Quote:'Legitimate rape' rarely leads to pregnancy, claims US Senate candidate

Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Missouri, causes furore with explanation of his no-exceptions policy on abortion

Matt Williams in New York

guardian.co.uk, Sunday 19 August 2012 23.29 BST


A Republican Senate hopeful sparked outrage on Sunday by suggesting that "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy due to a woman's biological defences.

Todd Akin, a member of the House of Representatives and recently appointed Senate nominee for Missouri, made the claim during an interview in which he attempted to explain his no-exceptions policy in regards to abortion.

In reference to pregnancy resulting from rape, Akin told KTVI-TV: "First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that is really rare.

"If it is a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try and shut that whole thing down."

But if that "didn't work", then the punishment should be "on the rapist and not attacking the child", Akin added.

A video clip of the interview soon went viral, leading to online criticism directed at the Republican politician.

Akin recently won the GOP nomination for a Senate seat that he is currently favourite to win. The incumbent senator he hopes to beat, Democrat Claire McCaskill, was among those who rebuked him online as the term "legitimate rape" began trending on Twitter.

"As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases, I'm stunned by Rep Akin's comments about victims this AM," she tweeted.

Medical studies in the US suggest that 5% of rapes result in the victim becoming pregnant, with about 32,000 pregnancies in the US every year being the result of rape.

In a statement, Akin later claimed he "misspoke" and that his off-the-cuff remarks did not "reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year".

But the fallout from the remarks may have already damaged his prospects in the Missouri race and will give encouragement to Democrats who fear losing the senate seat in the forthcoming general election.

Quote:Bryan Fischer: Todd Akin right about real, genuine rape'


By Eric W. Dolan
Monday, August 20, 2012 17:39 EDT


Topics: American Family Association ♦ Bryan Fischer ♦ Todd Akin


Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association on Monday insisted that Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) was right to claim women could not become pregnant from "legitimate rape."
"What Todd Akin is talking about is when you've got a real, genuine rape. A case of forcible rape, a case of assault, where a woman has been violated against her will through the use of physical force where it is physically traumatic for her," Fischer said on his radio program.
"Under those circumstances, the woman's body because of the trauma that has been inflicted on her it may interfere with the normal function processes of her body that lead to conception and pregnancy."


Fischer said the trauma from rape interfered with normal physiological processes that occur during conception, which "may make it impossible for her, or difficult in that particular circumstance, to conceive a child."
In a television interview over the weekend, Akin claimed women could not become pregnant after being raped because "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
Akin has been widely denounced for the outrageous claim by Democrats, fellow Republicans, rape victims and others. Akin, who is running for Senate in Missouri, has apologizedfor the use of the phrase "legitimate rape" and acknowledged that a woman can become pregnant as the result of a sexual assault.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) told Raw Story that Akin's point of view was "consistent" with that of other House Republicans, including vice presidential candidate Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI).
Watch video, courtesy of Right Wing Watch, below:

Quote:

Mike Huckabee Would Like to Remind You That Rape Has Created Some Extraordinary People

John Cook

Why is everybody so down on rape? This is what Mike Huckabee wanted to know today, on his radio program, which also featured Rep. Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin as a guest. For instance, did you know that Ethel Waters was conceived when her mother got raped? Do you know what a world without rape would look like? A world without Ethel Waters, that's what.
This is what Mike Huckabee said today, as transcribed by the Los Angeles Times' James Rainey, about the upside of being raped and then getting pregnant:

"Ethel Waters, for example, was the result of a forcible rape," Huckabee said of the late American gospel singer. One-time presidential candidate Huckabee added: "I used to work for James Robison back in the 1970s, he leads a large Christian organization. He, himself, was the result of a forcible rape. And so I know it happens, and yet even from those horrible, horrible tragedies of rape, which are inexcusable and indefensible, life has come and sometimes, you know, those people are able to do extraordinary things."

Anyway, stop being so racist against rape-babies, everyone.

Magda Hassan Wrote::vomit:

Quote:Mike Huckabee Would Like to Remind You That Rape Has Created Some Extraordinary People

John Cook

Why is everybody so down on rape? This is what Mike Huckabee wanted to know today, on his radio program, which also featured Rep. Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin as a guest. For instance, did you know that Ethel Waters was conceived when her mother got raped? Do you know what a world without rape would look like? A world without Ethel Waters, that's what.
This is what Mike Huckabee said today, as transcribed by the Los Angeles Times' James Rainey, about the upside of being raped and then getting pregnant:

"Ethel Waters, for example, was the result of a forcible rape," Huckabee said of the late American gospel singer. One-time presidential candidate Huckabee added: "I used to work for James Robison back in the 1970s, he leads a large Christian organization. He, himself, was the result of a forcible rape. And so I know it happens, and yet even from those horrible, horrible tragedies of rape, which are inexcusable and indefensible, life has come and sometimes, you know, those people are able to do extraordinary things."

Anyway, stop being so racist against rape-babies, everyone.

Magda Hassan Wrote:Be scared. Be very scared. Todd Aken serves on the Science, Space and Technology senate committee

Peter Lemkin Wrote:Well, look at the 'up side' - rapists now have some new legal defenseshock:, with this abortion of logic, science and justice - not to mention misogyny.

Peter Lemkin Wrote:Face it, America is largely owned by, run by, ruled by, led by and informed by idiots - moral idiots!!!!