“It seems to me, 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."I'm glad he said it for a different reason. I'm always bragging on my Catholic school education, and how our school never put religion before science. There was, however, an exception: we once had a religion teacher teach us that women rarely get pregnant from rape because the female body doesn't allow that to happen. I believed it. Lots of people believe that sort of thing. Now, it's impossible to tune in to a news program without hearing a scientific rebuttal - there's no truth to that myth at all. There may be other arguments against abortion in the case of rape, like what Akin followed his gaff up with:
"I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child."However, now people will have to actually make those arguments, rather than repeating baseless bull.
I am, however, bothered by the distinction between "legitimate" and illegitimate rape. In that, he was hinting at what I find an even more insidious myth, that rape is over-reported. The body of evidence has repeatedly shown that cases in which folks are falsely accused of rape are no higher than false accusations of any other crime. In the vast majority of cases in which a rape accusation is made, ample physical evidence, such as a positive rape kit, exists. This is the kind of idiotic mindset that causes people not to take rape accusations seriously, and prevents rape victims from coming forward.
3 comments:
Wow! some people believe some silly things! I'd never heard anyone say that woman rarely get pregnant from rape cause there body doesn't allow it to happen! I hope schools stop teaching that! That seems like a dangerous thing to be teaching children!
As for rape being over reported! Thats just silly! I've heard its one of the most UNDER reported crimes!
I hope people grow up and realize how real and bad rape is!
And I kind of hope Todd Akin gets raped, so that people can then ask him if it was a legitimate rape or an illegitimate rape!!
Between Todd Akin, Paul Ryan, and Ron Paul we've been introduced to the terms "legitimate rape," "forcible rape," and even "honest rape." Their purpose being, of course, to imply that women are just a bunch of sluts who will happily lie about being raped so they can get abortions. I just can't understand anymore how a woman could vote Republican. The whole thing fills me with despair.
I have a friend who was raped and, likely because of the belief it's over reported, she was coerced into saying that she made it up. They had detained her and interrogated her for hours until she did this. Now she's being charged with all sorts of stuff because she "falsely" reported a crime. She's had this terrible thing happen to her and as far as the government is concerned she made it up to get some guy in trouble. Meanwhile he walks free. Rape is rape, there's no distinctions that these idiots are putting on it.
I do however find it funny that Kate mentioned this same thing on the way home from work yesterday, saying pretty much what you have said here. Not that I needed proof of why you two get along, but if I did that would be some.
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