The question of whether to punish a woman who obtains an abortion raises similar issues. If abortion is the taking of a human life, why punish only the doctor who performs the abortion and not the woman who procures one? Surely no prosecutor would fail to bring charges against a mother who murdered her newborn child. If the fetus is in the same legal position as a child, why not charge the mother?

Except that if forcing a 13-year-old who has been raped by her father to bear a child is unpopular, imagine how people would respond to carting women off to jail for choosing to terminate their pregnancies. This goes too far even for the no-exceptions crowd.

“Of course we shouldn’t be talking about punishing women,” Cruz smarmily proclaimed in the aftermath of Trump’s comments. “We should affirm their dignity and the incredible gift they have to bring life into the world.” Oh yes, let’s “respect” women and “affirm their dignity” by denying them the freedom to choose what to do with their own bodies.