.
August 21st, 2012
02:00 AM ET

KTH: Rep. Akin's controversial claims

Rep. Akin's controversial remarks are not the first time a politician has made this anti-abortion claim.

 Post by:
Filed under: 2012 Election • Rep. Akin • Women's Issues • Women's Rights
soundoff (5 Responses)
  1. Mark Parr

    Forcible rape is a term that is used to distinguish between different types of rape, and not exclusively a violent rape. Statutory rape can be consensual and non-violent. Rape can be made by non-violent coercion, threats, drugs, etc. I believe abortion should be a right, whether because of rape or otherwise. But if abortion was only to be available in cases of 'forcible rape', how can abortion be denied in cases of unreported, unfounded, non-prosecuted, statutory or marital rape? When a woman becomes pregnant through rape, abortion should be her choice. Here's a case of the Republicans giving the government more power to intervene in people's lives and freedoms; the kind of unnecessary legislation that they profess to oppose.

    August 21, 2012 at 11:05 pm |
  2. Mark Parr

    In Akin's apology, he said "rape has many victims". Was he referring to all rapes or a single case of rape? Following his 'legitimate rape' gaffe, he went on to say that "punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child". It sounds like he's saying that the unborn product of rape is a victim and the abortion of the fetus is punishing the fetus. But not aborting the unwanted fetus in effect punishes the woman and makes her a victim a second time.

    August 21, 2012 at 10:23 pm |
  3. JUANITA

    Anderson regarding this abortion issue. No one ever talks about the unwanted child. Where that child goes, who takes care of that care. No one talks about foster care, who pays foster parents and if adoptive parents get subsidized if they adopt certain children. No one talks about the children without parents and they are without parents because of rape, incest, etc. Why are men talking about this?? Looking forward for New Years Eve with you and Kathy!!!

    August 21, 2012 at 8:27 pm |
  4. Ed Ledford

    Anderson – finally, you get to the point none have really made in regards to Rep. Akin's controversial claim – that is, the implication that women who are pregnant after rape are somehow partly guilty for becoming pregnant: that's a medical issue, and Akin's fable has been debunked loudly and clearly. Still, we are not getting the other, perhaps more scary issue: Akin and others like him – those ill-informed and aligned with mythology and fable: they are making policies, or attempting to make policy, based upon their own backward looking, mis-informed beliefs, not necessarily facts, and they'd rather not, frankly, have their extreme positions upset by scientific fact, whether that regards abortion, gender equality (in the military), homosexuality (in the military and beyond), global warming . . . scientific fact has no place in a conservative "debate."

    August 21, 2012 at 8:15 pm |
  5. L.Ford

    I don't know this Akin guy, but it is obvious he made a mistake and made a statement about something he has NO clue about.Having said that, I don't think his career should be over.

    August 21, 2012 at 4:31 pm |
« Back to main

Team AC360°