“It seems to be, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, it’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down.”
Really? You’ve got to be kidding. When I heard Republican Todd Akin’s ridiculous comment about such a sensitive topic, my jaw dropped. The fact that anybody could believe that a woman can prevent pregnancy during rape is absolutely absurd.
According to Akin, a woman can prevent pregnancy if the rape that occurred is legitimate.
“Supposedly,” the female body knows how to shut female reproductive organs down because the woman did not consent to the sexual activity.
This theory was quick to draw anger and sharp criticism from Americans and female activist groups.
Shortly after his comments, the Republican party was quick to separate themselves from the Missouri senatorial candidate and he received numerous requests from party leaders for his resignation.
However Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, was careful not to draw any criticism toward himself and his party due to their platform on women’s health care.
Romney released a statement saying that the “Congressman’s Akin’s comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable and, frankly, wrong. . . Like millions of other Americans, we found them to be offensive.”
The entire Republican campaign strategy so far has been to simply fire criticism towards Obama and focus solely on the struggling economy.
Yet, despite their denunciation against Akin, the Romney/Ryan campaign has voiced their opinions numerous times when it comes to ideas inapplicable to their own lifestyles.
Numerous times both Romney and Ryan have voted to get rid of planned parenthood from health care packages.
However what many fail to know is that Paul Ryan himself co-signed a bill with Todd Akin trying define the physical act of rape.
In Akin’s defense, this preposterous theory is defended in books such as Fleta and Elements of Medical Jurisprudence. In Fleta, a 1290 British text, it is written that “If, however, the woman should have conceived at the alleged time in the appeal, it abates, for without a woman’s consent she could not conceive.”
Similarly, in Elements of Medical Jurisprudence by Samuel Farr, he writes “For without an excitation of lust, or the enjoyment of pleasure in the venereal act, no conception can probably take place. SO that if an absolute rape were to be perpetrated, it is not likely that she would become pregnant.”
Ok, so it seems that Akin has some “facts” that he used before making his comment. But, any knowledgeable human being, who has taken Human Anatomy for that matter, would understand that even if you aren’t enjoying the sexual activity that is occurring, you could still get pregnant.
Not only was Todd Akin’s comment highly uneducated, but it was also inconsiderate of women who have been brutally raped and, or, abused.
With a legislature in which 90 percent of lawmakers are male, it seems to be ironic that they can voice and vote on opinions and laws they have no personal connection nor experience with.
The same could be said of both parties when it comes to topics dealing with unemployment and poverty.
According to Politcio, 44 percent of Congress members are millionaires. That means almost half of our lawmakers make up the infamous 1 percent in our economy.
With so much publicity and media attention these role models should fact-check and truly understand the words and views they portray.
America is truly a melting pot filled with different backgrounds, and socioeconomic upbringings and our lawmakers and political leaders should reflect and try to understand each view that may created per each issue.
Akin’s comments will hopefully allow him and all political leaders in general to sincerely think about the power of their words and the diversity of people they were chosen to represent.
