“Progressives” who support a woman’s freedom to choose abortion to end an unwanted pregnancy often call themselves “pro-choice.” However, as is often the case with “Progressives, this self-assigned label is inaccurate and misleading. In fact, on many issues “Progressives” are vehemently anti-choice.
A choice is the act of selecting from two or more alternatives. In regard to pregnancy, “Progressives” support a woman’s freedom to choose from the alternatives of keeping the baby, giving it up for adoption, or having an abortion. But when it comes to economic issues, “Progressives” don’t think that individuals should be free to choose.
Consider anti-discrimination laws as an example. Such laws prohibit individuals from making certain choices, such as refusing to hire members of a certain race or serving gays. Anti-discrimination laws remove certain alternatives from consideration, thereby making choice impossible. For example, if a baker is forced to bake a cake for a gay wedding, he has no choice in the matter.
“Progressives” are pro-choice, but only when they like the alternatives available to choose from. And when they don’t like the alternatives, they will make some alternatives illegal.
Others do not and will not always make choices that we agree with or like. But if we are truly pro-choice, we will support and defend their freedom to make those choices. We will support and defend their freedom to make choices that we might find offensive or irrational.
Those who call themselves “pro-choice” while denying others the freedom to make choices are hypocrites. For all their talk about tolerance, they are decidedly intolerant of those who make choices that they dislike. For all their talk about diversity, they are remarkably opposed to choices that diverge from their own. And they are willing to use government force to make such choices illegal.