What NARAL Pro-Choice America got right about the pro-life movement

Texas legislators are considering a bill that would classify abortion as homicide, making women who have the procedure open to the death penalty. This move would undermine the ability of abortion opponents to call themselves “pro-life.” And pro-choice groups were quick to point that out.

NARAL Pro-Choice America tweeted that “pro-life” is an ironic moniker for a group that would promote a law making more people susceptible to execution. It’s right: People who support the right to life should defend it from the womb to the grave.

Texas’ House Bill 896 would ban all abortions and also change the state’s penal code so women could be charged with anything from a state jail felony to a capital felony, which could carry with it the death penalty. Not just the women seeking the abortions, but also the physicians could face penalties.

In order to protect children in the womb, the bill would endanger other lives.

Luckily, abortion advocates aren’t the only ones who know this is a bad idea. Kyleen Wright, president of Texans for Life, said in an email that the bill would unfairly target women.

“We know from over four decades of fighting to protect babies from abortion, that you have to save the woman to save the baby. That’s why there are well over 200 pregnancy assistance centers in Texas,” Wright said. “Texans for Life does not support any bill on abortion that would penalize women.”

The bill, which never got a hearing when it was first introduced in 2017, has little likelihood of passing. But it may be able to accomplish one good thing: It gives anti-abortion advocates an opportunity to clarify where their stance comes from. Opposing abortion shouldn’t be about punishing women. It should be about promoting all life.

[Also read: Fans boycott viral comic creator after learning he’s pro-life]