US Republican ignorant of female biology. Again.

[TheDoctrineOfEnnis]

www.salon.com/2012/08/19/todd_akin_legitimate_rape_stops_pregnancy/

Opening quote: ?First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,? Missouri Senate hopeful Todd Akin said in an interview Sunday, explaining why his ideal abortion ban wouldn?t include an exception for rape. ?If it?s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,? he added.

Aargh! If he believes the rights of the fertilised egg trump the rights of the woman regardless of circumstances of conception, OK, that is his position. I completely disagree but at least it might be a consistent stance. But saying, yeah, well, it hardly ever happens anyway and if it does happen it's the woman's fault cos her body didn't stop it is just mind-bogglingly stupid.

I wish there was some kind of basic competence exam for would-be politicians.

O.M.F.G

Does he mean that if a rape results in pregnancy then it wasn't rape?

Surely he can't be that ignorant?

Well, he doesn't actually say that in so many words, maybe he is not quite that stupid. But if you put his sentences together then it looks awfully like that conclusion would follow.

OMFG indeed!

An actual biologically possible way for the female body to 'shut that whole thing down' would be the morning after pill. But no, he doesn't go for that either:

"So just to be clear, though, you would like to ban the morning-after, totally for everyone?? Akin replied, ?I think that?s a form of abortion, and I don?t support it.?

Oh, that is horrible!

Er.

WHAT?

Surely by this logic, all invasive attacks upon the human body that could have lasting consequences would - through mystical powers - be rejected by the body provided the victim simply wished hard enough? So if someone stabbed this guy in the neck, his body could heal itself to prevent lasting injury - and if it didn't, he must have wanted to be stabbed.

I find it truly terrifying that people can hold views like these today

The whole anti-women campaign that seems to underpin current US politics has my blood running cold.

Yeah, I agree Annie. If it was just one nutter and everyone was laughing, then OK. But it just is so much more

TeamEdward, YANBU, except with your usename.

Thats a bit embarrassing for him. At least he revealed his lack of knowledge now before anyone had to vote for him rather than leaving people in doubt about whether he was ignorant or not.

It would be funny if it wasnt so terrifying that this man could actually make his views law.

Oh good Lord. Yes, because if a woman is pregnant after a rape, she must actually have wanted it, so it wasn't rape. Simple!

I actually don't agree with an 'exception' policy 'allowing' abortion for rape and incest only - it's the woman's choice and that's it. But what a nobhead.

Apparently he "misspoke" in the interview. He hasn't clarified that he misspoke wrt basic biological facts so it's unclear which of his comments he no longer thinks was correct... Towards the bottom of the link.

www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/rep-todd-akin-says-women-can-shut-down-post-rape?s=mobile

If he really believes that "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down" , then how does he explain the demand for abortions?

Surely if that was true, every unwanted pregnancy would have been mysteriously miscarried and no-one would have even heard of abortions?

And this man is not a would-be politician. If Wikipedia is to be believed, he's an actual politician - the US representative for Missouri's 2nd congressional district. So he's already in a position to influence legislation. Which is very scary.

Thank God I don't live in the USA.

That's a clever "no-apology apology". Logically the only thing he implies he misspoke about was not to offer his sincere sympathy for rape victims (presumably mainly those rape victims who don't get pregnant, since they must be the ones who were actually raped - this would conveniently allow for all male rape victims to be genuine victims).

As you say, DoctrineofEnnis - if he believes that abortion should not be allowed in cases of rape, that's his opinion and he is free to state it. But to suggest there is no requirement for it because pregnancy does not result from rape is a dangerously stupid remark. And this, as the Twitter quote in your article mentions, from someone who sits on the Science and Technology committee of the House.

Surely if that was true, every unwanted pregnancy would have been mysteriously miscarried and no-one would have even heard of abortions?

The magic only works if you get pregnant during rape, StormGlass. If you become pregnant through consensual sex then - clearly - the anti-pregnancy pixies are not able to help you.

It reminds me of the ducking stool for suspected witches. If you drown, you're innocent and were never a witch.

In this case, he seems to be saying that if you get pregnant, then it couldn't have been rape. Perhaps then he would favour sewing scarlet letters on women again?

If you don't get pregnant, well what is there to complain about? Or worse - there's probably wasn't any intercourse at all and just a silly woman crying rape again.

I wish I could say that this is so absurd, nobody would take it seriously.

Yeah, I wondered that too, Stormglass

Ah but schobe Mr Akin has offered an expression of his " deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve."

Therefore rape exists, but pregnancy caused by rape does not. It's really very obvious when think you about it.

I don't even want to think about how this relates to child victims of rape who conceive.

This is in the magical land where evolution is a myth and climate change isn't happening, right? Why let something as trivial as biological anatomy get in the way of entitled white men's ability to control the world and all the women in it?

There really should be a requirement for people who seek to pass legislation about pregnancy/abortion to have a basic understanding of reproductive biology.

I like the parody twitter account:
news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/gop-senate-candidate-says-misspoke-legitimate-rape-005818070.html

the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down

Yes it does

Its called the morning after pill or an abortion. . .

The level of stupidity is amazing

Yes, all those Bosnian women who were raped by Serb soldiers and got pregnant actually wanted it all along.

His choice of phrasing is telling: 'legitimate rape'? Given that rape is by its nature illegitimate (unlawful), it makes no sense. Clearly he is intending to make a distinction betwen 'legitimate' rape victims and all those women who make it up. Sigh.

What an absolutely massive, stupid bellend.

That is all.