I have seen 'antichoice' used in a manner similar to 'fascist'. That you might not mean it that way doesn't mean it doesn't get used as an insult and a bludgeon often enough in other places.
Simply using the term 'antichoice' over 'prolife' shuts my point of view out of the discussion. By your standards, they might not mean anything different, but it means a great deal to me (as haikujaguar commented). Using the preferred word, the consensus word of polite discussion - prolife - does not shut me out automatically.
If most of the people you talk to use the same lingo, it can be hard to realize just how shocking certain terms may be to a different group. Even things which are not insulting may serve to exclude others from a conversation entirely.
In my conversations about 'antichoice', I compared it to a pro-lifer using 'prodeath'. They're both offensive. A prochoice advocate would recognize the insulting nature of 'prodeath' immediately and seek to defend themselves against it. But then these same people turned around and argued that there was nothing wrong with 'antichoice'.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-01-28 12:37 am (UTC)Simply using the term 'antichoice' over 'prolife' shuts my point of view out of the discussion. By your standards, they might not mean anything different, but it means a great deal to me (as
If most of the people you talk to use the same lingo, it can be hard to realize just how shocking certain terms may be to a different group. Even things which are not insulting may serve to exclude others from a conversation entirely.
In my conversations about 'antichoice', I compared it to a pro-lifer using 'prodeath'. They're both offensive. A prochoice advocate would recognize the insulting nature of 'prodeath' immediately and seek to defend themselves against it. But then these same people turned around and argued that there was nothing wrong with 'antichoice'.