Rep. Todd Akin had no sooner won Missouri’s GOP Senate primary this month than he seemed eager to hand over the election to incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. Akin instantly became a national sensation with a shocking statement about how “legitimate rape” rarely results in pregnancy.
When confronted on his view regarding exceptions to a ban on abortions, Akin proceeded to show how to abort a Senate campaign in record time: “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. . . 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.”
First there is the distinction between “legitimate” and “illegitimate” rape that is too twisted to contemplate. Then there is Akin’s rather bizarre view of the female body and the existence of some type of kill switch in cases of rape within every woman.
Akin is a six-term U.S. congressman who probably could have drifted to a win in Missouri. Polls showed him a heavy favorite against McCaskill who is unpopular with many in Missouri as well as Washington. Akin, 65, was backed by former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and supported by many in the Tea Party. Akin was able to secure 36 percent of the vote against businessman John G. Brunner with 30 percent and former state treasurer Sarah Steelman with 29 percent. Steelman was the favorite of Sarah Palin and many in the Tea Party. Despite the tough primary, Akin was leading McCaskill in the polls.
That changed in a flash and he succeeded in moving a state from an expected win for the GOP into the doubtful column — assuming he does not withdraw from the race. Both Romney and Ryan have publicly criticized the comment. McCaskill appears to relish the thought of becoming the second most unpopular candidate in a two-person race. She has refused to call for Akin to step down and said that it would be a radical step to replace a candidate who just won the primary. Republicans however have lined up to condemn the statements and call for Akin to withdraw from the race.
Akin’s attempt to walk back from the comments was almost as awkward — claiming that he “misspoke” about rape. Here is the statement:
“As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. 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. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve.
“I recognize that abortion, and particularly in the case of rape, is a very emotionally charged issue. But I believe deeply in the protection of all life and I do not believe that harming another innocent victim is the right course of action. I also recognize that there are those who, like my opponent, support abortion and I understand I may not have their support in this election.”
Akin does not address the medical side of the comment or even explain what he meant about legitimate rape.
“Misspoke” is a remarkably flexible term to cover any statement where, according to Merriam-Webster, you can claim that you “expressed (oneself) imperfectly or incorrectly.” Of course, there remains the cause for such misspeak. It is one thing to get a date wrong or a country wrong or even a description of some past event. Here however Akin drew a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate rape and then proceeded to offer a medical claim that is almost medieval in character.
Here is the clip showing the “misspeech”:
Given the polarized situation in Missouri, this does not necessarily mean that McCaskill will win. However, with the GOP already struggling with the female vote, this is comment is likely to be played back in an endless loop. The question is the degree of pressure from the Romney campaign to get Akin to step aside given the possible drag on the ticket in November.
Source: CNN
Jim,
Then you should find comfort in your belief that your god is, “letting things play out.” Is it not audacious of you disrupt your god’s plans?
Perhaps Akin withdrew.
Too late: His father should have!
Elaine M.
Who am I to interfere in a woman’s decision. She will have to live as will her doctor with that and stand before God one day for every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Jim,
Then let other people’s lives play out.
gbk
Understand this: As a teacher I tell my students their will be a test on Friday. Before the test I know who will pass and who will fail because I know the students. I still give the test to be fair. This is God. He knows everything but he still has let things play out.
Jim,
Have you asked those “many” conservative women how they would feel if they were pregnant and their pregnancies threatened their lives and they were not allowed to make the decision to have an abortion in order to save their lives? Which uneducated people are you speaking of–uneducated Democrats…Republicans…Independents?
Jim,
Many people do not consider the christian bible to be a source of wisdom due to its many contradictions. You need to accept this and find other ways to buttress your argument.
A case in point: you bring up the Calvinistic perspective of preordination with your reference to Jeremiah 1:4–5. So I have to ask, if all is preordained, and your god is omnipotent then might your god not have anticipated each and every abortion since creation?
Gyges,
No. Jim’s example assumes both probabilities and conjunctive events all on the assumption that silence equates to consent when it may not depending upon the circumstances.
Elaine M
How come many conservative women do not feel second class? Could it be that’s the phrase Democrats want to promote so the uneducated will believe it?
Darren,
Do you have a position on birth control pills, IUD’s, and the morning after pill?
Jim,
“These are 3 reasons why we Christians can’t and won’t budge on our stance on abortion. For if we are willing to compromise our values and beliefs then how can anyone believe what we say for we would be like the wind.”
Good thing the laws of the country are secular and don’t force anyone to have abortions then isn’t it? I mean, that way women who don’t believe what you do can have abortions, and women who do, don’t have to. It’s a win win
Gene,
“Under properly framed and factual circumstances? Maybe.”
Like the one I gave?
The issue is whether or not personhood is involved.
