No, “Forced Pregnancy” Is Not A “Crime”

Can’t women live with the consequences of their actions?

Like every contentious area of political life, the debate surrounding abortion — in particular, the argument in favor of abortion — involves a deliberate and careful re-characterization of the act itself, in order to both desensitize us from the subject in general, or avoid the brutal reality of medical or surgical abortion itself.

Indeed, the word “abortion” or the term “pro-abortion” is used rarely. Instead, the phrase “pro-choice” is used, where a “woman’s right to choose what to do with her body” becomes the euphemism for “abortion.”

Others include “reproductive healthcare,” “reproductive decisions” or “reproductive freedom,” all relating to a woman’s supposed “reproductive rights.” Then there’s euphemisms for the unborn child itself, such as “fetus” or “embryo,” or sometimes even “parasite,” all used to obfuscate or distract.

Finally, and perhaps most disturbingly of all, there are euphemisms for pregnancy itself. In recent weeks, terms like “forced pregnancy” and “forced birth” have become popular. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that “Forced pregnancy is a crime against humanity,” while Robert Reich said that the United States imposes “Forced birth” without benefits like universal healthcare, childcare, paid family and medical leave, and “one of the highest rates of maternal mortality among rich nations.”

At the root of the use of the word “forced” is the subject of consent — with implicit links to often-referenced pregnancies due to rape or incest. After all, when the morality of abortion is questioned, the first pro-abortion retort is usually “but what if the woman is raped?!”

In order for terms like “forced birth” to be in any way acceptable, there are two fundamental facts which are being intentionally dismissed in order to use the concept of “consent” in the broad context of abortion.