Posted on 08/21/2012 8:09:12 AM PDT by Kaslin
Rep. Todd Akin has, unwittingly to be sure, harmed the pro-life movement, his senatorial race in Missouri, the Republican Party, and therefore quite possibly the nation.
Every person who speaks or writes for the public will make an occasional faux pas, and sooner or later, will write or say something inappropriate. The game of "gotcha" that the media play -- especially with regard to Republicans and conservatives -- is what makes so many politicians sound robotic when they speak.
But Congressman Akin said something that cries out for condemnation and retraction -- and necessitates an explanation.
On a Missouri TV program Sunday, he was asked his position on abortion in cases of rape. Akin responded, in part, that "from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
While he should not have used the term "legitimate rape," he could have explained later that, given the expanded definitions of rape, not all claims of "rape" are truly rape. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry for Feminist Perspectives on Rape states, for example, that "we must recognize that, in some cases, 'yes' also means no ... The man may threaten to sue for custody of their children, to derail her green card application, to evict her, or simply to sulk and make her life miserable for days should she refuse to have sex. Which (if any) of such nonviolent coercive pressures should be regarded as rape, either morally or legally, is a matter of some controversy."
That would have largely ended the issue. And he could have further noted that Republicans generally incline toward harsher penalties for violent crime than do Democrats.
The far greater problem was Congressman Akin's other comment: "From what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy is] really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
As one wit put it about such a comment: that was worse than wrong, it was stupid.
Akin should say so.
And so should the pro-life movement.
Unless -- and this would be upsetting -- he, and the movement, don't think this comment was stupid.
Pregnancy from rape is rare because a "woman's body shuts down"?
Who told Akin this? And why would he believe it, even if some doctor did tell him this?
Here is my theory.
I have spent a good part of my life showing what an intellectual bubble the left lives in. That is why so many could believe that boys don't really prefer trains to tea sets or girls dolls to army soldiers. Those who believe such nonsense usually live in an intellectual bubble. They are raised by liberal parents, taught by left-wing teachers from high school through graduate school, watch left-wing MTV and news, listen to liberal NPR, go to movies produced by leftists, etc. Their whole world is left-wing. They don't watch, listen to, study under, or socialize with conservatives.
Bubbles tend to produce nonsense. When the only people you talk to, read, and socialize with agree with you, it is easy to abandon critical thinking.
And when you are morally right -- and those who argue for a right to life of unborn human beings (or human fetuses, if you prefer) are morally and even scientifically right -- a bubble can make critical thought even more difficult.
I wonder if that is not the case with Rep. Akin's comment. If I were at a dinner party with Akin, and he said what he said in his Missouri television interview, as much as I consider the vast majority of abortions in America to be immoral acts, I would have respectfully asked the congressman whether he was aware of the marauding armies throughout history that raped women. Did he assume that very few of them -- like the German women raped by Soviet soldiers at the end of World War II -- got pregnant? Did he not know how many raped slaves gave birth? Was he not aware of the tragedy of the women of Darfur who, after being raped by Sudanese Arab soldiers, are abandoned by their families for getting pregnant out-of-wedlock?
This country is on the verge of an inexorable moral, social and economic decline. The left is doing to America what it has done to almost everything it has deeply influenced -- the arts, the university, religion, culture, minorities, Europe: ruining it. It is therefore morally incumbent on conservatives to do everything in their power not to give the left legitimate targets.
Therefore, the pro-life movement should announce that the comment on pregnancy has no basis in truth. And since truth is a supreme conservative and religious value, the movement neither espouses nor condones untruths. The Republican Party has said this. And since Todd Akin has not said this, his candidacy is no longer viable.
Morality, truth, and the most important elections on our lifetime demand no less.
It is lost either way. There is no one to step in. Not even the Prized Palin Supported Candidate. She lost the primary. What does that tell you? She will be O’donald.
