Julie Polter of Sojourner's, God's Politics has written a piece about how the labels of "pro-choice" and "pro-life" are oftentimes ideological barriers that prevent people from coming together for social action on issues like teen pregnancy and other similar issues.
It's true -- the stereotypes we give each other and ourselves most often get in the way of understanding who the other really is and where s/he is coming from. I agree with Polter that labels like "pro-life" and "pro-choice" not only pigeon-hole us into black-or-white, cookie-cutter viewpoints, but it also frustrates the possibility of finding real common ground and communicating respectfully and intelligently about the issues.
This is just another example of how labels can block real dialogue between seeming enemies.
Read Polter's article at Faith in Public Life.
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