Senate Candidate and Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) told a local television station on Sunday that “legitimate rape” rarely produces pregnancy because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Akin cited conversations with unnamed doctors for the bizarre claim.
Twitter went batzoid. In my opinion, Kaili Joy Gray won the Intertoobz with:
Pregnancy is just a woman's way of consenting retroactively.(By the way, here's a real sciencey paper on rape related pregnancy, a brief history of politicians' use of this canard, and a history of the BAD (biased, agenda-driven) science behind it.)
While Akin issued a statement later saying he'd 'misspoken', he did not retract the claim.
Why would he? He believes it. He was also co-sponsor -- with VP candidate Paul Ryan -- of the attempt to redefine 'forcible rape'.
Akin belongs to a church called the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and hold a Masters in Divinity from its college.
A 2001 PCA report on the prospect of women serving in combat positions in the military, titled "Man's Duty to Protect Woman," states, "woman is the weaker sex and part of her weakness is the vulnerability attendant to her greatest privilege-that God has made her the 'Mother of all the living.' Men are to guard and protect her as she carries in her womb, gives birth to, and nurses her children."But there's more. Not only is he a proud Dominionist, he's linked to a batshitcrazier branch of it -- Christian Supremacists.
Yes, that was written in 2001, not 1001.
In its lengthy position papers on abortion, the PCA has made clear that what it claims are biblical prohibitions on abortion should take precedence over any other law, because of its views on the separation of church and state.
So what? you're thinking. The US is full of religious nuts.
Thing is, we got 'em here too. Maybe not as many, but in prominent and influential positions.
Look what Dave at the Galloping Beaver wrote in 2008.
And they're still at it. In fact, one of the Astroturf groups backing Woodworth's Wank is a project of one of these gangs.
Here's their avowed mission:
The mission of ARPA Canada is to educate, equip, and encourage Reformed Christians to political action and to shine the light of God’s Word to Canada’s municipal, provincial, and federal governments.Think Woodworth's Wank is merely a typical mealy-mouthed Canadian effort to have a civilized 'discussion'?
Think again. Not only is Woody's Wank authored by a member of an older theocracy, it is enthusiastically supported by exactly the same kind of nutters as Todd Akin.
In the US, Dominionists want to redefine 'rape'. In Canada, Dominionists just want to redefine 'person'.
BONUS: Amy Davidson at the New Yorker. Excellent deconstruction.
4 comments:
Oh, and apologies for my language. I watched all 5 seasons of The Wire over the past week and it definitely influenced my already well-established potty mouth!
I wouldn't chastise for the language myself. If anything, I'd give you a 21 gun salute. I would have said the same things myself, considering the ideological mess we have with the DeceptiCons.
I go away to deal with a real life summer schedule and it just gets nucking more futs down south with every passing week.
Every nucking (and you know, the Three Stooges snide humour sound fits here too, given the players in Harper's government) story that happens in the US and gets airplay will resonate up here over our handy cable stations.
Physicians, scientists of all stripes; the STEM and arts communities are learning how to work into the media. Couldn't happen to a nicer Harper and all his little socon flying monkeys.
Just to prove that the only mispoke is the one they're trying to jam between the gears of wimminz rights, here's US Rep. Steve King backing his pal Akin's play with his expert opinion.
arguing from incredulity
They going to have him resign/quit too?
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