Updated: scroll down for links to further reading
It’s all tied up within an anti-abortion argument. That doesn’t surprise anybody, does it?
UPDATE – Further Reading:
- StealthBadger makes it crystal clear that this was no “misspeaking”
- Manboobz skewers it wholesale (*reminder that Manboobz allows antifeminists to froth in comments in order for further skewering)
- asiangrrlMN at Angry Black Lady Chronicles is so mad she could stab someone with her rusty pitchfork™
Categories: culture wars, education, ethics & philosophy, Science, social justice, violence
Hoyden About Town 
[triggery; the whole damn topic is]
So the really important thing about rape is whether you become pregnant? I’m sure that’s helpful to all the people who’ve been raped anally.
Trigger warning: if you read the comments on that article there is a whole heap of ableism and racism and not surprisingly sexism too.
I hope people don’t vote for him. I can’t believe he came out and said that. Well actually when people like Whoopi Goldberg come out and talk about things not being ‘rape rape’ maybe I can.
He is currently polling 9 points ahead of his opponent, Senator Claire McCaskill, who is an extremely moderate (for the Senate, that is) Democrat. In this week alone, Akin has claimed that we should abolish the federal school lunch program, come out against the Voting Rights Act of 1964, and has declared not only should there be no abortion with no exception, there should also be no emergency contraception which he equated with abortion.
He is the perfect embodiment of a party that has embraced the ideas that science is optional, that equality has been achieved to the furthest extent that it should go (and that in fact white, hetero, Christian cis males are now “oppressed” by laws enabling protection for the rest of us) and that even when the government is doing good things and doing them well (like school lunches) it shouldn’t be doing them at all.
I can’t believe this man is a serious candidate for Senate. Losing faith in America.
My Twitter stream is full of fail today on this issue. Constantly having to remind myself that re-tweet =/= agreement (I so hope not anyway).
Updating the post with some further reading links: StealthBadger makes it crystal clear that this was no “misspeaking”, Manboobz skewers it wholesale (*reminder that Manboobz allows antifeminists to froth in comments in order for further skewering), and asiangrrlMN at Angry Black Lady Chronicles is so mad she could stab someone with her rusty pitchfork™
If this direction doesn’t end in tears for the Republican party then sadly I think that the US are going to get the government they deserve. How is it possible that a candidate with these sort of views polls even vaguely competitively?
The Onion has a statement from faux-Todd-Akin.
Shakesville has a collection of reactions, most positive, but some rage-making.
On a different, but related note, The Guardian is quoting George Galloway as follows:
”This is something which can happen”??!!????! Yes, if you go home with a rapist!
I beg to differ. You need consent for each act. In the same way that a marriage certificate does not equal blanket consent, so previous consent does not equal consent for later.
Honestly, how hard is it to realise that consent is a conditional thing? Just because you said yes once, doesn’t mean you’ll do so again. Conditions might have changed. Maybe she doesn’t feel well this time. Maybe he wants to film it this time. Maybe the location is the back of the bus stop on a main road this time. One yes, or indeed many yesses, doesn’t mean yes this particular time. It’s not hard to ask!!
I’m going to put a big trigger warning on this:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/pregnant-woman-relieved-to-learn-her-rape-was-ille,29258/
It’s from The Onion, titled “Pregnant woman relieved to learn her rape was illegitimate”. I suppose it details what would be the farcical outcome if we were to accept the statements made by Todd Akin as true.
My fav today was ‘illegitimate murder means you can’t die’.
I’m waiting for “The Fight or Flight response, well documented in many scientific journals, means that people being quote unquote assaulted, now need to prove that they aren’t masochists.”
Illegitimate theft must be a donation?
Akin has now ”re-clarified” as saying that sometimes the bitches lie. Aside from being gross in and of itself, it rings hollow as clarification when it contradicts his previous attempt of “forcible.” And it’s not like we didn’t all know what he meant – to disinclude those he deems slutbitchwhores from rape victims – anyway.
Thank you for the link! I truly loved the Onion’s take on it.
It’s darkly funny because it’s true.
Link from Jezebel
http://jezebel.com/5936679/rape-fatigue-and-you-when-theres-just-no-anger-left
Arcadia, I just clicked on your link and I haven’t read the article yet, but I love that opening graphic with the fierceness of a thousand suns.
Ouch.
I have my problems with Jezebel, but they do keep on publishing relevant rants too.