Legitidiot

In what has surely become "The shit heard round the world,"  another GOP soldier in the war on women's reproductive rights has thrown another grenade of verbal diarrhea.

And the shrapnel has splattered far and wide.

Missouri Republican Rep. Todd Akin, appeared on KTVI in an interview ahead of his election face off with incumbent Claire McCaskill (D).  When asked his views on whether abortion in the case of pregnancy from rape should be legal, Akin offered up this buttnugget:

"First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare.  If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

He added: "But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. You know I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."

Wow.  Just wow.

If ever there was a poster child for just what a man doesn't know about female reproduction, this asshat is it.  And what is truly frightening is that he is an elected leader, capable of bringing this idiocy, lack of intellect, and dismissive attitude to the governance of our nation.

Let's just start with "First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare."  

How about you name your sources Akin?  I want the doctor who is going to back that statement to proudly come to a microphone and stand beside you.  Female conception has to do with CYCLES, not some bodily aversion to attack.

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

A "legitimate rape."  Oh, please do expound, Todd.  You mean the kind when the woman is beaten to a pulp, has copious amounts of the shredded skin of her attacker under her fingernails?  Ooo!  Better yet, you mean DEAD?  Because in terms of "shutting that whole thing down" death is the only way that's happening.  Being dead is a 100% surefire, natural contraceptive.

But let's go back to basics, shall we?

The typical woman's body releases an egg once a month.  Nothing hard and fast here, but in a textbook world, typically two weeks before her period.   It travels along to the fallopian tube where it waits patiently - roughly 24 hours - for a sperm to swim along and fertilize it.  If no sperm comes along, it continues in its travels to the uterus where it basically disintegrates, and the uterine environment which has been set in place by the release of the egg, realizes it won't be needed that month, and a period comes along to clean it all out.  (See large display of tampons and pads at your local Walmart.)

THAT is how it works, Todd.

We women don't have some magical ability to circumvent the process.  (And DGMS on your brethren Santorum's assertion that rape pregnancies are "gifts from God.")  We don't "get the vapors" and have our body shut down the biological process out of fear, stress, or violent intrusion.  Believe me, if we had that kind of Harry Potter ability this whole abortion debate would be moot because we would be in complete control of our reproduction and no ill timed or unwanted pregnancies would ever occur.

Yes, yes, yes, I know that idea screws with your side's belief that women view abortion the way they view a new pair of shoes - just something you can get for fun.  But it is the truth.

"But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something."

Oh, let's do, Todd.  Let's assume some female is brutalized in a park, her home, on a date.  Perhaps she is 12 years old and raped in her bedroom by her father.  Maybe she is gang raped by a bunch of boys in a locker room.  Or she is estranged from her husband and he attacks her because "she's his."  And that "maybe it didn't work or something."

You mean, like the 12 year old didn't yet get the memo about her cray cray ability to "shut that whole thing down"?  Or the woman was unconscious and couldn't roll the 84 sided dice of fate and summon a Level 5 Ice Dragon to her ovaries?  Or maybe she was restrained and couldn't reach her magic wand? 

OR MAYBE IT WAS JUST THAT PARTICULAR TIME IN HER CYCLE WHEN AN EGG WAS WAITING IN HER FALLOPIAN TUBE.

It is stunning to me that we are in the year 2012 and neanderthals still run freely among us.

Todd Akin's remarks are offensive, yes, but they also need to be seen for what they really are:  Ignorance in governance (he is a 6 term congressman), and the continued slippery slope the GOP is pushing women down.  Their assault on access to birth control, forced transvaginal ultrasounds, pledge to get rid of Planned Parenthood, and vow to overturn Roe v. Wade.

You know, it is easy to expound this kind of bullshit rhetoric and take hypothetical stances when you know it doesn't touch your life even remotely.  Todd, when was the last time you worried about becoming pregnant?

Oh, that's right - YOU HAVE NO OVARIES.

But I bet you have a special little bottle of blue pills in your pocket.  Covered by insurance.  Because God forbid the old cooters of this country can't continue to get it up into their 90s.  Seems to me that Viagra is just as much against God's will as is your belief that abortion is.  If your pecker stops working, perhaps God is sending you a message that playtime is over.

Of course, in the face of public outrage over his insensitive, ignorant, bloviating remarks, he has done the predictable political twostep.  Say something offensive (or flat out lie), then release a statement that he "misspoke."

This comes today:  "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."

Off-the-cuff?  No, no, no - you quoted "doctors" who have informed you of how this whole thing works.  You made your position clear.  And you demeaned anyone who has ever been the victim of a rape. 

(Kind of like your remark last year that "at the heart of liberalism really is a hatred for God."  You walked that back, too, in a nonapology apology - but your real feelings were out there already.  For the record, I am a liberal, I do not hate God.  I hate anyone who works to insert religion into governance over an electorate of individuals who are guaranteed by their founding documents to NOT be subject to religious governance.)

And as for your assertion that, "You know I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child" - it is NOT YOUR CHOICE TO MAKE.

