Personhood Amendments

[LemonMelon]

A quick wiki copy/paste:

The text of the most recent version of the Hyde Amendment provides an exception for cases of rape, stating that its prohibitions shall not apply "if the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest."[5] The rape exception in H.R. 3 uses somewhat different language, stating that its limitations shall not apply "if the pregnancy occurred because the pregnant female was the subject of an act of forcible rape or, if a minor, an act of incest."[1] Some women's rights groups have questioned the addition of the qualifier "forcible" to the word "rape" in H.R. 3, noting that it excludes many forms of rape and "takes us back to a time where just saying no was not enough."[2]

In addition:

http://jezebel.com/5750825/republica...ll-still-sucks

So yeah, they couldn't remove it quickly enough.

[deep]

Hannity Urges Akin To Consider Dropping Out In Interview With Him | RealClearPolitics

Hannity wow,
this guy is in real trouble.

[cobl04]

9 People Who Think Todd Akin Had A Point About Biology, Rape

[MrsSpringsteen]

Foot in mouth disease is completely different from completely screwing up the basic facts regarding how pregnancy happens, and saying that there's such a thing as legitimate rape.


LA Times

Huckabee to Akin: 'Horrible' rapes created some extraordinary people

By James Rainey

August 20, 2012, 2:25 p.m.

The man trying to provide Rep. Todd Akin the softest possible landing after the congressman’s foolish comments about pregnancy and rape was former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a strong supporter of Akin during his run to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate.

In the furor over Akin’s remarks and increasing pressure for him to drop out of his race against Sen. Claire McCaskill, Huckabee used his syndicated radio program Monday to give the embattled candidate a safe venue to express remorse and his determination to remain in the race. Huckabee also took the opportunity to cast the best possible light on Akin’s awkward position. The former Arkansas governor and onetime GOP presidential contender suggested a couple of cases in which he suggested that rapes, though “horrible tragedies,” had produced admirable human beings.

“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.”

Huckabee left the seminary in 1976 to become director of communications for the fiery televangelist Robison, who once declared he was “sick and tired of hearing about all of the radicals and the perverts and the liberals and the leftists and the communists coming out of the closet.” Robison called on “God’s people to come out of the closet” and re-take control of America.

After leaving the Robison organization, Huckabee went on to his own career in broadcasting and then politics. He continues on as a radio host and with a weekend program on Fox News. Huckabee had previously helped Missouri congressman Akin kick off his campaign and also cut ads for the candidate. In one, Huckabee declared that conservative candidates like Akin “honoring our creator” would “help restore our God-given liberty.”

Robison once told the Christian Broadcasting Network how he was the “product of rape.”

“My mother was a practical nurse and was raped by the alcoholic son of the elderly man she cared for,” Robison said. “It was a forced -- I don't think we would call it violent -- but he forced his affections on her, and at age 40 she conceived me.”

Robison told interviewer Scott Ross how he found out about his conception.

“She told me when I was a teenager, but she had also told this to a pastor and his wife who tried to adopt me when I was a baby,” he said. “They kept me for five years. I thought they were my parents, but I understood that I also had a mother who came to see me occasionally, so it was confusing to a child, but I didn’t need to understand. She took me from them when I was 5.”

Robison said he later had a violent confrontation with his birth father but that his adoptive parents helped him discover God and Jesus Christ.

“So here I sit as a product of rape, but I had an encounter with God,” Robison said. “The principles came into my life, not to make me perfect, but to got me in the pursuit of applying the principles. Look at the offspring: 11 grandchildren, three children, their spouses, and they’re happy. It works! The world needs to see something that works.”

After several years out of the limelight, Robison convened a meeting with other Christian leaders in 2010 to look for ways to oust Obama and end what he called the “assault on faith, family and freedom.”

Akin did not respond directly to the thoughts about Robison, as Huckabee quickly turned the conversation to ask the congressman whether his misstatements about rape and pregnancy would be fatal to his campaign.

Akin said he was not the only candidate ever to “suffer from foot-in-mouth disease,” adding: “The good people of Missouri nominated me and I’m not a quitter. My belief is we are going to take this thing forward and, by the grace of God, we are going to win this race.”

[MrsSpringsteen]

Originally Posted by cobl04

9 People Who Think Todd Akin Had A Point About Biology, Rape

The only source I saw mentioned was a Christian web site

"Freedom of speech. First Chick Fil A, now Akin" I'd just laugh at that if it wasn't sad. Legitimate chicken!

[Moonlit_Angel]

Good lord...of course it's wonderful when a baby is born, even if the circumstances surrounding their birth and conception are horrific. And of course many babies born in such situations have gone on to be wonderful human beings. Nobody has ever said that all babies who are the product of rape should be dismissed or automatically aborted or whatever. Nobody. If a woman wants to continue on with her pregnancy after being raped, more power to her. I'm fully supportive.

All I know is that for some women who's been through such an event, I can fully understand how tough it would be for them to continue on with a pregnancy that reminds them of what she went through. I can fully understand being concerned about any possible infections or diseases they might have contracted from the rapist that they might have or might unknowingly pass on to the unborn. I can fully understand how having this pregnancy they didn't plan for or ask for is a scary thing, especially if they're not prepared financially or emotionally.

