Pro-Life Movement Angry With Trump Over Crude Language On Abortion
Pro-Life movement activists are angry over Donald Trump’s crude language on abortion and said that he has set back the movement by decades. Earlier this year, Trump made the statement that if abortions are banned, women who have them should be punished but later retracted his remarks. At the final debate with Hillary Clinton, the Republican presidential hopeful described late-term abortions in graphic terms.
Antiabortion activists have always handled the issue of women and abortion with sensitivity. The stance has been that the fetus, as well as the woman, are victims. Ironically, there are similarities in the manner in which Hillary Clinton, a pro-abortion candidate refers to women. Although she believes in the fundamental right to have an abortion, she acknowledges that it is a painful decision for most women. In the past, pro-life activists have targeted pro-choice groups, abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood, and doctors who perform abortions, but not women.
This is a great take, and it even suggests @mikematuren at the end.????https://t.co/XtDFDy3qdm
— Tommy Tighe (@theghissilent) October 20, 2016
Trump’s former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, is staunchly pro-life and has spent years formulating a sensitive pro-life message. In a recent New Yorker interview, she commented on Trump’s language on punishing women who have abortions.
“Pro-lifers believe there are two victims in an abortion: the unborn child and the woman who felt that that was her best option. We never look at her as the perpetrator—ever… a great example of him just undoing decades of work where we worked really hard.”
At the final debate, Trump chose to focus on late-term abortions and criticized Clinton for wanting women to have a medical procedure that “rips the baby out of the womb” just before it is born. Trump has also stated that he will appoint Supreme Court judges who are conservative scholars, and the ultimate goal is to reverse the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion rights the law of the land.
Those who have fought against abortions diplomatically are incensed as they feel that what Trump, whose path to the White House has become dim, has added to the dilemma that the movement faces since Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died.
Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League, spoke the last decision made by the Supreme Court on Texas restrictions on abortion, noted the Washington Post.
“Politically, we’re on defense. There are some really serious things at stake in this election, and we’ve seen the legislation we fought hard for being rolled back by the Supreme Court.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xugqLfJLs3Y
Five of the now eight justices voted that the Texas laws, which required abortion clinics to, essentially, become surgical centers, placed a burden on women that would hinder their constitutional right to an abortion. This disallowed similar pending laws in other states.
Trump is asked about overturning Roe v Wade: “That will happen. That will happen… because I am putting pro-life justices on the court” pic.twitter.com/6on2wSXaU6
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) October 20, 2016
Scheidler attributes the language that Trump has used to his lack of experience and not fully understanding the abortion issue, added the Washington Post.
“It would be more encouraging to have [as the nominee] somebody we know has been with us for a long time, and really understands the issue deeply and is able to articulate it, and not make some of the stumbles we’ve seen along the way from Donald Trump.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2mHh9TtEks
In The Federalist, conservative physician Matthew Loftus, who spends his life caring for women and children, argues that while a Clinton presidency would be bad for “unborn babies,” voting for Trump would be even worse. Loftus says that Trump has spent his life creating and promoting a culture that encourages abortions. The columnist added that Trump’s alleged sexual assaults taints his message and has caused conservatives to dismiss the accusations.
It will be interesting to see how much the pro-life movement influences the election and if an anti-abortion stance is enough to encourage true conservatives to vote for Trump.
[Featured Image by Allison Shelley/Getty Images]
