Who knew what powers we women had? We can shut off a pregnancy with a special sperm zapper. Better not let the anti-choice people hear about that or they’ll be wanting to make it illegal.
Oh, that’s right. This new finding came from their side, in what has become the latest sideshow in the War on Women. For a while it was interesting to imagine the possibilities. Think of the money spent on birth control and fertility treatments we could save if women just used our natural shut down and turn off pregnancy buttons during sex.
Of course, Congressman Todd Akin, the rape expert from Missouri, was speaking of non-consensual sex and pregnancy. Make that only certain kinds of non-consensual sex, what Akin called “legitimate rape.” As opposed to cry wolf rape or my skirt was too short rape or I need an excuse for an abortion rape. Questioning the credibility of a rape victim by redefining rape is a favorite tactic of abortion foes who would then offer only limited compassion and health services to those deemed to be acceptable rape victims.
In stating that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” the congressman managed to one-up the nincompoop talk of big money Republican backer Foster Friess who famously chuckled that in his day women just put an aspirin between their knees for contraception.
But Akin is different. The man not only believes there’s such a thing as an anti-pregnancy rape guard, he thought others would go for it, too. He trusted that the political climate was so sympathetic to men being the boss of women’s bodies that his bizarre notion would endear him to voters. And then they would put him in office so he could have even more power to put laws on women’s bodies.
This pseudo rape expert may slink off but there are plenty others even more threatening who trust that a War on Women is a winnable political position in 2012. Who believe that the one of the most important things they can do for this country is take away a woman’s power to decide what’s best for her body, her health and her family.
Paul Ryan, the vice presidential hopeful, boasts that he’s “as pro life as a person gets,” although the quack talk out of Missouri was too much for even him. But there’s plenty left on Ryan’s Men Know Best agenda. He co-sponsored a personhood bill that states life begins at conception and would make abortion and some forms of birth control murder. Mitt Romney used to be for choice but now he calls himself solidly pro-life. Both Romney and Ryan have vowed to march into Washington and cut off federal money for Planned Parenthood.
Next week at its convention the Republican Party will call for a constitutional ban on all abortions, including women impregnated by rape or incest. And, to make sure that children grow up knowing nothing more than those who believe in the sperm-zapping powers of lady parts the party will endorse abstinence-only sex education.
Remember when some people were scoffing that the War on Women is phony. No thinking Republican is seriously going to try to undo women’s rights.
Really? Well, we better hold on to whatever magic powers we can muster. If these guys hear the old stories about how if a woman plays sports, her uterus falls out or a menstruating woman attracts bears, watch out.
Public television used to have a chair yoga program. Most seniors groups also have chair yoga. Search the net for a dvd, should be there.
Very beautiful. I meditate when I get home from work. I get up at 5:30 and just can't get motivated to get up any earlier. When I wake up in the middle of the night, I immediately go to prayer. It's comforting. Teresa
Right on, Susan.
RIGHT ON Susan..He,the man who made the comment that rape victims’bodies can GET RID of pregnancy NEEDS to go back and study about human reproduction.And having had a daughter who herself was raped there is HIV and VD to worry about too.I don’t think he would be talking like that if he was a victim himself.Men do get raped.
It is now obvious that ignoramous mindsets are alive and thriving in today’s Repubican Party. The idiocy is so insulting it is hard to believe that any woman could genuinely support that hateful, regressive agenda.
Republicans of today have a lot of fear and hate eating at their souls. Not just directed at women, but also against a vast swatch of Americans who don’t embrace their ancient thinking.
But they don’t seem to have many positive solutions to anything for the future.
Excellent commentary Susan.
