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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Local school a leader in conflict resolution learning ... Levy would restore bus services ... As It Was: The Ruch family tragedy overcome by town's founder ... Local school a leader in conflict resolution learning ... Levy would restore bus services ... As It Was: The Ruch family tragedy overcome by town's founder ... COMMENTARY Chris Honoré: Crime and punishment and the GOP Comment By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Apr. 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré Posted Apr. 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News During a recent town hall Q/A with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Donald Trump was asked about his position regarding abortion. It was a familiar question and one Trump had easily fielded before. He said he is now pro-life, with exceptions. This had become his standard response and clearly he expected Matthews to move on. Matthews didn’t. Instead he pressed harder on the implications of Trump’s answer. He reminded Trump that his pro-life position meant abortion should be banned. Trump agreed. And though Roe v. Wade was not mentioned directly in the conversation, it was implicit that if this law was overturned, abortion would once again be criminalized. And then Matthews asked Trump the money question: Should women who get illegal abortions be “punished” or “sanctioned”? For a moment Trump hesitated, giving Matthews a deer in the headlights look, finally saying, “Yes, there should be some form of punishment.” It was a stunning moment because suddenly the full meaning of what it means to outlaw abortion was now in the table. Trump actually went on to say that women would then have to do what “they have done before.” What was implicit in that statement was self-evident. Done before meant women would either be required to carry the baby to term or they would attempt to self-abort (the awful image of a coat hanger comes to mind) or seek out a “back alley” abortionists (another awful image), risking infection or even death. The options are chilling and are embedded in the words “ban abortion.” When Trump suggested women should be “punished” as a result of breaking the law, the reaction was swift and condemnatory from all sides. Trump heard the outcry (or his campaign did) and issued an immediate “walk back” — the abortionist should be punished, Team Trump stated, not the woman. Pro-life groups immediately said the woman was a victim and should be treated with compassion and love, and women who attempted to end a pregnancy were confused but should never be punished (#lovethemboth). Called murderers, perhaps, but not criminals. Since we are in the throes of a presidential primary, Republican candidates immediately weighed in, with Ted Cruz saying Trump obviously had not thought through the issue. John Kasich righteously echoed the pro-life movement and said, “Of course women shouldn’t be punished.” Actually, both men were hypocritical in the extreme. Each has attempted to punish women who agonizingly choose abortion — a deeply personal and life-changing decision — as their only viable option at that point in their lives. Cruz would deny a woman (or a youngster) an abortion, even if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. His one exception is if the baby endangers the life of the mother. Imagine a 13-year-old child, raped by her uncle or father, required to carry the child to term. Does that not qualify as punishment? Kasich, like Cruz, believes abortion should be illegal (he makes an exception for rape and incest), and has signed 17 anti-abortion measures (to include required ultrasounds) into law since he took office in 2011. Half of the clinics in Ohio that offered health services for the poorest and most vulnerable women (STD and HIV screening, breast exams, birth control, counseling and, yes, abortion) have been closed. Does that not sound like punishment? Last summer Louisiana's Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal tried to eliminate $730,000 in Medicare reimbursements for two Planned Parenthood clinics, neither of which provided abortions. Jindal offered a list of women’s health care providers that included a dermatologist, an audiologist and a dentist. Florida’s Republican governor, Rick Scott, recently signed a law cutting revenue for clinics that also offered abortion as part of their services. It was clearly aimed at Planned Parenthood and the cuts would diminish if not eliminate funding for cancer screenings and other health care support services for low-income women in Florida. In state after state (23 since last July), Republican governors and legislatures have made every effort to do convoluted end-arounds, obviating Roe v. Wade. Meanwhile, they wait until Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion is fully criminalized; then real punishment can be brought to bear. Chris Honoré of Ashland is a Daily Tidings columnist. By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Apr. 11, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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