A woman does not CHOOSE to be raped and become pregnant by her attacker.  And if she chooses to abort, that is a legal, personal choice she can make.

Just as it is a legal, personal choice EVERY woman should be able to make.

STOP.  STOP making it sound like all women are whores because we use birth control (seriously, just WHO are we having sex with, Todd?  MEN.)  STOP insinuating that a women decides on an abortion as easily as she chooses a packet of gum. And STOP catering to the religious base with this utter and complete bullshit.  Make no mistake - Religious people get raped.  Religious people use birth control.  And religious people avail themselves of abortions.

54% of rapes go unpreported.  Gee, couldn't have anything to do with the shame you bring on the victims, would it, Todd?  You know, how we women all secretly want it, want it bad?

The latest available statistics indicate a woman is raped every 2 minutes in this country.  Every.  Two.  Minutes.  207,764 is the estimate per year - and that is only those over 12.  Let's not even think about those nasty little 3 year olds enticing their rapists.

97% of rapists will never spend a day in jail.  So much for your big balled punishment system.

Your remarks are heinous, Todd.  They reek of profound, willful ignorance.  YOU reek of profound, willful ignorance.

You have 6 children, Congressman.  A couple of them are daughters.  I hope they never are held down against their will, and violated so violently.

But then, I'm certain they won't become pregnant.  Surely you and your "doctors" have educated them on their magical powers, right?

Shitbag.

Comments

[Katy]

OMG! I knew as soon as I read this headline news, there would be an awesome post here at DGMS!! Amen! You said it all and so well! Love you!!

[Pat]

I have been reading a lot of dystopian novels lately, and a few of them sound like the US in 40 years - people completely and totally controlled by government, prescribed as to what they can and can't do,'matched' with a partner by the government, assigned 'classes' by the government.

Completely scary when the headlines of today mirror what the books are 'fictionalizing' about the future.

[Linda S to Katy]

Thanks, Katy. It's one of those where I felt sorry for my keyboard. (Typing really hard and fast.)

[MPolo]

This rube should not be allowed to comment on or advocate Laws regarding women's reproductive rights, when it's blatantly obvious he hasn't even passed a standard 8th grade health class.

[Bel]

I truly hope that the good people of Missouri let him know loud and clear with their votes that they don't want an idiot to lead them. And he is not "Smarter than a Fifth Grader" since my 10 year old knows more about reproduction than he does.

[Chicky]

I knew you'd post about this too. I was going to chime in with some smack about his bad comb-over choking the life out of his brain cells, but he is not worth my time or my consideration. Then I thought about being outraged at the thought of rape - ANY RAPE - as being called legimate or not legimate.

It astounds me that these are the men that are leading our country and that their true values and views have not come out before now...but more than anything, what boggles my mind,is that 54% of voting American's are women. How in the hell did this neanderthal - not to mention the Bachman's of Minnesota and the Palin's of Alaska - and their antiquated ideas get past the women of this country?

Time to take back our country ladies - enough is enough.

[Debbie0116]

I could almost hear the pounding on the keyboard from here...
Perfectly put, my friend :)

[Katy]

now i just read that he claims that he meant to say "forcible" rape, not legitimate. So, does he still think that woman can stop a pregnacy from occuring if it's forcible rape? And forcible as opposed to WHAT??! And he's brushing it off as, "I'm not the first to suffer from foot in mouth decease." I'd like to give him foot up the ASS discease!!

[Katy]

Ha! now I'm typing hard and fast and misspeled (misspoke?) should have been disease, not decease, although that might be better for us all in his case...

:-D

[Katy]

*misspelled. :-(

[Robin in NM]

Let's start (and keep) pressing him about his medical source. Was he told this by his wife's doctor? By his own doctor? By a professor at a medical school? He "mis-spoke" 'legitimate' for 'forceable' But I think most women would be very interested in knowing what truely ignorant doctor they shuold avoid!

[Rudy]

Embarrassed to be a man....hard to believe someone could be so stupid, but the good news is in this coming election cycle the choices are totally clear.

[Paul Klemme]

Took the words right out of my fingers, Rudy -- today I am embarrassed for my whole gender. There is no defense for what this man said, and there is no recourse but to hope that Missouri returns him to private citizenship where he belongs. Rise up, Missouri women, and show us that the "show-me" state has seen this non-excuse of a man for what he really is, as Linda said -- "shitbag."

[Nikki in NYC]

Watch this douchebag get re-elected, too. I hope his wife gave him what for when he got home. It's astonishing that any man can be this stupid. This ignorant. And still walk upright and not have a big sloped forehead.

[Chicky]

I am copying and pasting the following from Huffpo this morning - it moved me to tears...

Dear Todd Akin,

I am writing to you tonight about rape. It is 2 AM and I am unable to sleep here in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I am in Bukavu at the City of Joy to serve and support and work with hundreds, thousands of women who have been raped and violated and tortured from this ceaseless war for minerals fought on their bodies.

I am in Congo but I could be writing this from anywhere in the United States, South Africa, Britain, Egypt, India, Philippines, most college campuses in America. I could be writing from any city or town or village where over half a billion women on the planet are raped in their lifetime.

