I have to confess that I’m ignorant of the pro-life movement’s platform. I didn’t know they had a policy, which they’d defined somewhere in unison on the wild chance that the powers that be would overturn Roe, against any punishment for women who choose to abort their children. I’m not running for president on a pro-life ticket, but I am equally as dismayed as Trump seems to be.
Abortion is murder, yes? If it’s only an accomplice to murder then that’s certainly a very strong complicity, like tying up the victim and holding the gun while someone else pulls the trigger. But I’ve come to learn from ‘real pro-lifers’ and ‘real conservatives’ that ‘post-abortive’ mothers are actually victims too.
Is punishment for women who abort bad policy? I suppose. Is it even necessary? Well it wasn’t before 1973, but they didn’t have the abortion pill then. Is it poor political strategy? Well I don’t know. It’s not like the one they have is winning, is it?
But the great Catholic opinion leader, ever ready to distill and ponder Pope Francis’s latest bit of ‘wisdom,’ Robert George, says that when Trump called briefly for some consequence for women, under hostile and abusive grilling from Chris Matthews, it was a sure sign he doesn’t mean any pro-life word he’s uttered. “He’s not one of us,” George pronounced.
Who cares? Who do these pompous establishment scolds think they are? Isn’t Trump’s position even more pro-life than theirs? They only want sanctions for doctors, as if that’s gained them anything.
Trump wants more. Ted Cruz wants to ‘enforce the border,’ but Trump wants a wall. A wall is better because you know it’s working. But look, Ted Cruz is serious and honest while Trump’s just a pretending unChristian racist, yes?
Does anybody seem to understand that when Ted Cruz jokes about how he’d like to back over Trump with his car he’s saying the same thing to the majority of his voters? If Cruz is so saintly, why does he want to crush the bedrock of America under his wheels? I think that’s a good question. Why, when he smiles do people not see a smile? When he laughs, why is nothing funny happening?
Carly Fiorina once again laid out the contemptuous slur that Trump has proven he has no principles. Why? Because he wants to punish serious crimes somehow, or because he hasn’t studied up on defensive, losing pro-life policy? Doesn’t everyone know that ex-mother and murdered child are one and the same? That’s what pro-life means! The movement is about healing, not judgmentalism, and we don’t want to make millions of ‘post-abortive’ women angry at Republicans either.
After all, who does this non-professional think he is trying to be a Republican presidential candidate without going deep into our policy? Like the brilliant, grim, and unsmiling Charles Krauthammer tells us, ‘It’s not that Trump’s wrong. It’s his “attitude toward ‘the facts!”‘
Yes, you are right. It only makes sense that if abortion is illegal, that one who seeks or procures it is at least complicit in the crime of killing the baby. Just like any other crime, the level of culpability that a woman has ( if any) would be based on many factors and determined in a courtroom. Of course the abortionist and staff are the actual (physical) killers, but there wouldn’t be an abortion without the consent of the “mother”. As an old sidewalk counselor, there are women who are truly victims and are dragged in by boyfriends, husbands and parents against their will. But most seem to know exactly what their objective is, and that is to get rid of their child. They usually have a few choice words and gestures to let you know exactly that.
The “pro-life” community, in order to gain societal favor from all of the people who hate them anyway, have to appear soooo compassionate towards ALL women who make their conscious decision for the death of their baby . What victimhood!
If abortion was made illegal (via states?) why wouldn’t someone who violated the law have some type of legal punitive action against them ? It could be counseling, or community service, or yes, even jail time- for the male party as well, but the woman should not be eliminated from the mix.
It is my opinion that the threat of punishment , as in every other crime would be a deterrent, and eventually abortion would be looked at as an evil instead of a right. The professional pro-lifers would much rather shower love and affection on the victims after the fact ( abortion) than actually take the impetus and courage to try to stop the murder before it happens. That of course is what compassion really means (except for the baby)
Oh so excellent. I too have for many years stood outside abortuaies praying
and attempting to reason with the mothers. What in the world is wrong with
the pro life organizations ? This phony compassion has only led to failure.
