When a person identifies him/herself with being pro-choice, he/she believes that it's a woman's right to choose abortion and it shouldn’t be limited to authority from one's religion or government. When a person identifies him/herself with being pro-life, he/she believes life begins at conception and by having an abortion is the act of killing an innocent human being. A main concern is that an abortion is intentionally causing pain on the unborn child. Also, that it's cruel to allow abortion when there are couples who cannot biologically conceive and want to adopt. 

In "A Better Way to Talk about Abortion", Aspen Baker speaks about her experience as a recent college graduate and being unsure of her pregnancy. Luckily, her friend, Polly, gave her the gift of: Knowing she's not alone and that abortion is a topic that can be spoken about by all. She speaks about the gap that happens between real life and politics. Overall, she realizes there are many issues that cannot be spoken about openly. Sixteen years ago she co-founded an organization called Exhale where women and men could call in for emotional support in reference to abortions. They didn't think it was right for women to pick sides, so they created "pro-voice." 

Pro-voice focuses on a variety of issues besides abortion that may be hard to speak out such as immigration, religious tolerance and violence against women. Baker suggests two ways to help when speaking about a difficult conversation with another person: (1) Listen closely and (2) Share stories. If you listen to another person, you can hear things that will allow a shift in perception. In order to be a good listener you can ask open-ended questions, such as, “How are you feeling?” or “What was that like for you?” Another thing is to use reflective language. If someone is speaking to you about a personal experience, use the same words as them. For example, when speaking about an abortion, if the person uses the word abortion, then you can also use abortion. By using reflective language you're letting the other person know that you're interested in them as a person and the experience they’re currently going through. Another way to be pro-voice is to share stories. When you share a story, it's important to remember that not everyone will make the same decisions as you, which is acceptable. In return, empathy evolves and you're able to put yourself in someone else’s situation. Being empathetic doesn’t mean we as people have to be on the same page, but it allows a thinking where we can respect one another and are free to speak. Pro-voice is about being able to speak about politicized and stigmatized issues by having support and respect for all.

 Reference:

Baker, A. (2015 May) A better way to talk about abortion. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/aspen_baker_a_better_way_to_talk_about_abortion

Legislatures have been called out in reference to abortions because previously the consequences of women's' decisions have been viewed as the basis, rather than how the courts are approaching their task. For example, Justice Stephen G. Breyer observed the ways Texas enforced abortions laws, which were not administered on more unsafe medical procedures. Childbirth is fourteen times more likely than abortion to result in death but Texas allows a midwife to supervise childbirth in the patient’s home. Abortion regulations seem to be stringent than other outpatient medical procedures such as liposuction as an example.

Reference:

Greenhouse, L. (2016, August 18). The courts begin to call out lawmakers. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/opinion/the-courts-begin-to-call-out-lawmakers.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FAbortion&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection