Rape, abortion, and the privilege of magical thinking

[Chemisse]

Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin recently offered his thoughts on abortion in the instances of rape:
"First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare," Akin told KTVI-TV in an interview posted Sunday. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Akin said that even in the worst-case scenario -- when the supposed natural protections against unwanted pregnancy fail -- abortion should still not be a legal option for the rape victim.

"Let's assume that maybe that didn't work, or something," Akin said. "I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."
I like the phrase "shut that whole thing down." There's something unintentionally Orwellian about it.

At any rate, I think what's interesting here is the assumed power. I have the right to objectively define pregnancy from rape as rare. I have the right to determine separate legitimate rape from all those instances when you were in need of encouragement, wearing a red dress or otherwise asking for it. I have the right to manufacture scientific theories about your body -- theories which reinforce my power. If the body doesn't "shut that whole thing down" then clearly you weren't raped, and there's no need to talk about an abortion. And even if I am wrong on every count, I still have the right to dictate the terms of your body and the remaining days of your life.




http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/08/rape-abortion-and-the-privilege-of-magical-thinking/261313/

I love one of the replies to this on that web site:

You're right, "shut that whole thing down" is hilarious. I keep imagining two friends out to Sunday brunch - one says "ugh, I had the worst sex last night. The guy had terrible tattoos, is 32 and lives in his mom's basement, and worst of all I discovered after the fact that he didn't even wear a condom". The other replies, "uh oh, sounds like it's time to SHUT THAT WHOLE THING DOWN!" - "Oh, you KNOW I kicked him right out of the apartment, poured myself a glass of wine, and got right to secreting that certain secretion."

Shut it down, ladies... just shut that whole thing down!

[Salviati]

1. The republicans must just be mainlining the stupid these days...

[Solly Mack]

2. Akin probably thinks Kegel exercises are vaginal combat training.

[Chemisse]

3. Haha!!

I had no idea we had so many powers!

[Solly Mack]

5. I know, right? I need a diagram so I can see where this sperminator is located exactly.

[_Liann_]

4. Rape is one of the EIGHT BIBLICAL TRADITIONAL FORMS OF MARRIAGE

Rape is one of the EIGHT BIBLICAL TRADITIONAL FORMS OF MARRIAGE: Republicans have been approving government-compelled birth of rape-children in many states. Rape is a GOP FAMILY VALUE.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29
New International Version (NIV)
28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

The EIGHT REPUBLICAN BIBLICAL TRADITION FORMS OF MARRIAGE:
1: Polygamous Marriage (lots of same-sex women married all together with one man, 1 Kings 11:3, CH 11:21 Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines)
2: Leverite Marriage (bigamy with brother's heirless widow, (De 25:5))
3: A Man, A Woman, and Her Property (wife's slave, Gen. 16:1-6, Gen. 30:4-5)
4: A Man, One or More Wives, and some Sex Slave Concubines (Judges 19:1-30, David's son, Solomon, chose 700 wives and 300 concubines, totaling 1,000 women in 1 Kings 11:3)
5: A Male Soldier and a Female Prisoner of War (DT 21:10-14, NU 31:17-18, )
6: A Male Rapist and His Victim (Deuteronomy 22:28-29)
7: A Male Slave and A Female Slave
8: Monogamous Heterosexual Marriage

[etherealtruth]

6. Sadly and sickly .... you are right

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