from Karlee:
The whole agenda of anti-choicers makes my stomach turn; their tactics are just so blatanly anti-women. Representative Akin’s recent comments about abortion rights in the case of rape are really telling.
“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,” Akin said.“But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.” [1]
Here again we have the anti-choice advocates using the trauma of rape and the immortal effects that has on women as a tool to further their own women hating agenda. This statement is poisonous in every way. First off, there is absolutely nothing scientific about the idea that the female body has ways of preventing pregnancy during rape. That sounds like some sort of superpower that I’d certainly love to have, but unfortunately it’s just not possible. Fertilization is not hindered by a body’s response to rape. Then there’s this “legitimate rape” thing… So if a woman becomes pregnant as a result of rape (according to Akin) she wasn’t legitimately raped? That just sounds like yet another way to blame women for their rapes. Pregnancy does not occur after 100% of rapes nor does it occur after 100% of sexual encounters, but pregnancy (even unintended) is still a very real outcome that women have to deal with. Rape does get women pregnant, trust me and my biology book. The representative has given a statement declaring he mis-spoke:
“In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it’s clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year.”
At least 300,000 women are raped each year in America, and Todd’s message is clear. He has no empathy for them, especially the ones who ended up pregnant because it wasn’t “legitimate rape.” He made it clear that he cares more about the fetus, he cares about his own notion of what a woman’s role should be more than the 300,000 women who suffer the unthinkable trauma of rape each year. That type of women hating fuels violence against women.
Representative Todd Akin let the world know where he stands. Now it’s our turn. The silence has got to stop because right now when you look out into the world the only people talking about abortion are talking about taking the rights away. A whole generation is being raised with the perception that abortion is either never OK or that it is a “tragic choice”. NO! Abortion is a completely righteous decision a woman is able to make about her own body, and there is nothing tragic about that, it’s liberating! Donate to this project to promote the unapologetic defense of abortion rights at a time of desperate need. You can donate at www.stoppatriarchy.org
[1] http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/19/13365269-missouri-republican-legitimate-rape-rarely-causes-pregnancy?lite
