Punish WHO, Todd Akin?
Todd Akin, the man who wants to be Missouri’s next senator, exposed the depths of his ignorance and lack of compassion by saying, “First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” And I wonder what doctors he’s been talking to — or imagining.
He then tried to rectify his statement by saying, “but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.” Gee, let’s not attack the “child” by using the morning after pill. Let’s protect the tiny dot of unformed, unthinking, unfeeling cells with no consciousness whatsoever, but punish the thinking, feeling violated, traumatized rape victim by forcing her to a nine month sentence of pregnancy followed by a lifetime of wondering and worrying about this child she was forced to carry.
Obviously Mr. Akin has never been pregnant. By forcing a woman to carry the child of the monster who raped her, she will have most or all of the usual effects of pregnancy: morning sickness; bloating weight gain; having to buy a whole new set of clothes (not fun when it’s maternity wear); peeing every time the baby kicks the bladder, etc., etc. etc. These symptoms are distinctly unpleasant for women wanting the baby. Imagine being reminded of your rape forcefully every morning as you barf your guts out.
And, if she has the baby, she’ll be sentenced to a lifetime of worry. If she keeps the child, I’d be willing to bet she’d get no child support payments from the father. If she gives the child up for adoption, she’ll always wonder if the child will grow up to be a monster like his/her father? Of course, she’ll wonder that even if she keeps the child.
So, Mr. Akin (I don’t use the honorific Representative because, a) he certainly doesn’t represent me and b) he deserves no honor) Let’s save that blastocyst, by all means. Let’s just sentence the rape victim for the rest of her life.
Phil Cardarella
9 months agoHere’s the deal: Yes, he is abominably ignorant of simple biology. But, the fact is, he really does not care one way or the other. As far as he is concerned, women simply do not have any rights to their own bodies. Not only is he a fetus-first guy, he is a zygote supremacist. Every fertilized egg has rights superior to a mere woman.
He is right about one thing: Women CAN avoid pregnancy when they are raped. Lots of women do all over the world. They commit suicide. Or — since obviously no decent woman could be raped and live — their fathers and brothers kill them to preserve the family “honor.”
Same basic mentality. If a woman stays in her place — at home with the other women, venturing out only with a male relative, and then in a burka — then she need not fear getting pregnant from rape or otherwise, right?
It is important to understand that this guy did not get nominated despite his invincible ignorance and clear distain for women, but because of it. Akin IS the face of the GOP — God help the Republic!
Arnold Peabody
9 months agoHow does this compare to Obama’s voting FOR Partial-Birth Abortion and AGAINST the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, which prevents babies that survive abortion attempts from being killed or left to die? Akin’s comments hardly matter compared to that!
Johnathon Busby
9 months agoI’ll take individual choice, freedom of choice, over the propagation of ignorance from Mr Akin any day of the week. Ignorance is the root of at least half the problems in the world, as Mr Akin so aptly demonstrates. But worse, there exits a sub culture in the US which values that ignorance as a sort of nobility, something to be valued.
Suzanne Conaway
9 months agoArnold, you might want to read PolitiFact’s take on the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act and Obama.
Suzanne Conaway
9 months agoChuck, I’m surprised you like Annenberg, since they are buds with Obama.
However, both sites say basically the same thing: he didn’t like the language of the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act because he felt that it could compromise Roe vs. Wade.