Rather than jump to conclusions can anybody really articulate there was a point where there was a dead part of the process? You could say that a sperm is a living organism. I don’t see how this could be contested.
If you look for a definition as to what constitutes a living organism you would be hard pressed to articulate that a blastocyst is not living.
When an abortion is performed a living organism dies. Whether or not one considers it a person or not is up for the abortion debate. One could look at the blastocyst or the underdeveloped fetus as a parasite to be removed from the body, or as a baby. I am not making a position either way other than it is a living organism. And yes, an amoeba is a living organism.
Saving the mother from life threatening pregnancy is as any other life or death issue, one organism is killed so that the other may live. It really is a matter of what society values more or detests least.
From a legal standpoint there is the notion, named something to the effect of “Negligent Birth” where the child or her regent files a damage claim in that due to negligence on behalf of the doctor, the person was born to great suffering or disability. I suspect there could be considered a converse to that where an action is taken upon behalf of the child / fetus aborted that the mother denied that fetus the right to be born. Maybe this might be brought by a father who objected to the abortion consented to by the mother.
While I agree this would be a horrible legal affair especially for the mother, but given the society we live in, I suspect is possible.
The abortion issue is certainly one that has no fully ethical singular solution.
For my view on abortion, my opinion is that nobody should be forced to have one, that is all. But in reading the majority opinion of Roe v. Wade, I am in agreement for the reasons dictated therein. I don’t see how the state can argue a compelling need to become involved in regulating the non-viable fetus. But it is still my position it still involves killing a living organism.
Jim,
“All of this rhetoric is really about nothing. The SCOTUS has ruled and until an amendment is passed or the SCOTUS reverses itself, the issue of abortion is settled. As for moving the needle to an all out assault on those of us against abortion by making it legal all the time with no restrictions is not going to happen.”
*****
Having a discussion about abortion and whether a zygote’s rights trump a pregnant’s woman’s right to life or her right to choose to have an abortion if impregnated by her rapist may seem to be “rhetoric” about “nothing”to you. I happen to disagree.
I understand the feelings of those who are anti-abortion. What I can’t abide is treating women as if they are second-class citizens, trying to pass legislation that would allow hospitals not to treat pregnant women who are experiencing a life-threatening condition, or forcing women to carry a pregnancy to term after they have been raped. Why do some people feel that a fertilized egg should have more rights than a pregnant woman? It sounds like misogyny to me.
Gyges,
Under properly framed and factual circumstances? Maybe. But as it is presented here you can argue that it is making the base rate fallacy or the conjunction fallacy, and possibly the fallacy of many questions. It’s certainly an appeal to emotion.
“While I disagree with Rep. Akin’s statement, let’s be honest and acknowledge that not all claims of rape are “legitimate”.”
Sure, not every claim of rape is true. I don’t think that was what Akin was saying however. If you read or listen to his entire statement, based on his claim about how a woman’s body “shuts it down” in cases of “legitimate” rape he seems to be equating “legitimate” rape with forcible rape. Otherwise, his statement doesn’t make any sense if you include consensual statutory rape or rape of an incapacitated woman in his category of “legitimate” rape. The implication is that anything other than forcible rape, and not just rapes where the woman is making it up, is not really rape. The more violent the rape, the more it is “legitimate” rape and conversely, the less violent the rape, the less legitimate it is seems to be the message from Akin. That seems incredibly cavalier in attitude toward any rape victim where force or the threat of force was not involved.
Psalm 139:13–16.
For You formed my inward parts:
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
Jeremiah 1:4–5
Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Psalm 51:5
This verse is frequently used to make the case for human life beginning at conception. It reads:
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
These are 3 reasons why we Christians can’t and won’t budge on our stance on abortion. For if we are willing to compromise our values and beliefs then how can anyone believe what we say for we would be like the wind.
“When a girl says she was raped but actually never said no and gave no indication that she didn’t want to but after the act regrets it and believes he should have stopped, is that legitimate rape?”
When you bring up as a hypothetical a vanishingly rare event is that a legitimate point?
shano
Agreed! But, Akin made a bad comment without thinking first. I do not believe he used the appropriate words but it is sad when it happens that we crucify the individual. This is not civil discourse and I am tired of that language only being one-sided—-the Republicans always have to apologize while the Democrats get a free pass. Actually we should be willing to forgive
and move on As Christ has forgiven all of us.
Interview with Tim Russert on NBC News’ “Meet the Press”
December 16, 2007
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=77749
Excerpt:
RUSSERT: Do you believe life begins at conception?
ROMNEY: I do. I believe, I believe from a, from a, a political perspective that life begins at conception. I, I don’t, I don’t pretend to know, if you will, from a theological standpoint when life begins. But…
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare.”
I’ve found the mispeaking, what he meant to say is “first of all, when I understand doctors, it is really rare.”