By Monique Berduo / Staff Writer
By Monique Berduo / Staff Writer
Missouri congressman and Senate candidate, Todd Akin made a controversial statement concerning his stance on abortion for the sake of rape victims.
“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that (pregnancy) is really rare,” he said. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
According to Akin this means there is a newfound subcategory of rape known as legitimate rape.
I’m guessing that means illegitimate rape exists?
I’m curious as to how Akin would define the difference between the two, and how he could possibly deem any rape victim of having experienced “illegitimate” rape.
Akin’s idiotic statement stirred up a frenzy of reactions, mostly negative, from women’s rights activists to educated doctors who found his statement to be contradictory to medical truths.
“It undermines and belittles the horror, invasion and desecration they experienced. It makes them feel as alone and powerless as they did at the moment of rape,” said Eve Ensler, an activist, author and rape survivor.
It is obvious that Akin, who speaks so insensitively about something he will never experience, is an overwhelming sign that there is still an oppression toward women in this society.
Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, agreed that Akin’s comments were offensive and asked that he step down and exit the Senate race.
Akin has yet to and refuses to ever step down.
On the same token, Romney has no room to talk, because he’s the very man who’s not only opting to revoke contraceptives of all types, but stop government funding to all planned parenthood clinics if elected president.
In April, Romney had reiterated his statement concerning any form of contraceptives by saying as president he would move to abolish any chance of being able to do so.
At the end of the day, no matter how insulting and insensitive these men may be, they’re toying with the idea of free choice; in this case, women’s free choice.
Rape is rape, there is no way to sugar-coat, lessen or move around that fact.
Women do not choose that fate, so no man should be allowed to decide how she handles it.
In this case, no man should speak on the issue either.