Personhood Amendments

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The part where he was asked about his daughters' sexual choices really creeped me out. I get what they were trying to do with that, the whole "Would you say this if it were your own kids?" and whatnot, but still...that's really personal information, people.

And that's what I really don't get about this whole thing. I think everyone can agree at least that when you have sex, it's important to make sure everyone is being safe and healthy about it.

But beyond that, I do NOT understand why people think this is an issue they need to pry into so deeply. What I do with my sex life is my own business. Not yours. If I want to use contraception, I will. If I don't want to wait until I'm married, that is my choice. If I do want to wait, that is my choice. I honestly do not care one way or another what a priest or a politician thinks about my love life, that is absolutely none of their concern. I'd like to think they have more pressing matters to worry about than people's bedroom activities.

Again, I agree with Pearl. We need to get rid of the shame and stigma about this issue. And we get such conflicting messages. It's important to wait until you're married so you can be "pure" enough, but at the same time, once people find out you're a virgin, you get made fun of, or you're seen as a "challenge" instead of a legitimate sex partner, only to pften be discarded afterwards. It's like you can't win either way.

To say nothing of how incredibly creepy the "purity ring/promise" stuff is that some abstinence-only educations try and put in. I have absolutely no problem with discussing abstinence as an option, it's a worthwhile thing to discuss.

But it shouldn't be the ONLY option discussed. I don't want to say we're slaves to our hormones or whatever, I do think people are capable of control and all that. But at the same time, people are going to have sex. It is a natural, normal function. Not everyone wants to wait. Not everyone plans to get married, or even if they do, they may not find that "special person". So to tell people, "Well, just wait until you're married to have sex, and don't use protection, problem solved!" is highly, highly unrealistic and naive and, as has often been shown, doesn't work one bit as legitimate sex education.
 
Just disgusting, not to mention completely ignorant about basic biology.


NY Times

August 19, 2012

Senate Candidate Provokes Ire With ‘Legitimate Rape’ Comment

By JOHN ELIGON and MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In an effort to explain his stance on abortion, Representative Todd Akin, the Republican Senate nominee from Missouri, provoked ire across the political spectrum on Sunday by saying that in instances of what he called “legitimate rape,” women’s bodies somehow blocked an unwanted pregnancy.

Asked in an interview on a St. Louis television station about his views on abortion, Mr. Akin, a six-term member of Congress who is backed by Tea Party conservatives, made it clear that his opposition to the practice was nearly absolute, even in instances of rape.

“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Mr. Akin said of pregnancies from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”

The comments, made during an interview with KTVI-TV that was posted on Sunday on the station’s Web site, provoked howls of outrage from Democrats and women’s rights organizations. Senator Claire McCaskill, the Democrat who will face Mr. Akin in the November election, immediately took to Twitter with a blunt response. “As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases,” she wrote, “I’m stunned by Rep Akin’s comments about victims this AM.”

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

“In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it’s clear that I misspoke in this interview, and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year,” Mr. Akin, who has a background in engineering and is a member of the House science committee, said in a statement. “I recognize that abortion, and particularly in the case of rape, is a very emotionally charged issue. But I believe deeply in the protection of all life, and I do not believe that harming another innocent victim is the right course of action.”

The Republican presidential ticket of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan was quick to distance itself from Mr. Akin’s remarks.

“Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement,” the campaign said. “A Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”
 
“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Mr. Akin said of pregnancies from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

Which doctors told him this, if he actually spoke to any? Did he do any real research, or did he read off the wall blogs and those crappy articles from Yahoo Contributor Network or Suite101?

And what does he mean by legitimate rape? I dare him to explain further.

Ugh, I can go on forever about how much Akin disgusts me.
 
Maybe he saw it on You Tube

It just makes me furious that there's even ONE guy like that making decisions about my body and my health and my rights. At least know about basic biology, and who the f are you to decide what legitimate rape is. Is that a trademarked term, legitimate rape?
 
Even if it's only for political purposes (no doubt at least some of it is), I still applaud him for it. I don't question at all his feelings about it as a husband and father.

boston.com

US Senate Race , Politics
Scott Brown calls on Akin to drop out of Missouri Senate race

By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff

In a rare intra-party rebuke, Senator Scott Brown called on Missouri Representative Todd Akin this morning to withdraw from the US Senate race in his state, after Akin made controversial remarks on rape.

“As a husband and father of two young women, I found Todd Akin’s comments about women and rape outrageous, inappropriate and wrong,” Brown, a fellow Republican, said in a statement. “There is no place in our public discourse for this type of offensive thinking. Not only should he apologize, but I believe Rep. Akin’s statement was so far out of bounds that he should resign the nomination for US Senate in Missouri.”

Brown may be the first prominent Republican to call for Akin’s resignation from the race.
 
I'd like to see Akin resign from the nomination, but I also wouldn't be surprised if he does not. After all, he didn't fully apologize and didn't explain himself thoroughly.

But yes, kudos to Scott Brown.
 
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
 
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 can see why you would say this, though at least speaking personally it does at times bother me that more men don't speak up, not just for women but for peoples' rights in general. I've never really viewed these issues as a women's rights thing but in more general terms of not being comfortable with politicians making medical decisions for me. Man or woman, I don't believe that's the business of politics but of my spouse and our doctors. Yesterday Phil (husband) and I were talking about something and he said something like, "I guess if Romney wins, things probably won't change for us anyway..." and I said, "Maybe not for YOU but they might for me...."
 
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 think there's any manbashing going on in FYM. I can't speak for all of the female posters here, but I am horrified that there are some men in America who hold such archaic views of women. They're also not just old folks; some young men also have these beliefs. It is also baffling that issues like contraception and what is really rape being discussed openly in this country.

Maybe I'm being too harsh in my reaction to these issues, but I do feel confused and shocked, and even hurt as a woman.
 
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've reread the past few pages and haven't seen much man-spite here in those pages (not that it hasn't appeared some times). If I've missed those posts, please point them out to me and I will reread them. I don't see anti-male as much as it has been anti-asshole and anti-antiquated ideas and anti-pseudo scientific?????utterings that are meant as flimsy cover. And unfortunately, it has often been men making these recent, moronic comments. A little anger at having to fight the same fights over and over again doesn't seem unreasonable to me. Perhaps it does to you.:shrug:

What would be our proper response in words and tone that would not sound anti-male to you?
 
Abortion is a key issue for Mr. Akin, a six-term representative from the St. Louis suburbs. In 2011, he supported a bill that would have redefined the circumstances under which some federally funded health-care programs could be used for abortions to include only cases of "forcible rape" as opposed to "rape," which critics said might prevent funding for abortions in cases of statutory rape and other circumstances.

there is common ground here

we can all agree that "forcible rape" is 100 % wrong. period.

Let's all join with Akin and oppose "forcible rape".

that is the take away.
 
i know it is not a sound argument

I was just trying to figure out how Sean Hannitty or Limbaugh might frame it.

This MO Senate seat has been one the GOP were counting as a pick up. Interesting that some GOP want him to step down.

At this point if he does not step on any more land mines, I think he can still win.
 
Figured this would happen.


Washington Post, Aug. 20
National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Tex.) informed Rep. Todd Akin on Monday that the national GOP will not spend money to help elect him to the Senate after Akin’s controversial comments about “legitimate rape,” according to an NRSC aide. Cornyn also told Akin that, by staying in the race, he is endangering Republicans’ hopes of retaking the majority in the Senate, the aide said.

Akin had refused to withdraw his Senate campaign earlier Monday as Republicans, hoping to contain damage to the party brand, stampeded away from the staunch anti-abortion Senate candidate after he used the phrase “legitimate rape” in talking about abortion and pregnancy.

...Earlier in the day, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney condemned Akin’s original remarks. “Congressman Akin’s comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable and, frankly, wrong,” Romney said in a phone interview with the National Review Online, the second time that he has addressed the issue. “Like millions of other Americans, we found them to be offensive.”
 
OK, after seeing that ^

he may not survive, if they replace him, they could get a bounce in MO for doing the right thing.
 
A little anger at having to fight the same fights over and over again doesn't seem unreasonable to me

Nope. When you've never had to fight those fights perhaps it's more difficult to understand.

Call me the biggest man hating bitch in the world (far from the truth but it makes for good drama and supposition I suppose) but I refuse to make nice for the likes of Akin. Women wouldn't be where we are if we made nice for the likes of him, let alone anyone else of his ilk.

I hate assholes (that would be asshole men but not all men, and asshole women but not all women) and antiquated ideas and pseudo science, and I hate all of the above having anything to do with decisions about my life. Is that ok?
 
there is common ground here

we can all agree that "forcible rape" is 100 % wrong. period.

Let's all join with Akin and oppose "forcible rape".

that is the take away.

I could be wrong but I think Paul Ryan supported that bill too. I know there was some bill he cosponsored or endorsed that involved the rape being specifically defined as forcible rape.
 
I could be wrong but I think Paul Ryan supported that bill too. I know there was some bill he cosponsored or endorsed that involved the rape involved being specifically defined as forcible rape.

It was the ambiguously-titled “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" that introduced the baffling rape terminology last year. Paul Ryan supported it, so now he's being lumped into this, and rightfully so.
 
It was the ambiguously-titled “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" that introduced the baffling rape terminology last year. Paul Ryan supported it, so now he's being lumped into this, and rightfully so.


Thanks. It's just not as fringe when the VP candidate was involved in something like that.
 
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