Who was it who said that the only time politicians tell the truth (as they see it) it's called a "gaffe"?
In a television interview, Republican Representative (and Missouri U.S. Senate candidate) Todd Akin claimed that women could not get pregnant from "legitimate rape." Ignoring the bizarre concept of "illegitimate rape" that he implied, this reminded me of the time that Dan Quayle (when he was Veep or pre-Veep?) suggesting that a D&C (a gynecological procedure) could provide an alternative to abortion. It seems to me that these anti-abortion types don't want to face the real-world implications of their punitive measures. Akin seems to have said that if it's a "real" rape, the woman's body automatically solves the problem, so abortions aren't needed. (He must have been reading OUR BODIES, OURSELVES -- not!) Thus his opposition to abortion rights doesn't have a negative impact on women. (On the other hand, is he saying that in the case of roofie-powered rape or rape within marriage, rape is totally copacetic? so abortion _should_ be banned?) Quayle seemed to be saying that if he did a little slap and tickle with his not-his-wife debutante and she got pregnant, it would be easy to fix, with no abortion needed (even though a D&C is the most commonly used surgical procedure for abortions). Again, an abortion ban doesn't hurt women (unless they stupidly delay the D&C or can't afford one, I guess). There's always an out... -- Jim Devine / If you're going to support the lesser of two evils, you should at least know the nature of that evil. _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
