Recent comments by businessman Donald Trump regarding abortion demonstrate how unfamiliar he is with the pro-life position. When asked what sort of penalties he would support if abortion were criminalized he indicated he would favor some penalty for the mother who requested the abortion.
Only later to recant this position, his initial answer demonstrates how uncomfortable he is with the language and logic of the pro-life movement.
Any pro-lifer worth their salt knows that for the whole history of the pro-life movement — stretching back into the 19th century — pro-lifers have not advocated criminal penalties for mothers, only for doctors. Women who feel compelled to request abortion are victims too of a culture that does not value life. There is plenty of blame to go around in such situations but pro-lifers have long advocated criminal penalties only for doctors who perform such heinous crimes.
Trump’s unfamiliarity with the pro-life position presents a real problem for him. Running now as a pro-life candidate — and a very recent convert to that position — means he needs to get up to speed with what pro-lifers believe.
Serious pro-life voters are unlikely to roll the dice with a candidate who holds such a tenuous grasp of what the pro-life position entails. Hopefully Trump will get the education he needs on this issue to more persuasively present the pro-life position.
