Legal Penalties for Abortion: What Should a Pro-Life Candidate Say?

In the United States, the Republican party is one which generally opposes the legality of abortion.  However, most of the print and broadcast media is staffed by people who defend the abortion industry and see it as normal.

As a result, Republican candidates who claim to be Pro-Life are often asked detailed ethical questions about their stance on abortion.  Democrat candidates are almost never asked these questions.  This is grossly unfair, but the dichotomy is as predictable as the sunrise.  Therefore, it would be smart for any Republican who wants to run as Pro-Life to take the time to learn how to answer these questions.

Unfortunately most Republicans are dumb.  Many would rather destroy their careers than spend a day learning the basics of Pro-Life apologetics.  

Recently Donald Trump joined this prestigious group of morons when he fielded a question about the legal implications of the Pro-Life movement.  Would a victory for the Pro-Life movement mean women would be prosecuted?  

His answer was: "Yes."

Outrage ensued.  Particularly peeved were actual Pro-Life groups, who never asked to be associated with this belligerent madman.

So today I want to show how I would answer the question.  The following was mostly recited off the top of my head into a recording device.  Then I transcribed it.

Interviewer:  

"If your Pro-Life side wins and fetuses are recognized as being fully human, wouldn't we have to punish women who have abortions?"  

Candidate ACTS Apologist: 

"I cannot deny that there is sound logic behind your question and the conclusion you reached.  After all, if a parent hired someone to kill a born baby, that person would be charged with a crime.  

 However, I've spent a long time in the Pro-Life community and I have even asked people for their thoughts on this very question.  And I can tell you I found absolutely no interest in prosecuting women who have had abortions.  

The vast majority of Pro-Life people view the women who procure abortions as victims themselves.  They see post-abortive women as victims of an abortion industry which lies to them about the humanity of their children, exploits them, and only cares about the bottom line.  

 Look... the logic of the Pro-Life movement is simple.  We believe that a baby an hour prior to birth is equal in dignity to a baby an hour after birth.  Knowing all we know scientifically – and goodness, just from common sense - we don’t see a reason why birth constitutes a transition from a nonhuman thing to being a precious baby.

So the goal of the Pro-Life movement is to see the dignity of all human lives recognized in law.  To that end, most Pro-Life people DO support prosecuting the people who perform abortions.  

But as for the people who procure them, there is a sense of revulsion at the idea of punishing them.  There is no point.  There may be a philosophical case that the law ought to, but nobody actually wants to go there. So we can have a logical inconsistency in the law - we already have plenty in this area. 

 What we cannot live with is a whole swath of humanity which is not recognized in any way.  That is an injustice.  That’s what we seek to change.  That’s where we want people to look into the beating heart of the other and not see a thing, or a threat, or a burden - but a life to be treasured.  We should be the generation that finally embraces all of humanity."