the stupid, it burns

[martasfic]

According to the many memes floating around FB, Rep. Todd Atkins (R-MO) said the following:

"From what I understand from doctors, pregnancy [due to rape] is really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to try to shut that whole thing down."

I'm not linking to those memes, because of the two I've seen, one has a Planned Parenthood insignia in the corner and the other is poking fun at the Tea Party. I'll let you guess whether I'd agree with those positions. But really, this is bigger than either of those issues.

Specifically:

1. Legitimate rape? What the heck?
2. By "shut that whole thing down" I suppose Rep. Atkins means either conception or implantation. If he's right, then the morning-after pill would be redundant. Meaning that once you identify what a "legitimate" rape victim is, there should be no harm in giving her emergency contraception. Is Rep. Atkins okay with this?
3. Amazing, that female body. It can tell aggressive, legitimate-rapist sperm from date-rapist sperm to say nothing of husband sperm, and blocks out the first class like the body's white blood cells attacking a virus. Amazing!
   
   ... all of which means that the woman who did get pregnant must deserve her pregnancy somehow. (Just what she wants to hear, I'm sure.) Does this apply to non-rape situations, like where she was seduced or drunk? Does pregnancy imply guilt in those circumstances too? Just how fine-tuned is this reproductive immune system?
4. Again: legitimate rape? I can't quite get past that one.
5. Just who are these doctors? Amazing how slapping an unattributed, unspecified professional onto some statement makes it seem more reasonable. And look at the way he phrased that: the doctors don't even have to say what he claims, he just has to have understood them in that way.

I think my brain just throttled itself against my skull. Oy.

Comments

[engarian.livejournal.com]

I was appalled when I saw this clip on the news this morning. How could anyone be this ignorant. What an idiot! It makes me sad that I can't vote against him, but grateful at the same time that he's not from anywhere near me. Now if his constituents wise up and vote him out this fall.....'

- Erulisse (one L)

[gwynnyd.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's worse than that. Akin is a member of the House's Science and Technology committee. He can set policy for the following non-defense federal scientific research and development areas. Specifically, the committee has partial or complete jurisdiction over the following federal agencies: NASA, the Department of Energy, EPA, ATSDR, NSF, FAA, NOAA, National Institute of Standards and Technology, FEMA, the U.S. Fire Administration, and United States Geological Survey.

[elliska.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God!

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

THAT makes my head hurt. *goes to find the Tylenol*

[elliska.livejournal.com]

I saw this last night. It has to be one of the worst, most ignorant comments ever. Scary thing is, he is far in the lead to win re-election according to CBS news this morning.

[aearwen2.livejournal.com]

"Legitimate rape"

Anything I could say about this beyond this short post would be deemed offensive, blasphemous, and no doubt obscene. GEEZ!!

I got a link to the following just moments after I read your post. Thought I'd share...

http://www.leftaction.com/action/tell-boehner-remove-akin-science-committee

[dreamflower]

The first I heard about this was this morning,a statement that apparently he is now trying to disown what he said. I don't know how he can disown saying something so totally monumentally stupid and out of line, unless he can prove someone else had control over his mouth.

Legitimate rape as opposed to illegitimate rape, I guess?

And yeah, number 5! Sheesh! I hope this stupidity costs him the election, but I doubt it.