" and "choice" in their rhetoric (see "choose life"). And the so-called pro-choice faction is, of course, defined by choice. Furthermore, I would wager that there are many so-called pro-choicers who are anti-abortion, in that, like me, they're not thrilled with the idea -- in the same way they're not pro-amputation or pro-mastectomy.
So ultimately, the fact that this medical procedure remains a matter of a legal choice is absolutely the best policy.