Over the weekend, U.S. Senate candidate, Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), shared his belief that women rarely get pregnant from "legitimate" rape.
His outrageous comments went viral immediately. Although the Republican Party scrambled to distance themselves from his position, these offensive statements reflect an anti-choice agenda that has, and will continue to rob women of their reproductive rights if we do not pay close attention today and on November 6.
Tonight, the Republican Platform Committee is meeting to vote on their objectives for the next four years, including their position on abortion.
The Republican Party Platform is expected to include its usual support for a Human Life Amendment that would effectively ban abortion nationwide, in almost all circumstances, without exception for rape and incest. What every American needs to know right now is that this dangerous platform has been repeatedly endorsed by Mitt Romney (R- Mass.), and reflects the position of his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
Just last year, Rep. Ryan teamed up with Rep. Akin to co-sponsor an extreme anti-choice bill, H.R. 3, which would essentially redefine "rape" and prevent certain survivors of rape from accessing abortion services.
In fact, when given the chance to apologize for his outrageous comment, Rep. Akin explained that when he said "legitimate" rape, he really meant "forcible" rape -- the new definition put forward in the bill he cosponsored with Rep. Ryan.
And what's worse, Ryan has cast 59 votes on reproductive rights legislation, all of them anti-choice. Rep. Ryan also co-sponsored a couple of "personhood" bills, such as the "Sanctity of Human Life Act" that, if passed and enacted into law, would end legal abortion in almost all circumstances with no exception for rape or incest.
Make no mistake, the reprehensible views voiced by Rep. Todd Akin echo the true positions of the Romney-Ryan ticket.
These men and the Republican Platform Committee have pandered to the extreme positions of a small percentage of American voters, and tonight, they will do it again.
American women and their families must be aware that if Romney and Ryan are campaigning toward November 6 on this platform, they have every intention of a continued War on Women.
Follow Nancy Keenan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NARAL
Matthew Dowd: Let's Not Block Akin's Bid, Let's Fix the System
Melissa Hapke: An Open Letter to Rep. Todd Akin: From a Childhood Incest Survivor
Mike Lux: The Problem Is the Base
The ten commandments
1. You shall have no other gods before me… EXCEPT for Ronald Reagan
2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them…….. EXCEPT for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain…… EXCEPT when you use me and my name to gain REPUBLICAN votes
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy…. GO to Church and pretend to be filled with love ( but only on this day……for on all other days we must hate all who are not white and Christian)
5. Honor your father and your mother….BUT if you have to sell them out for profit it is OK
6. You shall not murder…..unless you support the NRA
7. You shall not commit adultery……. Unless you can without it getting TWEETED out for the world to see
8. You shall not steal…..from the rich, only from the poor by cutting much needed social programs
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor…..unless it will further your own agenda
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house…..you should just support the banks in foreclosing on it.
A woman's body is her own personal piece of real estate that she Owns and has the right to control and do with what she wants. No one person. One political party. One government. Or one country has the right to dominate it.
We better wake up America. Look at how few women's rights there are in other countries........this is a dangerous path”
...clearly is completely ignorant of current events, was raised in a household of browbeating into one narrow right wing mindset, or must vote as her "man" demands she do to be considered a "legitimate" mate to him and therefore lives in a constant state of fear and brow-beating in the relationship.
Those who do not believe in abortion DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE ONE. While I will not share my personal beliefs here, I honor and recognize others' rights to their own opinions. The GOP does not.
Once again, the good old boys he-man-woman-haters definitely do show their true colors. When Akins said he misspoke ONE WORD. Bull. His whole statement was offensive, chauvinist, and downright vicious. His reference to "legitimate rape" means he again blames the woman. For getting raped. For getting pregnant.
VOTE THE BUMS OUT IN NOVEMBER. LADIES, THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.
Ladies, I'm sorry but it's been almost a century of sufferage, why can't at least all of you plus at least a few of us get out and make sure that none of these cavemen are ever elected? I don't live in Missouri, but I bet about 50% of voters are women.
The unfortunate thing for the GOP is that Akin also exposes the real views of Paul Ryan, his legislative co-sponsor, and no amount of hiding behind Romney-Ryan vagueness changes that.
What's wrong with wanting babies to live and enjoy their life, liberty, and their pursuit of happiness?
The fact is our constitution does not guarantee reproductive rights for anyone.
No doubt that Akin had a 'foot in mouth' moment and should bow out. He does not represent the majority of GOP'ers. He spoke his opinion, and, if he stays in the race; he handed poor old phoney blonde Claire her Senate seat. Her Senate voting record is more offensive than Akin's remarks, as bad as they are. Missourians deserve better from both parties.
And Akin DOES represent the ideology force behind the Republican party, including the Tea Party folks who have asserted themselves in the House and set the platform for the GOP.
If our legislators can remain stubbornly ignorant to such obvious foolishness, how can they make a jobs plan or a responsible budget? No one that ignorance can be trusted in government. Or with children.
But my comment that, as offensive as Akin's comments were, Claire's voting record in the Senate is pathetic. Missourians should not be required to have either candidate represent them in the Senate.
Nor should we have government officials thinking there are 57 states. Nor should we have representatives breaking the law sending lewd pictures of themselves. How many lies did we hear; and how many days did it take to get rid of the creep? Akin has a few days to go, before he steps down, and he will eventually step down.
For your information, the most basic Christian value is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior through repentance of sins. When that is accomplished we help individuals, one on one, not by government mandate. That is the way Jesus did it, one on one!
Why should Christians tolerate of sin? We should not, and we should repulse sin where ever possible. That's what Jesus did!
Stop trying to get Christians to accept sin. It will not work, and you will lose in the end!
What a disgustingly inaccurate parallel to draw, and what is it based on? Just because their pro-position differs from that of NARAL?