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.
Got a link for that?
I heard Akin say Ryan had called and told Akin he "had a tough decision to make" but that the decision was "up to him [Akin]."
Uncalled for newb
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That sound you hear is my applause. Well said!
Thank you.
The whole episode was so senseless and needless. He didn’t need to say ANY of that. All he had to do was say he doen’t believe abortion is an approriate response to a rape induced pregnancy.
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It’d already been studied, preeclampsia or basically involuntary abortion of the pregnancy is thought to be an innate defense mechanism for women who were sleeping with partners that may not be around to help take care of the offspring. It already occurs in about 10% of pregnancies and couples thought to be trying to have a baby are being advised to make sure the woman is “familiar” with the man’s sperm and is exposed to it repeatedly, doing so lessens the odds of “preeclampsia” occurring.
Studies have shown that preeclampsia occurring is more likely when a woman has a one night stand, so a rape could definitely fall under this category, but preeclampsia happens 20-30 weeks into the pregnancy, there’s nothing that stops the pregnancy itself from happening and the percentages once again, are about 10% of all pregnancies, so very low.
Science indicates that it is when a living being with a full set of entirely unique human DNA begins life processes that never end until death.
The Vedas say it is when three things come together. A human sperm, a human ovum and consciousness ie at the moment of conception.
I don't know what other kind of life form could come from a human sperm and a human ovum. Ducks?
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Imho, if both partners are below the age of consent, it is not rape.
I do appreciate the honesty of that answer.
Exactly. Not to mention that he’s given the opposition a truckload of free ammo. The party platform committee was working independently of Akin, but came up with a platform that does not have the exceptions of rape and incest. The Democrats have already dubbed it the Akin plank. We’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg of mileage the democrats are going to get out of this one.
Isn't it funny that we root around on Mars, looking for a puddle of water that might contain "life", but a child isn't considered to be life until well after conception happens? Such as, say, 4 1/2 months, or some other arbitrary number pulled out of thin air.
Did you know that the baby's heart begins to beat three weeks after conception? If you still that heart, you've ended a human life. There's no way around that fact.
And sheilas, don't forget sheilas!
LOL. You’re too sweet. I just apologized to everyone!
Thank you for your comment.
You and I don’t agree about abortion in the case of rape (I feel it just adds another victim) but I agree with you that what he said was repugnant and offensive.
What about women who become pregnant after a rape who decide not to abort and to carry the child to term? His comment is insulting these woman as well ... implying that they were not “legitimately raped” because their bodies did not “shut that down”.
That was so articulate and well said.
The prolife case can easily be made without resort to quack medical theories. Resort to stuff like that just weakens the cause in the public eye.
There's a problem with that. The problem is that these professional organizations are extremely susceptible to pressure from the Left. Witness the changes to the description of homosexuality in the DSM after radical "gay" activists threatened the APA.
Another professional organization, under pressure from the radical gay lobby, also came damn near publishing some pro-pedophilia "scholarship" ... until Dr. Laura raised hell over it.
There is no magic protection against pregnancy from rape, period.
Stop using the word "magic." Nobody is using that word but Leftists and their dupes on the right.
Geeez. He has to drop out. He will. The sooner the better. The guy is radio-active.
Geeez. He has to drop out. He will. The sooner the better. The guy is radio-active.
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