Economist George Reisman has an excellent post on his blog on what would happen if the Republican candidates who hold that abortion is murder would consistently apply this idea to the woman having the abortion. He points out that:
Accordingly if abortion really is murder, then it is premeditated murder. And by the usual standards of justice, the guilt of the woman, as the instigator and planner of the murder, is greater, not less, than that of the physician or other party employed to carry it ouRead the whole thing!
2 comments:
This is why it is my contention that for those who oppose abortion a new legal category needs to be created to address abortion rather than labeling it murder.
They may improve their case by insisting that abortion is not murder but simply it is 'abortion' and should adopt some more appropriate ways to apply the principle of retribution to abortion. Moral sense (natural law) tells us that abortion and murder should not be punished in the same manner.
Having discussed abortion with many pro-life leaders, few in reality equate abortion with 'actual' murder and would not contend that women who chose abortion be treated legally as murderers.
This is evident in the fact that many of them have abortion recovery programs for women and men. You do not set up recovery programs for actual murderers! They would not set up murder recovery programs in their churches or organizations for those guilty of killing their 2 year old child. They do not treat abortion as murder in reality.
Moral sense tells us that a two year old child that is killed by her parents is much more reprehensible than a 12 week old fetus that is aborted and should be punished differently. That is why they need to soften their rhetoric and stop calling abortion murder. It is too extreme.
Your comment suggests you're sympathetic to the anti-abortionists. I would not support the criminalization of abortion at all.
First trimester abortion is not a major moral issue at all and certainly should not be a legal issue. Later term abortions may be a moral issue depending on the circumstances (though they do not have to be). However, I still do not believe they are a legal issue because no violation of individual rights is involved.
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