If you take a careful look at the numbers and the polls, it appears that support for the pro-life position is gaining support across the United States.1 While a huge majority will (unfortunately) respond that they are in favor of abortion being legal in most cases, a smaller but still significant majority would ban it except to save the life of the mother. How can this discrepancy be resolved?
Ms. Wills claims that it is due to the fact that most Americans will say "most" over "all," and that others get confused over whether the word "most" means "most abortions" or "most reasons for abortions." The latter they would support, even though only a tiny fraction of those reasons represent most abortions.
This is not unmixed news. It represents a great deal of work left for those attempting to battle for the lives of the most defenseless and innocent among us. Still, it does appear the situation is improving, and it is good to be aware of just how problematic polls on the subject can be.
Ms. Susan Wills. "The Slippery Art Of Abortion Polling" National Catholic Register 2007/08/12-18 Issue. \