Mr. Akin, your words have kept me awake.

As a rape survivor, I am reeling from your recent statement where you said you misspoke when you said that women do not get pregnant from legitimate rape, and that you were speaking "off the cuff."

Clarification. You didn't make some glib throw away remark. You made a very specific ignorant statement clearly indicating you have no awareness of what it means to be raped. And not a casual statement, but one made with the intention of legislating the experience of women who have been raped. Perhaps more terrifying: it was a window into the psyche of the GOP.

You used the expression "legitimate" rape as if to imply there were such a thing as "illegitimate" rape. Let me try to explain to you what that does to the minds, hearts and souls of the millions of women on this planet who experience rape. It is a form of re-rape. The underlying assumption of your statement is that women and their experiences are not to be trusted. That their understanding of rape must be qualified by some higher, wiser authority. It delegitimizes and undermines and belittles the horror, invasion, desecration they experienced. It makes them feel as alone and powerless as they did at the moment of rape.

When you, Paul Ryan and 225 of your fellow co-sponsors play with words around rape suggesting only "forcible" rape be treated seriously as if all rapes weren't forcible, it brings back a flood of memories of the way the rapists played with us in the act of being raped -- intimidating us, threatening us,muting us. Your playing with words like "forcible" and "legitimate" is playing with our souls which have been shattered by unwanted penises shoving into us, ripping our flesh, our vaginas, our consciousness, our confidence, our pride, our futures.

Now you want to say that you misspoke when you said that a legitimate rape couldn't get us pregnant. Did you honestly believe that rape sperm is different than love sperm, that some mysterious religious process occurs and rape sperm self-destructs due to its evilcontent? Or, were you implying that women and their bodies are somehow responsible for rejecting legitimate rape sperm, once again putting the onus on us? It would seem you were saying that getting pregnant after a rape would indicate it was not a "legitimate" rape.

Here's what I want you to do. I want you to close your eyes and imagine that you are on your bed or up against a wall or locked in a small suffocating space. Imagine being tied up there and imagine some aggressive, indifferent, insane stranger friend or relative ripping off your clothes and entering your body -- the most personal, sacred, private part of your body -- and violently, hatefully forcing themself into you so that you are ripped apart. Then imagine that stranger's sperm shooting into you and filling you and you can't get it out. It is growing something in you. Imagine you have no idea what that life will even consist of, spiritually made in hate, not knowing the mental or health background of the rapist.

Then imagine a person comes along, a person who has never had that experience of rape, and that person tells you, you have no choice but to keep that product of rape growing in you against your will and when it is born it has the face of your rapist, the face of the person who has essentially destroyed your being and you will have to look at the face every day of your life and you will be judged harshly if you cannot love that face.

I don't know if you can imagine any of this (leadership actually requires this kind of compassion), but if you are willing to go to the depth of this darkness, you will quickly understand that there is NO ONE WHO CAN MAKE THAT CHOICE to have or not have the baby, but the person carrying that baby herself.

I have spent much time with mothers who have given birth to children who are the product of rape. I have watched how tortured they are wrestling with their hate and anger, trying not to project that onto their child.

I am asking you and the GOP to get out of my body, out of my vagina, my womb, to get out of all of our bodies. These are not your decisions to make. These are not your words to define.

Why don't you spend your time ending rape rather than redefining it? Spend your energy going after those perpetrators who so easily destroy women rather than parsing out manipulative language that minimizes their destruction.

And by the way you've just given millions of women a very good reason to make sure you never get elected again, and an insanely good reason to rise.

#ReasonToRise

Eve Ensler
Bukavu, Congo

[Linda to Chicky]

Eve Ensler is an amazing woman/writer. If you have never had a chance to see The Vagina Monologues and the opportunity comes along, GO.

[Chrissy]

Funny how so many Republicans are calling on this idiot to drop out of the Senate race because his comments were so indefensible but no one is calling for him to leave his Congressional seat. It's okay to hold these beliefs but for God's sake, don't talk about them out loud! It might cost them a Senate seat.

[Katy]

OK, I read AND listened to this guy's apology, but he's yet to comment on his ignorant remark about women having some jedi mind trick ability to stop a pregnancy. Any woman who would vote for this man after the comments he made, should be stoned. (well, or smack hard up side the head!)
And I read today that the Republican party is pushing legislation to make having an abortion illegal, even IF the pregnancy is a result of rape. It was all I could take. I just filled out a form to change my party affiliation from Republican to "NONE." (side note to all: I had NO intentions of voting for Mitt Romney, but just hadn't cared enough before to change my party on my voter's registration till now)

[Linda S to Katy]

His "apology" comes in the face of an onslaught of bad press for him. He has condensed it down to "one word" being wrong (I am quoting him.)

It's not ONE WORD. It is an entire mindset that makes people like him think they have any right legislating the most private parts of my body and my most private decision making.

He is only sorry he got slammed in the press, not sorry for his ignorance of biology, certainly not sorry for his help in crafting the heinous bills designed to strip women of their rights.

He is a shitbag, as are ALL men and women who support him and his ilk.