GOP Senate candidate: ‘Legitimate rape’ rarely causes pregnA

[Miggy]

I assumed that "Legitimate Rape" meant strange man jumps out of the bushes, grabs a girl passing by and rapes her. Women being raped by their husbands, women going home with a man than changing their mind but him forcing her and any man claiming he was raped - obviously these are not real or "legitimate" rapes. :x

This man seems to be working from middle ages biology books. They believed there was male and female sperm. Babies were created when the two were mixed. This could only happen if both man and woman orgasmed so it was not considered possible to fall pregnant from rape. There are plenty of records of girls claiming rape then being punished for lying and for having intercourse outside marriage when they found out they were pregnant.

As for whether woman do or don't get pregnant after rape, the fact that most are only fertile for four days a month should mean that statisically you are more likely to be raped when infertile than fertile. (I have no proof of this - just using logic.) However, considering the thousands of rapes that occur every year, therre must be hundreds of girls raped during those few fertile days.

[patsymae]

When I was 15 I became pregnant from a gang rape. I was told by a cop that I was lying because if I'd really been raped I would be a bloody mess (I was instead paralyzed with terror). I was told by a nun that I was lying because when someone is really raped their body releases special chemicals that prevent pregnancy, you can only get pregnant if "she really wants it."

This was in 1966. After nearly half a century of working toward enlightenment, this is where we end up?

[2xx1xy1JD]

Aside from this statement being so anti-woman and anti-compassionate human being, it's also a huge science fail.

I find that when people simply claim, "doctors say..." or "scientists say" - it's a pretty good sign that they don't. If I want to cite medical information, I'll include a link to a reputable journal article. This is a pretty good sign that the candidate knows zilch about science, thinks that he can make a lame claim of "doctors say" as authority for a BS claim, and lacks the basic information processing skills that any high school student should have.

That makes this even scarier:

http://science.house.gov/about/membership

That's right, folks - this guy is on the House Committee on Space, Science and Technology!

[Deleted03]

I assumed that "Legitimate Rape" meant strange man jumps out of the bushes, grabs a girl passing by and rapes her. Women being raped by their husbands, women going home with a man than changing their mind but him forcing her and any man claiming he was raped - obviously these are not real or "legitimate" rapes. :x

This man seems to be working from middle ages biology books. They believed there was male and female sperm. Babies were created when the two were mixed. This could only happen if both man and woman orgasmed so it was not considered possible to fall pregnant from rape. There are plenty of records of girls claiming rape then being punished for lying and for having intercourse outside marriage when they found out they were pregnant.

As for whether woman do or don't get pregnant after rape, the fact that most are only fertile for four days a month should mean that statisically you are more likely to be raped when infertile than fertile. (I have no proof of this - just using logic.) However, considering the thousands of rapes that occur every year, therre must be hundreds of girls raped during those few fertile days.

No I think that legitimate rape is when you are left dead or nearly dead. I think it's also only when you did not entice your aggressor. Because everyone knows that wearing revealing clothes means you'll consent to anything.

I'm gonna throw up.

I guess his first legislation will be to muzzle any doctors that disagree with him?

[Cran]

I gave, in my mind, another spin to the "legitimate rape" thing: Legitimate rape means "It was really a rape!".

So a woman who was really raped would never get pregnant, and all those women who were raped and became pregnant were not really raped but only claim it, so they deserve no help at all and of course no abortion, either, because there was no rape.....

Bravo. You brought women's rights a great step forward, for sure, Mr. Clueless!

I am appalled that obviously, quite some people consider this man and men similar to him electable. In what kind of country is the US turning? Some kind of Christian Taliban-dictatorship?

[MarsGirl]

If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

Seriously, WTF does that mean?!!

Are you saying that I can turn on and off my ovulation?! I can determine whether or not I can get pregnant? I mean, if the female body could do that, dontcha think it would then be possible to avoid ANY unwanted pregnancy (whether rape or not) by simply just willing yourself to not get pregnant? Someone needs to teach me to do this so that I can stop taking these hormones to prevent pregnancy.

What an ignorant FUCK. He is so out of touch with reality... and obviously knows nothing about the human body. What freaking doctors was he talking to?!?!

[luckystone]

WTF I don't even

[reckoner]

What about when a woman is slipped a roofie or raped while passed out drunk? That wouldn't necessarily be traumatic to the body in the way these people talk about, but it's surely a rape? And one that could potentially result in pregnancy. These arguments make me sick. And even if it's true that it rarely results in pregnancy, it does happen and therefore can't be taken out of consideration.

[deelaem]

What is legitimate rape? Lack of adult consent to any sexual act. Period.

[Rosa]

what church does this dude go to? I can't find it (google's swamped with articles about his rape comment, natch)

[Marian the Librarian]

"Legitimate rape," huh? We've hit a new low in oxymoronic phrases. Not to mention terminal stupidity.

Rest assured, Representative Akin: *this* woman's body is fully capable of voting against uneducated, misogynistic troglodytes such as yourself. Thank you for inspiring me to fill out my next ballot in the full spirit of "shut(ting) that whole thing down."

(I tried to submit this email to Akin via his web page, but was informed, "regrettably," that as my ZIP code lies outside his state, he will not be able to consider my comment or respond.)

[Gil]

"Legitimate rape," huh? We've hit a new low in oxymoronic phrases. Not to mention terminal stupidity.

Rest assured, Representative Akin: *this* woman's body is fully capable of voting against uneducated, misogynistic troglodytes such as yourself. Thank you for inspiring me to fill out my next ballot in the full spirit of "shut(ting) that whole thing down."

