Hi JS – thanks for pointing out this column wasn’t originally posted. Re: the Gallup poll, here’s the second one you refer to. Yes, at that point pro-life had gone to 47% from 51%, but Gallup’s conclusion was still the same – getting to the 51% at all was not only still significant, but “pro-life” is still higher than “pro-choice” even in the second poll, and much higher than it has been historically.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/122033/U.S.-Abortion-Attitudes-Closely-Divided.aspx

Second, put aside the millions pro-life and pro-choice give to advance their political agenda. In addition, pro-lifers contribute millions of dollars each year to help women facing unintended pregnancies get whatever help they need to be able to carry their baby to term. Do pro-choices give millions of dollars a year to fund free abortions?

Thanks for writing -

I believe they do, though I’d have to check on that. (They certainly are known for donating to Planned Parenthood, at any rate. Not to mention helping to make contraceptives more accessible to people in general.)

Also, from Katha Pollitt’s review of the movie “Juno,” (last paragraph):

“Just to bring the whole reproductive carnival full circle, Florida’s ‘Choose Life’ license plates, of which more than 40,000 have been sold, have raised more than $4 million for low-income single moms. But there’s a catch: only women who choose adoption qualify. A woman who wants to keep her baby can just go starve in hell. Since only a handful of women want to give away their babies–even among pregnant women who plan on adoption, 35 percent change their mind once the baby is born–the money is just sitting there. Maybe someone, someday will make a movie about that.”

Betsy, Love your columns. I’m looking for the column where you stated that correlation does not mean causation. I teach statistics and I’d love to read that to my students.

Pamela – that certainly feels like a phrase I’ve used recently, but I can’t think of “where.” If I come across it I will write back.

Thanks for the kind words!

Betsy