And the Democratic party is all about ABORTION ABORTION ABORTION – kill as many of the innocent, unborn as possible. And the so-called Democratic leader, Obama, voted three times while he was a Senator to KILL babies after a botched abortion, when the child was born alive. And Planned Parenthood provides over 325,000 abortions every year, with tax payer dollars, even if some of those dollars come from people who have religious or conscience objections to abortion. And, oh yes, Obama is forcing Catholic institutions to pay for abortions and a law suit is in process to stop this unconstitutional assault on freedom of religion. And we can’t forget the youtube video which captured Planned Parenthood employees giving advising an undercover client how they could abort a fetus if they found out the baby was a GIRL. Talk about a war on WOMEN!!! How about this – let women take control of their own reproductive health and walk down to their local drug store and pay $10 for birth control pills and prevent all this killing of the unborn!!!
Good job Susan, I am so glad to see your article featured. I can’t believe anyone is questioning the definition of rape. As Obama said, “Rape is rape.” I am appalled at the discussion this country is having about it. I am also disheartened that pro choice has become pro abortion. As a therapist I have never met a woman who wanted to have an abortion. I have met plenty that due to life/health circumstances got one and and have suffered greatly.
I recently wrote an article asking where the 50 million men were that will impregnate the 50 million women who will have abortions. How did abortion become solely a woman’s issue? Let’s ask every man to sign an agreement prior to having sex that he will financially and physically support any child that may result in his sperm finding an egg. Now that may be the best birth control ever!!!
One man’s comments do not “make” the Republican Party. If that were true, would one man’s actions “make” a political party?? Would Clinton’s womanizing, lying and rape “make” all Democrats users of women, liars, and rapists??
One cannot condemn/transfer one person’s comment (and only one comment at that) to the entire Republican Party any more than Clinton’s actions make all Democrats rapists.
Some sanity and intelligence needs to be summoned to the discussion.
Amen sister!
It always amazes at how supposedly educated women fall for this “wall on women” B.S. I’m an Independent and a Ron Paul supporter, which means I think both the Republicans and the Democrats suck. It’s a very low probability that your right to abort a child will ever be taken away from you as long as there’s a balance in power in Washington. Both parties have bone-head politicians who make idiotic statements (“Let’s pass the Healthcare Act, so we can find out what’s in it”, Nancy Pelosi). Yep, that one is going to bite everybody in the butt, not just women. But yet some women get all tore up over one issue, reproductive rights, when there are critical issues at stake in this country.
We’re not talking about a right that was approved by the Supreme Court in 1973, we’re talking about issues that can and will destroy this nation. It may be hard for you to understand, but we cannot continue spending money like drunks. Eventually, interest rates are going to have to rise. The Fed, which is the major factor in our economic woes, is printing money out of thin air, and Congress has no idea what the Fed has done with our tax dollars. The crash of 2008 will be a walk in the park compared to the dollar crashing. Obama is clueless; he has no frigging idea what he’s doing, other than he wants to turn this nation into a Socialist nation. He’s putting off making major decisions until after the election because he doesn’t want to lose votes. Wait until Seniors find out what he’s got in store for them with Medicare Advantage, and let’s not forget the 500 billion dollars he’s pulling out of Medicare to pay for his Obamacare. Obama spends more time worrying about Romney’s taxes while trying to tax the heck out of middle-class folks like me to pay for people who are either too lazy or too stupid to work.
No one is going to keep abortion away from rape victims or victims of incest. No one is going to force a woman to practice self-control on a hot date either. But someone is going to take away your Social Security, Medicare, health related decisions, freedom from government control of your life, the right to bear arms, and other Constitutional guaranteed rights. Reproductive rights will then be a moot point to women of all ages as survival will become to number one concern. I’m not crazy about Romney, but I can promise you they will be ice-skating in hell the day I vote for Obama.
I have to agree with you, whole heartely. I bought my own birth control pills while making $7.00 an hour. Never went to Planned Parenthood.
I am very concerned about this country and where it is headed. It scares the living hell out of me.
Whoa! A truth teller. Thanks for cutting through the bullshit.
