Posted on 08/22/2012 3:20:19 PM PDT by shhrubbery!
First, I'm a woman. (Seems to be an important qualification if one is to be allowed to have an opinion on "womens' bodies.")
I'm used to being attacked by the harridans of the Left, who claim that if you're a pro-life, then you're NOT A WOMAN.
But I'm not used to hearing conservatives knee-jerk to the idea that something is "idiotic" just because it's politically incorrect ... according to those same rabid harridans of the Left.
I think, like Akin did, that a woman's endocrine system CAN sometimes "shut down" the process of conception, or implantation, as a result of traumatic stress suffered by the woman.
It so happens there are respected physicians who believe this is possible too: Dr. John C. WIlkie, MD, OB/GYN. And there is some research that tends to back this up (see references at bottom of this page.
We may never have a 100% dispositive study that proves that pregnancy as a result of rape is rare. Real numbers are hard to come by. And sadly, any researcher who attempts an objective study is going to be excoriated like Mark Regnerus (who studied homosexual parenting) or Jay Belsky (who studied the effects of putting children in day care).
But many women know, intuitively, that what Akin said is not "imbecilic." Many women have experience with their endocrine systems going awry, due to stress. I myself have carried four pregnancies to term, but lost one, probably due to stress that caused an endocrine malfunction.
** "Ain't I a woman" is a quote from Sojourner Truth, a strong Christian black woman. She wasn't going to stand for her opinion being shut down because she was (a) a woman and (b) voicing ideas that weren't popular in some circles. And neither am I.
So does rape make any difference as to whether abortion is appropriate in your mind? Is there a specific time period at which you think abortion is okay? Is there a different time period at which it’s okay to abort in the case of rape, or is it the same time period whether or not the pregnancy was the result of a rape?
Here’s a great idea! How about Akin step down and the repubs can give him a little grant and he can put on a white lab coat and study that little theory for the next 20 years or so.
Pretty much, but I never rape or kill them. Even hold doors for them despite the occasional angry slag who doesn't merit it. Many are okay though - broads, skirts, dames, chicks, kittens, dolls, babes, birds...
The paradox is that the GOP is the one sabotaging his campaign even now. Not his opponent. Let the heathen rage, by November who will give a damn? Unless the GOP defunds him and continues to attack him daily, he’ll be fine.
Journalists who ask this question are hoping to hit the jackpot with a bungled response. That is why it is a gotcha question.
Did we all turn on Sarah Palin simply because she bungled a gotcha question from Katie Couric ("What newspapers do you read?")? No, we did not.
Note in that case it was Sarah's words tripping her up on a "fairly simple question," too.
Now all GOP candidates are on warning:
Craft your answer to the "rape" question carefully. Be honest and be pro-life, but make sure you don't ad lib. If you slip up with just one word slightly off ... you're toast.
"Fact"? "Likelihood"?
Prove it.
I understand and agree with the difference between forcible rape and statutory rape as you describe it. I believe most do. Point taken. Thank you for your reply.
Akin is radioactive. The commie press will repeat his insane remark 24 hours a day every day until he’s gone, using it to try and tar every other Republican in 2012 and to avoid having to report on the economy and Obama’s record in general. This is what the commie media have been waiting for: a way to define Republicans as extremist nut jobs, and Akin is their perfect storm. I don’t care who he is or what he stands for, Akin has simply got to go. Period.
He said what he said badly, but my point is that instead of taking up the left’s talking points, why aren’t Republicans out there using this opportunity to make the right arguments? Instead what are we doing? Piling on making their points for them!
That does underline that the genetic code is in place at conception, so we know this is a human being at an early stage of development. We also don't have the right to kill an adult who loses their mental capacity through an accident later in life. So we should not measure the value of life by mental capacity. The unborn human is respirating from the beginning of conception, which is the sign that it's alive. The genetic code proves it's a human, therefore it should be granted the right to life.
