Council 112 Respect Life Report February 2007

Tony Marino is an Air Force veteran who later received a degree in English Literature at Long Island University. For more than 30 years, he was an insurance agent for Aetna before eventually becoming a private insurance consultant. Since his retirement in 2003, he has devoted himself to the service of St. Peter's Parish in Concord and the Right to Life movement in New Hampshire. Tony has been married to his wife, Annette for more than 40 years. They have ten children and 22 grandchildren.

Recently, one of the presidential candidates declared a truism with which everyone is familiar, “words mean something." Unfortunately, it is a truism which is often forgotten, especially when elements in society deliberately obfuscate meanings. Two words immediately come to mind: "gay" and "choice." "Gay" at one time was distinguished by its dictionary meaning as being an emotion involving happiness or merriment. However, over the last two or three decades, the word has taken on a meaning which Webster, in creating his dictionary, would never have anticipated. The meaning of the word "gay" has been expanded to identify homosexuality. However, in this essay, we want to focus on the word "choice."

"Choice," according to the dictionary, means that there is an act of choosing or selecting. Everyone is familiar with this definition. Not only are they familiar with it but the word "choice" describes a basic freedom. What would life be if we could not choose? We choose a make of auto, a flavor of ice cream, a place to live and countless other things that make our life what it is. The word "choice" is a positive word which for most of us is at the base of our freedom. Knowing this, those seeking to justify and expand abortion knew that the word "abortion" had serious negative consequences. If they were to be successful in selling the abortion idea, they had to change the word so that the sale would have favorable consequences. What better word to use than "choice," a word central to the idea of freedom. In 1973, armed with a Supreme Court decision now seen as bad law, those selling abortion sold their wares as “choice."

In the more than thirty years that the abortionists have been selling abortion as "choice," they have achieved a large degree of success. Today, many persons of good will mistakenly accept the idea that to be pro-choice is not to be pro-abortion. They conclude that they can support representatives in political office who are pro-choice without supporting abortion. We must let these people know that they are wrong. The term “pro-choice” as used by people who support abortion means that they favor as a right the ability of a woman to decide to terminate the life within her or bring the child to term.

In so far as they are concerned, that is the only meaning of the term “pro-choice." One only has to seek out information from one of the most notorious supporters of abortion in the United States, “NARAL Pro-Choice America." NARAL added the term “Pro-Choice America” to its identification in 2003. They did so in order “to soften its image and align itself with the idea that abortion was only about ‘a woman’s right to choose.’” It is clear that the idea that being pro-choice is not being pro-abortion came directly from this notorious abortion supporter. Under this camouflage, NARAL opposes any ban on partial birth abortions, opposes legislation such as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and works vigorously against any limitation on abortion.

Persons who accept the idea that being “pro-choice” only supports an idea of freedom “fail to bear witness to the authority of truth" - that support for a pro-choice candidate advances the conditions in which intrinsic evil can flourish. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that our moral conscience “…judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil." We pray that all persons who are deceived by the camouflage of the term “pro-choice” will find the voice of their conscience calling them to do good and avoid evil.

	COUNCIL #112 • 52 Bradley Street • Concord NH 03301 • (603) 228-8927 •

RETURN TO RESPECT LIFE PAGE AWARDS AND HONORS BIRTHDAYS CHURCH PROGRAMS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS COUNCIL NEWS FAMILY PROGRAMS FIRST DEGREE TEAM GOOD OF THE ORDER INSURANCE KNIGHT OF THE MONTH LINKS OUR GRAND KNIGHT PHOTOS VIDEO OF THE MONTH YOUTH PROGRAMS CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO VISIT OUR FATHER McGIVNEY SITE	Tony Marino is an Air Force veteran who later received a degree in English Literature at Long Island University. For more than 30 years, he was an insurance agent for Aetna before eventually becoming a private insurance consultant. Since his retirement in 2003, he has devoted himself to the service of St. Peter's Parish in Concord and the Right to Life movement in New Hampshire. Tony has been married to his wife, Annette for more than 40 years. They have ten children and 22 grandchildren. Council 112 Respect Life Report March 2008 CHOICE Recently, one of the presidential candidates declared a truism with which everyone is familiar, “words mean something." Unfortunately, it is a truism which is often forgotten, especially when elements in society deliberately obfuscate meanings. Two words immediately come to mind: "gay" and "choice." "Gay" at one time was distinguished by its dictionary meaning as being an emotion involving happiness or merriment. However, over the last two or three decades, the word has taken on a meaning which Webster, in creating his dictionary, would never have anticipated. The meaning of the word "gay" has been expanded to identify homosexuality. However, in this essay, we want to focus on the word "choice." "Choice," according to the dictionary, means that there is an act of choosing or selecting. Everyone is familiar with this definition. Not only are they familiar with it but the word "choice" describes a basic freedom. What would life be if we could not choose? We choose a make of auto, a flavor of ice cream, a place to live and countless other things that make our life what it is. The word "choice" is a positive word which for most of us is at the base of our freedom. Knowing this, those seeking to justify and expand abortion knew that the word "abortion" had serious negative consequences. If they were to be successful in selling the abortion idea, they had to change the word so that the sale would have favorable consequences. What better word to use than "choice," a word central to the idea of freedom. In 1973, armed with a Supreme Court decision now seen as bad law, those selling abortion sold their wares as “choice." In the more than thirty years that the abortionists have been selling abortion as "choice," they have achieved a large degree of success. Today, many persons of good will mistakenly accept the idea that to be pro-choice is not to be pro-abortion. They conclude that they can support representatives in political office who are pro-choice without supporting abortion. We must let these people know that they are wrong. The term “pro-choice” as used by people who support abortion means that they favor as a right the ability of a woman to decide to terminate the life within her or bring the child to term. In so far as they are concerned, that is the only meaning of the term “pro-choice." One only has to seek out information from one of the most notorious supporters of abortion in the United States, “NARAL Pro-Choice America." NARAL added the term “Pro-Choice America” to its identification in 2003. They did so in order “to soften its image and align itself with the idea that abortion was only about ‘a woman’s right to choose.’” It is clear that the idea that being pro-choice is not being pro-abortion came directly from this notorious abortion supporter. Under this camouflage, NARAL opposes any ban on partial birth abortions, opposes legislation such as the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and works vigorously against any limitation on abortion. Persons who accept the idea that being “pro-choice” only supports an idea of freedom “fail to bear witness to the authority of truth" - that support for a pro-choice candidate advances the conditions in which intrinsic evil can flourish. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that our moral conscience “…judges particular choices, approving those that are good and denouncing those that are evil." We pray that all persons who are deceived by the camouflage of the term “pro-choice” will find the voice of their conscience calling them to do good and avoid evil.
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