(I tried to submit this email to Akin via his web page, but was informed, "regrettably," that as my ZIP code lies outside his state, he will not be able to consider my comment or respond.)

Looks like he's got a Facebook. :whistle:

[Marian the Librarian]

Looks like he's got a Facebook. :whistle:

Well, hush my mouth - so he does! Silly, silly me, for not thinking of that myself.

Bless you, my child, for laying that idea on my heart. What's more, I'm betting there are lots of FJ-ers who would be happy to know that...

:whistle: :whistle: :whistle:

[Boltingmadonna]

patsymae said:

When I was 15 I became pregnant from a gang rape. I was told by a cop that I was lying because if I'd really been raped I would be a bloody mess (I was instead paralyzed with terror). I was told by a nun that I was lying because when someone is really raped their body releases special chemicals that prevent pregnancy, you can only get pregnant if "she really wants it."

This was in 1966. After nearly half a century of working toward enlightenment, this is where we end up?

patsymae, I am so sorry this happened to you. I honor you for trying to tell people the truth, even though they didn't listen. Someone in my family got pregnant at 15, around that same time. Even though she was only 15 and the father was 24, she was treated as if this was all her fault, her choice. So sad to see that some people really haven't changed in all those years. Also interesting to know that this crap about how you can't get pregnant unless you secretly wanted it has been around that long and fundies still believe it. How they love their ignorance!

[Mela99]

I'm in physical pain right now over this. I just... can't. I need a drink and a shoulder to sob on. Fuck this guy to the ends of the earth and back.

[ILoveJellybeans]

Why do these people not know biology? Whoever schooled them needs a slap for allowing someone to be so clueless.

If womens bodies had ways of stopping them from getting pregnant (other than contraception), wouldnt that mean no pregnancy would ever be unwanted?

Whether it causes pregnancy or not, rape is sex when one of the people involved doesnt consent to it. Thats it.

[Kira]

He is not the first republican politician to suggest rape victims can't get pregnant: http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/ ... theory.php

This is an important election because many of the republicans who are asking Akin to step down helped him try to redefine rape, including Paul Ryan. They want Akin to step down because they're afraid of losing not because they disagree with him.

[darareaksmey]

The only "legitimate rape" I can imagine is if the good people of Missouri elect this numbnuts to the Senate even after he's shown what a misogynistic douche he is.

[doggie]

I guess it does not matter but I wonder if all this rape crap is just a way to justify making abortion illegal or because they want to limit what rapes are or both? it seems mostly for abortion.

[Aeryn406]

Why do these people not know biology? Whoever schooled them needs a slap for allowing someone to be so clueless.

If womens bodies had ways of stopping them from getting pregnant (other than contraception), wouldnt that mean no pregnancy would ever be unwanted?

Whether it causes pregnancy or not, rape is sex when one of the people involved doesnt consent to it. Thats it.

Answering the bolded: This is the basis for their (misguided) logic. Since it happened at all, it must be a wanted/fated/desired pregnancy! :roll:

[Kira]

Today the nrcc said they would not fund his campaign. This means he has no choice but to drop out. If he stays there is no way he can win. The deadline is tomorrow.

eta: Some are saying he has decided to quit, but other reports say that not true.

[wtfrenchtoast]

Both Romney and Ryan disagree with Akin's assumption, so I guess R+R aren't 100% pro-life.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/20 ... ?hpt=hp_c1

This shit pisses me off. Akin's views are horribly misogynistic and just completely fucked up. But at least he's fucking consistent. Romney and Ryan aren't really pro-life. They just want to punish women with babies for having sex. They think if a women consents to sex, a baby is an adequate punishment. If they were really pro-life, they wouldn't make exceptions. But they aren't. Again, not that Akin's position is any more admirable, but at least it's consistent with what pro-life is really supposed to be about.

[RandomTrivia]

Today the nrcc said they would not fund his campaign. This means he has no choice but to drop out. If he stays there is no way he can win. The deadline is tomorrow.

eta: Some are saying he has decided to quit, but other reports say that not true.

Hope he does drop out. One local news report says he's staying in but I can't find it again. The local Facebook comments are surprisingly anti-stupidity, considering what I usually see there (and the fact that he had a lot of support in the primary).

[Kira]

Hope he does drop out. One local news report says he's staying in but I can't find it again. The local Facebook comments are surprisingly anti-stupidity, considering what I usually see there (and the fact that he had a lot of support in the primary).

If he stays in the republicans will lose the seat. If he steps down they will replace him with someone who has a chance to win. Conservative are going nuts right now. Republicans who are running for Congress are asking him to step down because they can be tied to his views and the RNC and NRCC will not help him campaign. Other conservatives angry that he is being asked to step down. The FRC and other "pro-life" groups think the republicans should keep him in the race.

[RandomTrivia]

If he stays in the republicans will lose the seat. If he steps down they will replace him with someone who has a chance to win. Conservative are going nuts right now. Republicans who are running for Congress are asking him to step down because they can be tied to his views and the RNC and NRCC will not help him campaign. Other conservatives angry that he is being asked to step down. The FRC and other "pro-life" groups think the republicans should keep him in the race.

Good point, if he stays in, it will (hopefully) be easier for McCaskill to win. I'm just overdosed on The Stoopidz right now, after that dinner with a dozen or so of the in-laws. I really wonder how the ringleader can believe all the crazy ideas he was spouting last night.