It’s Tuesday, so that means I’m over at Feel More Better, but today I couldn’t muster up something funny. In the wake of yesterday’s comments by Rep. Akin and the resulting discussions of what rape is and isn’t and what it can and can’t do, I find myself realizing things about the world (and myself) that I wish were different.
So really, I owe Akin a thanks for this rape epiphany, I guess. (Not that I can quite bring myself to thank him without my tongue lodged firmly in my cheek, on account of he’s a jerk.)
I can’t think of a time where I’ve been more horrified by a politicians remarks. UN-F-ING REAL.
Oh, it gets better in MO – I’m in neighboring IL. http://wizbangblog.com/2012/08/20/concern-troll-claire-mccaskill-still-supports-her-handpicked-opponent-todd-akin/
She disagrees with his statement though…*eyeroll*
I am a rape/incest survivor. What he said demeaned and unqualified everything I’ve lived through. It invalidates my experiences. I don’t have physical scars nor did I become pregnant, so according to his logic I was not legitimately raped.
I realize the forum here isn’t one to be discussing the “secret lives” of rape victims or survivors, but I need to state that Rep. Akin holds to old school thinking where it is always the victim’s fault. It appears that he believes that good girls don’t get raped only bad girls do which is the reason my mother couldn’t tell her story 40 years ago when it happened to her. His thinking is the reason I couldn’t tell my story when I was younger.
The bright side of all of this is that he caused enough controversy to put the topic of Sexual Assault into mainstream media. The outrage he is hearing from every network and his peers only boosts awareness which is how the light is going to get into those dark places. Even with his stupidity, he has caused a great thing to happen. People are talking about something important instead of Kim Kardashian’s latest exploits.
I can’t hate him because he’s making people think, for real, of how they perceive rape and the victim’s/survivors of this atrocity.
I think we’d all be shocked to find out just how many of us are survivors of sexual abuse of one flavor or another. I remember reading or hearing of some other person spouting off the same nonsense about “real rape not able to result in pregnancy”, that time from a woman. But do remember, that line of thinking falls perfectly in line with abstinence only birth control…
Bravo, honey. You’re so pretty.
Did you all see THIS?
http://gawker.com/5936386/mike-huckabee-would-like-to-remind-you-that-rape-has-created-some-extraordinary-people
I keep thinking “Haven’t we already protested this, updated our laws, and educated the public?” I guess Akin wasn’t listening.
I love the apology this morning where he talks about the word legitimate. But that was not (to me) the most offensive part. But my head is about to explode. I am really having to concentrate on putting feet in front of each other, or I would have been shrieking about this as well.
As astonishing as his comments, I try and fail, to imagine what messages he could have been getting when he was growing up.
This post on the onion made me happy:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/i-misspokewhat-i-meant-to-say-is-i-am-dumb-as-dog,29256/
It amazes me how people what to legislate about topics they know nothing about and don’t do any research to learn actual facts.
Instead of politicians spending their time and our money trying to define what rape is or isn’t and just when and if abortions should be legal, wouldn’t it be better to instead create a society where such things are extremely rare? Also: Where are all the people who are thrilled and ready to adopt all the unwanted babies we should not be having and killing?
I got chills when I read this. My sophomore year in college, there were two freshman in the room next to me who were loud and so my roommate and I decided we didn’t like them. We even put a sign with an arrow in our courtyard facing window that said as much. One of those girls got pregnant, and I don’t know her story because I never bothered to get to know her. She didn’t come back the next year, and I hope her life turned out okay.