"Coalition pushes for women's rights agenda," March 5, makes repeated use of the phrase "reproductive rights" with reference to abortion. The same phrase appears frequently, outside of quotes, in other recent coverage of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal regarding abortion expansion in the state.
As George Orwell once observed, "political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible ... [t]hus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness," e.g., bombing of civilians is "pacification" or torture is "enhanced interrogation."
"Such phraseology," Orwell pointed out, "is needed if one wants to name things without calling up mental pictures of them."
Orwell would not have been surprised to see abortion providers, pro-choice advocates or the media use the phrase "reproductive rights."
CLAIRE HAZZARD
Delmar