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Connections: Should Abortion Be Criminalized?

In a March 30 interview with MSNBC's Chris Matthews, presidential candidate Donald Trump discussed his faith and his position on abortion. Trump has declared himself a devout Christian and his position on abortion has moved from supporting abortion rights years ago to opposing them in this campaign. 

But in that interview, Trump stumbled. Matthews asked Trump if there should be criminal penalties for women who have abortions, assuming Roe v. Wade is overturned, as Trump says he wants. After a bit of discussion, Trump said there should be some kind of criminal penalties for women who have abortions. This caught many by surprise because most Americans who oppose abortion have not supported laws to criminalize it. Trump changed his mind the next day.

Trump's comments have inspired conversations surrounding the issue. Why not enforce criminal penalties if abortion is made illegal? If you believe abortion is murder, how can you oppose criminal penalties for women who choose to have them? Our panelists explain why they oppose both abortion and criminal penalties for women who have abortions. Our guests:

  • Father Jim Hewes, retired diocesan priest
  • Rachel Leigh Peller, consultant for social justice nonprofits
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
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