You are certainly angry, and you are not alone; our country is divided and angry as much as I can remember since the civil rights movement. We really need to be able to see that everyone wants the best for our country, but we disagree on what that is. No one wants anyone to have an abortion, and I wish no one would ever have one again, but I cannot tell another woman who is terrified and miserable that she must give birth. I can’t imagine why so many young women don’t use birth control, but I myelf got pregnant while using it, so it isn’t fool proof. I did not get an abortion but times were tough for my family. My landlord evicted us because our lease was for 4 and then we had 5, for example. Not everyone is that tough; give them a break. Two states have already made all abortions illegal; I would bet you abortions will be illegal long before guns. You will never get guns way from Americans.
Lots of people are against government programs, until they realize that its not just welfare, its Medicaid, Medicare, WIC, Head Start, Disibility, Unemployment Insurance, etc. When you need those thngs, you really need them. I hate paying taxes too, but if I lose my job tomorrow, who will hire a 57 year old woman? I need some kind of safety net. No one is going to leave me money, I have no wealthy connections, and I’m too old to be a trophy wife. We are all frightened about the future, but we need to realize we are not alone.
Thanks so much Bethy, Anonymous & scarlu – I could not have said it better myself! It’s funny how the liberal MSM takes a stupid comment like Akin’s & just won’t let it go, but let the stupid things said by the current VP & other Democrats fade into the sunset as fast as you can snap your fingers.
If so many people in this nation don’t stop being 1 issue voters, they’re going to see this nation go down the tubes before our grandchildren can grow up. It doesn’t matter if that 1 issue is abortion, gay rights, race, gender, financial, etc. They’d better start thinking about how so many of the other issues we’re facing are going to impact us – sooner rather than later.
I agree that focusing on only one issue is pretty silly. i also think we have to be careful not to lose our compassion. Jesus said if you have two cloaks, give one to someone who needs it. And if you only have one cloak, cut it in half and share it with another. We have to stop thinking only of what we ourselves need and want right now. There are 350 million other Americans who have needs too.
Instead of focusing on our disagreements and hating each other for them, can’t we start by talking about things we all gree that we need? Everyone wants happy, healthy children, lower taxes, some kind of safety net, clean water and safe food, decent schools, police protection, etc. We probably can’t get everything we want, but maybe we can agree on what we need. But we have to see each others as humans, not THE ENEMY.
You can thank our dear leader for all this division and hatred. He’s purposefully trying to tear the country apart, divide us one from the other, by race, gender, success. He’s set up a war on woman, a war on Whites, a war on the rich, while promoting abortion, gay marriage, job destroying green energy projects etc etc etc. He must be stopped in November – ANYBODY BUT OBAMA – before there is no more USA. Go see the movie ”2016″ and you will see the future, as envisioned by Obama, if he gets another four years. Don’t forget what he said, when he thought the microphone was turned off, to Russia – I’ll have much more flexibilty after the next election. You mean he’ll pass even more unlawful executive orders!!!! OMG!!!!! I do believe the Romney/Ryan ticket will reduce the debt and regulation and make it easier for job creation. Romney has also promised to get rid of Obamacare and approve the Keystone pipeline. Go Mitt/Paul!!!!!
Yes, Changes are very much needed in deed. Having learned from the past presidents – Clinton/Obama. Do not vote them and those like them in. They are getting rid off of everything our ancestors including us fought and worked for.
I love this debate. It goes to show that us women are not monolithic in our politics. I think the whole war on women is a distraction from the real issues which are economics.
Yes, barbara25 women and economics are two different issues by definition. But very – very closely bind together. I feel one can not go without the other. It almost feels like a marriage to me.
As a member of the Democratic party, I can assure you the party isn’t about abortion, abortion, abortion. I’ve never met a pro-abortion person in my life. I’ve met pro-choice people who would really like to work with conservatives to reduce unwanted pregnancies, but I have never heard anything like abortion, abortion, abortion (except in mischaracterizations of liberals). I would be very offended by that, would never be a part of anything that advocated for abortions for the sake of abortions. But I’m definitely pro-choice.