One America News

Zitat

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March 31, 2016

By Doina Chiacu and Emily Stephenson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Wednesday that women who end pregnancies should face punishment if the United States bans abortion, triggering a torrent of criticism from both sides of the abortion debate, including from his White House rivals.

After MSNBC broadcast a clip of an interview with Trump, the billionaire businessman rowed back his remarks, first saying that the abortion issue should be handled by states and later that doctors who performed abortions should be the ones held responsible.

“The doctor or any other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible, not the woman,” Trump said in his last statement. “The woman is a victim in this case as is the life in her womb.”

Trump’s earlier statements drew heavy fire from abortion rights supporters and opponents alike.

Abortion has long been a divisive issue in American politics, even though the procedure was legalized in a Supreme Court ruling more than 40 years ago. Opposition to abortion has become a central plank in the platform of most conservative politicians.

Trump has won support from Republican voters for selling himself as a Washington outsider. But the New York real estate tycoon, who once supported abortion access, has come under pressure from conservatives to prove he is truly one of them. At the same time, he has drawn criticism for comments that offended women and minority groups.

“Of course, women shouldn’t be punished,” rival Republican candidate John Kasich said on Wednesday, saying he opposed abortion except in specific cases such as rape.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the third candidate for the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election, said Trump had not thought through the issue. “What’s far too often neglected is that being pro-life is not simply about the unborn child, it’s also about the mother,” he said in a statement.

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Couple of things I pick up on here:

1. Trump said this in context of a hypothetical question IF abortion becomes illegal. We are 'supposed' to be a nation of laws. Ergo if someone breaks said law that person should face the music, whatever the courts decree that music should be.

2. In many people's minds abortion is murder. If a woman murders a two-year old she usually faces criminal prosecution. There is no difference between the unborn child or the two-year old child. If a woman can get away with murdering an unborn child (not facing any punishment) then logic would dictate the same if she murders a two-year old. Does anyone really believe that? The hypocrisy is astounding to me.

3. The 'principled conservatives' on the right have been blasting Trump for months now that he 'isn't pro-life'. Now they are blasting him for this comment. Do they want pro-life or not? When he comes out unquestionably making a pro-life statement they criticize him. Which is it? You can't have it both ways here - you either are or you are not.

"Principled conservatives" are not principled. If they were, they wouldn't announce their intent to vote for Her Thighness instead of Trump, if he's the nominee. And their attack on the Donald is part of the game plan. If he changes position, he's wishy-washy. If he doesn't, he's obdurate. And aside from the few, their 'pro-life' position is mostly a façade. When was the last time you saw a SUSTAINED attack on the abortion industry and culture from them. When was the last time you heard or read it brought up by Will, Kristol, et al when it wasn't a response to a question.