Newsweek article.

[sofiaviolet]

How Much Jail Time?


When I think about abortion, I think of its social causes and effects, about why individual women have or don't have abortions, about what I would do if I became pregnant or if abortion were to be criminalized. I've never actually given much thought to the legal ramifications of criminalizing abortion (jail time? fines? for doctors? for women?).

Neither, apparently, have the people on the anti-abortion side of things.

Comments

[excursively.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of people consider what should happen to the doctors who perform abortions (including the death penalty, as evidenced by a number of, um, unsanctioned convictions) but it is fairly fascinating to watch people turn this question over in their minds.

Most of the activists I know have rather strong feelings either way about legalizing drugs and the possible penalties for drug cultivation, possession, use, etc. as well as for distribution. These women likely also would have very strong feelings about this. The idea of penalties for an illegal abortion, however, seems to be lost in the passion and the religious convictions of these women, like it almost doesn't even effing matter. Seriously, life in prison? You believe that?

I don't know if it's intellectual honesty or just capacity.

Note to future: This is what happens when you mix politics and faith. And looneyluna's second paragraph would not surprise me one bit if true (admittedly, I'm one of those conspiracy people, however).

[sofiaviolet]

I think for a lot of them, it's just a blind spot. They've never been asked to think about the penalties in a world where abortion is illegal, and it hasn't occurred to them to think about it. Some people might be able to articulate what they think should happen if they took the time to figure out what they think, but others can't.