These organizations maintain that historically when abortion (murder) was illegal that women were never punished. It doesn’t occur to them that very thing may be a contributing factor to why there is legal abortion in the US
today.
I’ve apparently been blocked at First Things. Therefore I am unable to post there how ridiculous I find this constant theme that every woman who has an abortion is an innocent victim. What rubbish. There are all too many women having abortions who honestly don’t give a damn what they do to the growing life within them. They find abortion to be a quick and easy solution, even calling it empowering.
I’m a pro-life woman, and I’m not about to throw under the bus someone who dares to posit that breaking a law and taking the life of an unborn child might merit some sort of punishment.
They blocked me too! So did National Review, because NR is getting even more desperate about derailing Trump.
Being blocked by First Things, National Review and others is an absolute badge of honor! It means you’re telling the truth to heretics and apostates! Good job!
I guess I’ll be blocked next, simply for sharing my utter disappointment with Prof. George, a person I have great admiration for–an admiration that is diminishing over the past two articles regarding Trump.
It’s not so much that I’m a Trump supporter, it is the atypical fashion Prof. George has employed using disparaging remarks instead of his usual engaging, thoughtful, well-reasoned arguments. He sounds like the lefties with Bush derangement syndrome–and it’s not becoming for such an intelligent and good man.
I guess I am in good company as I have been notified that I am also blocked. I am confused why. I never use insulting or profane language and only state facts as I know them I guess the truth hurts.
Brilliant!
Thank you, thank you, Mr. StumblingBlock! I wish I could write this myself. You’re my hero! God bless you.
Yes, Mr. StumblingBlock, thank you for your insightful argument. This unreasoning hatred for all things Trump is mystifying. The capacity for non- thinking in Americans is just fascinating to watch. I love your point about the snobbery of ‘pro life experts’. Right, who do they think they are? Thank you again for your honest appraisal of irrational self-important people.
The term “victim” seems to imply innocence. Victimhood would depend on the circumstances. Cecile Richards (head of Planned Parenthood and daughter of former Texas Gov. Ann Richards) doesn’t sound like a victim to me. At least not any more than any of us who are tricked into sinning are “victims.” More fitting the definition of post-abortive victim would be teen girls forced by their families. Or women who feel forced by physical and/or other intimidation by male partners. Or males whose female partners aborted despite their desire for fatherhood.
The non-post abortive are victims of abortion. Society — current and future — is hurt by the absence of the one who wasn’t born and their potential descendants. It is hurt by the damage done to the mother/father and other family and friends of the child. I have been a pro-life volunteer for over twenty-five years and am beginning to feel like a victim of those who choose to behave in inappropriate ways. I could have found plenty of other things to do with my time. I haven’t participated in pro-life because I enjoyed it. I have done it because I felt I had to or face my own judgement/punishment/consequences. God help us.
Good article.
There’s a lot of revealing going on. Trump hasn’t been elected to one single office in his life yet and I’m already dubbing him “The Great Clarifier.” Establishment GOP, professional pro-lifers, “conservative” pundit class. The masks are coming off of all of them.
The two party system charade is being exposed for all America to see, that is if they’ll actually pay attention.
When all is said and done I’ll likely reject my lifelong membership in the GOP and register independent. That won’t change our corrupt system but it will make me feel a little like I’m no longer playing the game.
That is a good response. I like the term “The Great Clarifier” applied to Trump. Americans are fed up with the political establishment class, just as faithful Catholics are fed up with the Catholic establishment as well.
Have any of the “professional pro-lifers” ever reached out to Mr. Trump since he’s been running for president and explained their strategy to him? If not, then why would they expect him to know that their strategy is to portray a woman as a victim when she chooses to kill her own child? I’ve run across too many flippant women who have killed more than one of the babies in their own wombs to get on board with seeing them as victims. The only victims are their own children whom they’ve sanctioned to be murdered. Yes, there are some who are coerced into it but how many are in that category as opposed to how many willingly get rid of their own children? The latter aren’t victims, they’re perpetrators, and it angers me when they get exonerated as having no culpability because we want to be seen as “nice”, not mean, when in actuality THEY as the mothers are guilty of participating in killing their own offspring!