I like “babes”..see? We agree on something...little..but something.
Well let’s see now. We have the presumptive candidate for president, the his running mate, several republican governors, Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, and a list longer than my arm who’ve decried Akin’s comments. Maybe, just maybe now mind you, there is a chance that they are right and you are wrong? Hmmmm.
Onyx what he said I heard 30 years ago when the pro-abortion crowd were wailing But what about women who are raped ???
They wanted women to be able to go to a doctor 3 4 5 monthsa after an unreported “rape” and get an abortion based on Im pregnant because I was raped 3 months ago...
Akin was just repeating that old argument and saying it was used as an excuse to get an abortion by women who had never reported in rape previously and may not have been raped...
Though not exactly crystal clear and serling grmmar wise when he said it, he was not repugnant or offensive to me...
What was unnecessary was Willard making an unsolicited statement about Akin...
If Willard had not gotten involved dragging his yes man goons with him I think this would have had a chance to blow over with just silly ribbing from the Obama camp if they even noticed...
and we would have had 1 more very welcome concservative pro-lifer on the R side of the Semate aisle to vote to repeal ObamaCare and to pass other Constitutionally sound legislation..
Now Willard is doing a CYA that he himself started...
Willard and his hysterical gang would rather get rid of a Conservative and replace him with one of their own dependable RINOs than care whats good for our country...
We need to get rid of the RINOs in congress not breed more of them...
In one foul swoop Willard saw a way to kill Akins pro-life legislation that RYAN had co-signed with him...
While pushing Ryan and the Republicans to the left on abrtion...
Feet to the fire anyone ???
Those are good questions. I'll have to think about them a bit to give a considered answer, but in the interest of quick posts, I'll give a less considered one. Forgive me for not thinking about this topic in all of its possible logical glory, but I'll try to think this thru as I post.
I would have to say that, if anything, I'd stretch the time, but not very much, in the event of a rape. After all, the person who has been raped should under most circumstances have the availability of medical facilities.
However, that said, there really isn't much excuse for a person who has been raped to pay no attention to her reproductive status (i.e., missed periods, repeated pregnancy tests), so action should be early. In other words, the issue of whether the rapee (if you'll forgive the term) is pushing the bounds of whether the fetus has reached humanity and viability shouldn't arise. Therefore, in practice, the comparison with non-rape abortion times shouldn't arise, because they should be short. The unwilling mother, presumably against the forced impregnation, should be able to terminate very, very early.
Exactly. Take the opportunity, make the right arguments.
Do a little political ju-jitsu on the Alinsky-ites.
Like Paul Ryan is doing with Medicare.
There is a difference between being misinformed and being ignorant. He read well-researched information written by a pro-life doctor and based his statements on that. He wasn't making stuff up off the top of his head.
Psssst. Akin isn't going to present diddly squat at the convention. His invitation has been revoked.
He was not right.
A woman CAN get pregnant as a result of rape.
There is no excuse for stupid especially when you’re going for a top job.
The guy is dumber than a box of rocks. I’m sure it’s not his fault that he is so stupid. Maybe he got dropped on his head as a baby ... it that politically correct enough for you?
In some ways, yes.
People try to make this too complicated, if a woman is ovulating, and a rapist ejaculates in her, once sperm meets egg, you’ve got a pregnancy.
Pregnancy from rape is rare because of course it has to happen at the right time in a woman’s cycle and the rapist has to ejaculate inside her, however what Akin claimed about a woman’s body being able to “shut it down” was so absolutely stupid and absurd that it really doesn’t deserve a retort.
It went so far beyond medical fact that most people are still wondering where the hell he pulled that BS from???
Cliff Notes
Even in a forced rape, if woman is ovulating and sperm meets egg, you’ve got a pregnancy.
Miscarriage rate for pregnancies that result from rape is 15-20%.
Preeclampsia rate is estimated to be about 10%.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.