UNITED STATES: POLITICS: POLITICAL PARTIES: REPUBLICAN PARTY, TEA PARTY : POLITICS : WAR ON WOMEN : RELIGION: CHRISTIAN : MEDICAL: ABORTION : CRIME AND CRIMINALS: RAPE: Why Akin's Crazy Claim of "Legitimate Rape" Matters

[David P. Dillard]

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UNITED STATES: POLITICS: POLITICAL PARTIES: REPUBLICAN PARTY, TEA PARTY :

POLITICS :

WAR ON WOMEN :

RELIGION: CHRISTIAN :

MEDICAL: ABORTION :

CRIME AND CRIMINALS: RAPE:

Why Akin's Crazy Claim of "Legitimate Rape" Matters

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Why Akin's Crazy Claim of "Legitimate Rape" Matters

Mitchell Bard.

Writer and Filmmaker

Posted: 08/22/2012 4:17 pm

Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mitchell-bard/
why-akins-crazy-claim-of_b_1822796.html

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A shorter URL for the above link:

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http://tinyurl.com/9ne5m6q

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Republicans have spent the last few days furiously trying to distance
themselves from Missouri Rep. Todd Akin's assertion that women who are
victims of "legitimate rape" do not get pregnant. They've tried to get him
to drop out of his U.S. Senate race, even as polls say he's leading. But
they have a tough case to make, since the real takeaway from Akin's
ludicrous charge is that his approach to women's rights (if not
necessarily the "legitimate rape" claim itself) is entirely consistent
with the ideology of the modern Republican party.

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GOP concern that the rape exception to abortion bans would be used to
allow too many abortions is not new. In 2011, Akin was one of 226 sponsors
of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which, among other things,
sought to rewrite the definition of rape (to change the language to
"forcible rape") in an effort to make it harder for women to get a
post-rape abortion. Who else was a sponsor? Rep. Paul Ryan. With millions
of Americans out of work, 226 members of Congress (nearly all Republicans)
were laser-focused on abortion and limiting the definition of rape (the
bill was H.R. 3, so it was among the first pieces of legislation offered
that session). And Paul Ryan was one of them.

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Given the waves of condemnation (as well as fundraising efforts) resulting
from Akin's "legitimate rape" claim, it's no surprise that Ryan is now
trying to walk back his sponsorship of H.R. 3, cutting off a questioner
about Akin's claim with the statement, "Rape is rape. Rape is rape,
period. End of story."

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Ryan would desperately like his answer to the be the end of the story, but
it won't be. It's just the beginning, as it becomes clear that Akin's
"legitimate rape" charge was in keeping with the Republicans' "war on
women" since taking control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections. (I
detailed some of the aspects of the GOP assault on women's rights in
June.)

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Akin's assertion isn't problematic for Republicans because it is
outrageous. It's a disaster for them because it shines a light on the
GOP's disdain for women's rights.

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Firedoglake recently put together a piece on Ryan's record on
right-to-life issues. He voted to ban the FDA from approving any drug that
could be used to abort a fetus. He voted for numerous "fetal protection"
acts, including some that would criminalize a mother's behavior (not just
a doctor's). He supported intervening to keep Terri Schiavo alive. He
supported a bill requiring a doctor to tell mothers that the fetus could
experience pain after 20 weeks. He spread the myth that health care reform
legislation funded abortions. He opposed the president's requirement that
health care plans provide birth control coverage. He sponsored a bill that
would establish in law that life started at conception.

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Ryan also sponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act, which, if strictly
interpreted, could ban not only abortion but also in vitro fertilization
and some forms of birth control. He voted to defund Planned Parenthood
four times. And he sponsored a "fetal personhood" bill, a concept so
outside the mainstream it was voted down by the people of Mississippi last
year.

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And on women's issues that don't pertain to abortion, Ryan's record isn't
much better.

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snip

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When it comes to women's rights issues, Ryan's record is closer to Akin's
than it is to the beliefs of a majority of Americans.

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And it's not just Ryan. The 2012 Republican platform supports a
constitutional amendment banning abortion with no exception made for
incest or rape.

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The complete article may be read at the URL above.

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Sincerely,
David Dillard
Temple University
(215) 204 - 4584
jw...@temple.edu
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