A pitfall to be avoided

Diogenes has made an important point about unnecessary concessions to anti-life rhetoric:
Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore, in a column for his archdiocesan paper the Catholic Review, laments the public image of the pro-life movement:

"How unfortunate it is that the pro-life movement comes across to some as angry, reproachful or excessively judgmental."

"Comes across to some..." Who are these "some" people who see pro-lifers in such a negative light? Why of course it's their political foes, the champions of unrestricted abortion on demand.
See: An unconscious plug for the other side. Diogenes continues:
Yes, it's unfortunate that the pro-abortion side, amply represented in the mass media, controls the terms of public debate, and distorts the public perceptions of pro-life work. That doesn't mean the archbishop should reinforce their rhetoric.
This is an easy mistake to make when public figures try to appear reasonable and show "both sides" of a debate. Experienced pro-lifers can help speakers avoid this mistake.

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