(And again, I absolutely LOVE how I hear all the time that if you explain same sex marriage to a child, that apparently traumatizes them for life, but explaining to your child that they were the product of a violent rape? Eh, well, apparently the trauma and horror with that isn't as big a concern, or something.)

This whole thing is not that hard a concept to understand, people. For cripes' sake.

Originally Posted by MrsSpringsteen

Mr. Akin quickly backtracked from his taped comments, saying he “misspoke.”

Of course he did .

I'm really pleased to see he is getting backlash for his comments. Particularly from other GOP members . Good move, people. I feel better now.

Originally Posted by Jive Turkey

This is far from being the first time I've noticed it, but there seems to be some serious undercurrents of man-spite coming from some of the posters in here and in other threads

I don't know where you get this impression-it might be true of some people, but it isn't of me. No man-hating here.

No, I just hate it when people say obnoxiously stupid things. And I just hate that men, who don't have to worry about pregnancy or cycles firsthand, and who don't have to worry about finding birth control that can help control such issues, act as though they do know what it's like, and say blatantly ignorant and untrue things about those topics as a result (to the point where I think they either missed out on or didn't get sex ed when they were in school). And then some of them think they have the right to control what I do with my own body on top of it all. Sorry, no. You're wrong, people. Especially if you're as ignorant as this latest Republican guy is. I don't want someone that stupid having a say over my body.

Add in the fact that we had male politicians in...Michigan, wasn't it, I think...actually complain recently because a female politician had used the word "vagina" in a discussion on women's health during a meeting one day, and the fact that so far all the main discussion on these issues has been from men, and we're not hearing any women speak out on this topic, and it gets really frustrating really fast.

I'm just beyond tired of this issue constantly coming up. Abortion is legal, like it or not, and banning it won't solve a damn thing. Women should be allowed to access birth control if they please. What we choose to do with our bodies is our own business. Shut up and leave us alone, and find something else to focus on. Like, you know, the economy?

(That last paragraph being a general rant, not directed at anyone here.)

[Pearl]

Originally Posted by Moonlit_Angel

(And again, I absolutely LOVE how I hear all the time that if you explain same sex marriage to a child, that apparently traumatizes them for life, but explaining to your child that they were the product of a violent rape? Eh, well, apparently the trauma and horror with that isn't as big a concern, or something.)

Good point

I saw that Buzzfeed link and what Huckabee said. Unbelievable.

Yes, a fetus has no choice over who fathers it, but ever think of the mother? Not too many women would be willing to carry their rapists' baby to term. If they can, God bless them. But if it were me, I would feel like the pregnancy would be adding insult to injury and would make it harder for me to get over the trauma I'd be going through.

Some of these men - and even some women as seen on that Buzzfeed link - need to stop seeing women as incubators and as human beings with real feelings.

[LemonMelon]

"We all make mistakes."

"The many people who supported me know that when you make a mistake what you need to do is say you're sorry."

Nice dodge. None of this specifies his reason for guilt. One could as easily assume it's the damage he caused to his profile as it is those he hurt leading him to retract the statements.

It was a mistake, alright.

[Moonlit_Angel]

Thanks, LM, and nice post from you as well . Particularly the last line.

[Liesje]

What kind of douchecanoe are you when Hannity encourages you to drop out of a GOP race....

[deep]

the person that most does not want him to resign is his opponent

if he resigns, as everyone in here seems to want, Sarah Steelman will likely replace him and easily win in Nov. A GOP Senate will only confirm judges that are anti-abortion, like this guy.

[digitize]

Originally Posted by deep

the person that most does not want him to resign is his opponent

if he resigns, as everyone in here seems to want, Sarah Steelman will likely replace him and easily win in Nov. A GOP Senate will only confirm judges that are anti-abortion, like this guy.

It's not like it matters. Anything short of the presidency, the House, and the Senate being in the hands of one party will result in another two years of absolutely nothing being accomplished more than what can be done with Executive Orders. Getting any judge through at all will be a nightmare. And really, it's likely that it will take a 60 vote majority in the Senate for any party to accomplish anything, which absolutely will not happen.

[Irvine511]

Akin is vile because of his views on rape, but not his views on abortion.

i find "rape/incest" clauses to totally belie the fact that most opposition to choice comes down to wanting to punish women for having sex. if you truly felt that a fertilized embryo was a human being, then that's that, and abortion is wrong, period. it doesn't matter how this sentient zygote got there. it's there. so now you deal with it.

accepting exceptions where woman didn't voluntarily have sex -- and thus she wasn't some two-bit harlot thinking she can fuck like a man without consequence, and now she's gonna get it when that baby's screaming at 2am -- is totally misogynist, in my opinion.

[cobl04]

Please don't ever write "accepting exceptions" again

[Irvine511]

consider it certain that i will again.

[MrsSpringsteen]

From Talking to Doctors

[BonosSaint]

[Pearl]

That's going on my Facebook.

[Pearl]

Wow, Akin is a true coward:

Staring at the empty chair, a nonplussed Morgan issued this challenge to Akin: "Congressman, you have an open invitation to join me in that chair whenever you feel up to it, because if you don't keep your promise to be on the show, then you are what we would call in Britain a gutless little twerp."

Todd Akin Piers Morgan Interview Fail: Embattled Senate Candidate Bails On CNN Host

[Liesje]

Let the memes begin