I believe that is up to the voters of Missouri, not to you, others not from MO and myself
Leave it the hell alone. The comment made a problem for the utterer. Self Righteous Conservatives are making it a much bigger problem for Akin’s election chances and for conservatives’ and Republicans’ chances. Akin reduced his chances to beat McCaskill and Republicans are going all out to ensure that his chances are wiped out altogether. The only comment due is “not my position,” or “to each his own,” then let it lie. Shut up.
“The Pro-Life Movement Must Disavow Akin Comment”
WOW, with a record like that, he MUST go! (sarc)
“the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
This is as badly stated as the “legitimate” quote.
I’m sure he doesn’t think that the female body has anti rape genes. Getting pregnant isn’t easy. Many stars have to align for this to happen. Emotional state, hormones, etc. can have an effect on pregnancy occurring.
Common sense tells us that the trauma from a “legitimate rape” could be a real factor in whether a pregnancy results from a rape, among many others.
EVERYONE is blowing this all out of proportion. Conservatives, pro lifers, and Republicans in general, should all be ashamed of themselves.
>>Why is it that when a Rep says something stupid, the calls for this organization or that to distance themselves from the person come out from every angle ... yet when someone on the left says something stupid, we hear crickets?
<<
Because people on the right have principles, unlike people on the left.
And we are also pragmatic. We know that what this idiot said was TOXIC, there is no “walking it back,” and it will cost us quite possiblly the Senate and the whole nation.
Forever.
However, there are a few stupid birdbrains right here on FR who would rather see Akin stay in the race even if it means losing the country.
Well after all, he got drunk, ran his car off a bridge and left a woman to drown in 3 feet of water. Of course he shouldn’t be a senator.
Yes, you are right, that is exactly what we need to do.
DEFEND this idiot’s idiotic, brainless comment and smear the stink of knuckledragging insensitive morons all over ourselves. Destroy the GOP forever.
Yeah, that’s a REALLY smart strategy.
Signed,
Wyle E. Coyote.
>>There comes a time when you stay loyal to your friends even if it costs you something in the short term. <<
If we lose the next election, or the Senate, the damage to America will not be “short term.”
All hail the pragmatic Republicans!!!
As a voter, all your hyperventilating about this non-issue just reinforces the Republican Party’s image as a bunch of spineless wimps willing to throw principled leaders under the bus, while at the same time whining that we have no choice but to vote for Romney.
I will be voting FOR Akin and NOT Romney.
If he had used the word violent or forcible this would be absolutely nothing ,,, in times of stress it is very well documented that pregnancy is MUCH harder to achieve. I have heard the clip and I agree with him 100% ... We need to learn to protect our own instead of having a reactionary response to immediately throw them under the bus. He is/was right and we need to draw a line. What better time than now.
Such is life. *sigh*
He should`ve kept his response to the question broad, e.g., “I believe in the sanctity of innocent life without exception.” Apparently thinking he was brighter than he is, he tried to apply some “expert opinion,” and with that, sank his chances of winning that election, the GOP`s chances of gaining control of the Senate, and quite possibly Romney`s hopes in Missouri.
Agreed. When these politicians (both sides) try to expand so much in order to sound smart ... they just end up sounding dumb. Keep it simple.
If he loves this country more than the desire to boost his own ego, Todd Akin will step aside.
And soon so that a replacement can begin a campaign against the inept Dem candidate.
Why do people like you enjoy calling others stupid and ping others to help pile on? Did you not understand that it was merely a "rhetorical" query?
1. Did NOT call anyone stupid.
Why do people bother to ask such a reflexively stupid question?
Asking a stupid question does not mean someone is stupid.
2. Didn't ask anyone to pile on.
I addressed other people on the thread with the same statement. That is, that we cannot keep being shocked that we are held to a higher standard.
If we are to achieve a higher standard, then we must have a lower tolerance than them, and we must accept that there will necessarily be a double-standard.
Don't take everything to personal.
Oops. “too” not “to”...
Todd IS the MO RTL candidate.
If you live in Missouri, then you have a say. Who says he’s lost support of Missouri conservatives who elected him? Ann Coulter? *snort*
Thank you.
Thank you, from another Missourian. It’s been a crappy couple of days on FR. LOL.
Understood
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