In case you've been deep-sea diving in the Mariana Trench, yet another Republican Congressman unwittingly revealed his party's contempt for and distrust of women. And he did it by illustrating how the "war on women" is part of a larger issue. What Todd Akin said and believes doesn't just play into a media-catchy, election year "war on women" narrative. It's part of a reactionary, fundamentalist backlash to modernity. It's a war on science. It's a war on facts. It's a war on critical thinking. But, really, consider it a war on democracy. Statements like Akin's reflect the degree to which some men, steeped in all sorts of dangerous denialism, will go to protect their power and how they undermine equality and democracy to do it. Mitt Romney's smart, he gets how Akin made this obvious, which is why he's distancing himself so fast and furiously from this incident. But, Romney deep down inside agrees with the ideas that reside under the surface of such an obvious mistake. That's why he will not renounce his rights-stripping-for-women-personhood-for-fetuses happy running mate Paul Ryan, who shares the ideas expressed by Akin, even if he expresses himself less offensively.
When asked about exceptions for abortions of pregnancies resulting from rape Missouri Representative Todd Akin of the Primacy of the Father Cult (formerly known as the GOP) had this to say:
" First of all, 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. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."
The amount that this man doesn't understand is staggering. He shouldn't even try putting the words "doctors" and "understand" in the same sentence. It just confuses him. But, the problem is, he's not an exception.
Although the six term Congressman, who is running against Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill in the November 6 election, won't apologize, he has graciously come forward to join a long line of rape apologists who "misspoke." He did not "misspeak." Misspeaking is defined as "Express oneself imperfectly or inaccurately." He was very clear: "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
He wittingly regurgitated common misogynistic lies about women, their bodies, rape, pregnancy and abortion. Like Chloe Angyal, at Feministing who wrote a thank you note to Akin earlier today, I am loathe to engage in uncivil discourse. I, too, believe that people who disagree should be able to do so with respect and without resorting to personal assault. However, these lies are so blatant and result in so much harm that they have to be named for what they are and challenged loudly and repeatedly and persistently.
His statements reveal several ideas about women, who bear the immediate and obvious brunt of this type of assault on reason:
Akin's "gaff" is not harmless. It is not just "out of touch." It's DANGEROUS AND CAUSES PAIN and OPPRESSION. And, it's not a "November" issue. It's a "just world" issue. It's a "think for yourself" issue. These people aren't pro-life. They're pro-pain. Pain central to redemption.
Which is why this is also a prime example of how religious privileging in education and public discourse overtakes reason and results in debilitating ignorance and real and tangible harm for children and women. And men. Ideas like Akin's are why rape tragedies like what happened at Penn State and the ongoing Catholic abuse nightmare happen. Ideas like Akin's and friends', grounded in misconceived ideas about sexuality and women's inherent sinfulness, their shame, their laboring for their wrongs, their sacrifice, their punishment, deny the reality of male victims of rape. These religiously vectored ideas are central to their political and legislative agendas as evidenced by these abortion and rape statements. Akin's statement and philosophy are consistent with conservative's deep mistrust of women and reflect the perverse contempt with which they simultaneously glorify sacrificial motherhood as the pinnacle of a woman's existence -- a long standing theme in Christian culture, while denigrating actual women though lies like these. Women, long portrayed as sub-human by culture, do not have to earn their abortions (or the contraception for that matter) through pain -- illness, incest, rape. Women, in theory, have the right to bodily autonomy, privacy and equal protection under the law. It is really interesting to consider his language: he refers to "the rapist" and "the child" but never to "the girl" or "the woman. " Instead, the girl or woman -- the actual person who is raped and seeking to end her unwilling, non-consensual, insemination -- is "the female body" -- like some kind of machine or useful tool. And, I know, it's not just men. But, the women who support these arguments will die knowing that they contributed to the infinite harm done to children and other women by their support of these policies.
Say what you will about men like Paul Ryan and Rick Santorum -- both good examples of how red hat-envy can bend bright men's minds towards incoherence and inhumanity -- at least they have the courage to take their convictions to their logical conclusions -- even if they result in sentences like "Rape is a gift from God" and in the consignment of 9 year old girls to eternal hell while their rapists get to pass through the pearly gates. But, many people like Akin, rather than deal with the illogic of exceptions, find ways to downplay the instance, validity, painful reality, post-traumatic effects and pregnancy that result from rape.
As Garance Franke-Ruta pointed out yesterday in The Atlantic, these conservative rape memes have a long life. Take this doozy which she cites from 1995 when 71-year-old North Carolina state Rep. Henry Aldridge said: "The facts show that people who are raped -- who are truly raped -- the juices don't flow, the body functions don't work and they don't get pregnant. Medical authorities agree that this is a rarity, if ever." I highly recommend passing her piece along to anyone who doubts the long standing (at least in 20th century American political, versus loooonng standing classical Greek and Christian thought terms) use of these confused and ignorant statements by people responsible for distributing rights and justice in the country.
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Eve Ensler: Dear Mr. Akin, I Want You to Imagine...
Karl Frisch: Mitt Romney and the Temple of Womb
Romney, Scott Brown rebuke Akin's rape comments
Joe Scarborough On Todd Akin: Republican Party 'Does Not Want To Win ...
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| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Not every Christian is a conservative. Not even close. Worse, when you talk and write like those terms are interchangeable, you force people who identify as Christian into a completely false binary. It's not you, it's the non-religious media in general. Not only is that insulting to anyone who identifies as both Christian and progressive, but that false dichotomy makes it harder for Christians to realize that their faith does NOT actually imply conservatism.
So please, even if you can't respect organized religion for its own sake (hint: it's not one-dimensional either), at least recognize your own self-interest and stop shooting yourself in the foot. You in particular, and the media in general.
Their position makes no sense to me. They (the Right) keep saying that they have a "deep and abiding respect for life" - except they don't. Only unBORN life. They are by and large pro-war, and by and large pro-death penalty. They have no care for children's health issues or for feeding them when they are hungry. How are those positions consistent with a "deep and abiding respect for life"??? They aren't.
I simply don't understand their position on this. It makes no sense, because they are inconsistent with it.
If
Oh, and publish his test score(s)/answers. That'd make it an opportunity for him to show he'd absorbed a better/truer fact base upon which to base his opinions.
Oh that's right there is none.
They were raped in the catholic church and in the public school system, each institutes that are operated predominately by DEMOCRATS!
Glad we're finally getting this stuff sorted. (high five!)
Yes, and the child abuse, meaning corporal punishment, in the public schools is supported by evangelicals, republicans and democrats alike.
Where are the demands calling for it's end?
Oh, that right there is none!!
Well, there is some, but our voices are drown out by both the democrats and republicans, and teachers unions who don't care.
This is offensive and outrageous statement to make. The reason why what happened, happened was that no one cared, period.
Football meant more to Penn State then children did. NO ONE AT PENN STATE, A SECULAR INSTITUTE CARED!!!!!
Period!!
They looked at evil, saw evil, heard evil, and didn't care!! Are you actually going to blame republicans and Christians for Penn States crimes against humanity.
And yes, that is what this all is........a crime against humanity, or do you all think that children aren't humans?
What happened in the public educational system is equal to the crimes against humanity committed by the RCC, and just as the priests and popes covered up what happened, sending evil priests back to rape children the teachers unions and public school system did the same exact thing.
What's their excuse? They have none!