January 23, 2007
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Roe v. Wade
Yesterday was the anniversary of Roe v. Wade.
And I have a question for anyone who still believes that abortion should be illegal: If abortion is a crime, what punishment should there be for the mother?
So you've got a woman who goes to get an abortion and it turns out her underground abortion doc is actually a cop on a sting operation to catch that scourge of society: Women who want to control their pregancies. The police file charges and the woman goes to court. You are the judge. You rule against her because she clearly violated the law. Then it's time to sentence her.
What's the sentence? Should there be mandatory sentences, as with some drug crimes? If abortion is truly murder as some anti-choice activists claim, shouldn't the mother get life in prison? What's the proper punishment?
Comments (18)
the proper punishment is for for all of us to spend time on our knees
Abortion is one area where I was very much persuaded last year. I would support a ban on partial birth abortion...
Two responses so far, but no answers.
What kind of sentence should be handed down on those mothers who commit the crime of seeking an abortion?
I think the same for any other person that knowingly murders a child! Some child killers get very little sentence where other are put on death row. I think in the end the doctors and mothers and even fathers that do these kind of things will ultimately be judged and sentenced by God.
So did you ask this question because you really wanted to know or just to start an argument???
I want to know what people think the sentence for the crime of abortion should be. If abortion is a crime, what's the punishment? Capital punishment or life in prison are common sentences for murder, so if abortion is murder, would seeking an abortion be a crime punishable by death?
If it became a crime in our society (which I sincerely hope it never does), I think the punishment for seeking an abortion would probably be akin to "attempted homicide". If the abortion went through, then "homicide".
I think this is a great question, one that will surely produce some very stupid answers.
See you've got it all wrong because if you ban abortion and make it illegal then there wouldn't BE any abortions. Like, DUH, homer, you big ninny-poop. Problem solved, no need to even think about this kind of stuff. More time for American Idol.
Sentence her to surrogate motherhood for a childless couple, so she can replace the soul she sent to Limbo.
I've lived with illegal abortions and I know what women are sentenced to - death... They die in back rooms and kill themselves trying to abort babies, and of course, abandoned babies die and unwanted children die. Which is why I know those who are "anti-abortion" are not "pro-life" at all, they are simply "pro-control of women." When someone who is truly pro-life can show me a society with universal health care, guaranteed parenting support, guaranteed family housing and incomes, universal fair education, and universal adoption of unwanted children, I will sit down and listen - with an open mind - to their arguments. Until, I absolutely doubt the sincerity (though that seems cruel).
ryc: That would be a great museum, all those cows living on the open range, sort of bovine Marxism in action.
You have mail...
I know I sound angry, but one thing living in the "Christian Midwest" has taught me is the hypocrisy on this. Not just the willingness to deny health care and even food stamps to kids who can't pay, but the "Good Christian" families who fly halfway around the world to adopt non-black babies while 25 miles away 500 unwanted African-American children sit in foster care begging for homes. It frustrates the hell out of me.
Well, I was kind of hoping no one would break the spell, and maybe someone would come up with an answer here.
Angry is OK. It's the sane response, in fact.
Come up with an answer? Good luck, dude.
I *definitely* don't believe abortion should be illegal, but if it went that far, I would say it would make sense that the sentence should be the same as if one hired a hitman to kill a spouse, since the mother isn't doing the "killing" herself... something like conspiracy to commit murder. I hope it never comes to that.
Having had an unplanned pregancy and then having the courage to give my child up for adoption rather than kill it I feel that for a woman who has an abortion is punished already. You cannot go through with it and not come to the realisation of what you have done. It is only a short term solution. Even though I gave my child life I feel the weight of what I did now in my thirties when other people have children. I don't think you can punsh the women. But I do wish that those who have had abortions and struggled afterwards would speak out. I don't know a single woman who had an abortion who is 'fine' with it now.
One of the problems is that a lot of Conservative ideology is so twisted, that it basically boils down to this: "We believe in the sanctity of life, we will fight for the rights of the unborn. But once there's air in those lungs, kid, you're on your own."
Umnenga,
I'm so, so fine with it. In fact I can say it was the second best decision I've ever made, after leaving my husband. I wish more women who have had abortions and are "fine" with it would speak out.
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