DEAR TODD (a most RIGHTEOUS RANT by a registered Republican woman)

[OneGrassRoot]

I am a woman, a survivor of rape, and a registered Republican. You have issued an apology for the uneducated “off the cuff” remark you made where you stated “from what I understand from doctors, pregnancy [ as a result of rape] is really rare. If it is a legitimate rape, the female body has a ways to try shut that whole thing down.” Todd, I do not accept your apology!

The problem that goes to the core of this issue is that no matter what your apology says, you and your friends have left most of your more moderate members behind and traded us in for a very extreme view.

Number one, women have the right to determine what happens to their body and to not be raped, assaulted, or molested whether that is by a rapist or an elected official who thinks they have the right to dictate what she should do. You and your friends do not want government intrusion into your lives ONLY when it suits your beliefs – period!

You and your like-minded friends, who do not agree with the Affordable Care Act yell from the roof tops that personal religious freedoms are being infringed upon because it requires women to have access to birth control. What I find so interesting is those same people have no problem creating legislation that does just that to the women of this country. For example, have you forgotten Todd that little piece of legislation that you and GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan co-sponsored a bill called “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” a bill which, among other things, introduced the country to this bizarre term “forcible rape,” as if there is some other form of rape?


FULL LETTER HERE: http://www.unitewomen.info/unite-women-blog/dear-todd/

[HopeHoops]

1. My wife's a 3rd degree black belt. My three daughters all 2nd degree. I'm not too worried.

If anyone tried to rape them, weapons or not, they'd be fully capable of killing the asshole. Rape is not something a woman invites. It never has been and never will be. And there's no "legitimate", "illegitimate", or other adjectives you can toss onto it - it is "RAPE".

[peacebird]

27. I am glad they are trained in self defense, but please make sure they understand that if they cannot

stop a rapist, it is NOT their fault.

Sometimes it is just not possible to stop a rapist. But it is never the fault of the woman.

[HopeHoops]

34. We've been through that a number of times. Open discussion is best in our opinions.

[TrogL]

40. I wouldn't rely too much on martial arts

There are lots of ways to be raped that don't require being physically overpowered eg. drugs.

[HopeHoops]

43. My wife was slipped a mickie one night. I got her out of there and dealt with her all the way home.

It wasn't pretty. And yes, that's a major problem. But in a "legitimate rape", according to Akin, the rapist might just leave the scene missing a few gonads.

[OneGrassRoot]

2. Really, you're going to want to read this. n/t

[Generic Other]

3. He proves GOP men couldn't tell the difference between a vagina and a dumbwaiter

This is what our lack of straightforward sex education has done to this country. I am surprised doctors don't examine female patients under sheets or make them point on "medical" dolls where they hurt.

Then the physician can kill a chicken and sprinkle the blood on the woman. Or have her stoned for witchcraft.

That this so-called candidate thinks he is somehow qualified to legislate about women's health issues makes me livid.

[immoderate]

4. Yikes! There are Democrats that sponsored that bill!

We should educate them.

--imm

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Yep. n/t

[femrap]

6. Great Letter..

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:29 PM - Edit history (1)

[cr8tvlde]

7. Might I suggest that it's a Mormon - Atheist ticket ... Ryan is a CINO

Don't get me wrong, a person's philosophy and/or religion does not disqualify them for our highest positions. But to think we owe any of them a Trust-Me vote, wrong.

[MNBrewer]

14. That doesn't make him an atheist

I'm pretty sure he believes in a god.

[calimary]

16. Yes indeed he does. The gods koch and norquist, and MONEY.

[cr8tvlde]

17. Hard to read his heroine, Ms. Rand,

and his effusive support and praise and evangelizing her book, and come up with a theist...of any kind? I'll stand by CINO, short of any other information...at least prior to 2 weeks or so.

Have you ... or anyone ... ever heard either he or Mitt end a speech with God Bless You and God Bless America? I could be wrong as I can't stomach them to the end, but it's just a sense I get.

[rexcat]

19. One can embrace parts of a philosphy...

and not the whole enchilada as I think Ryan has done with Ayn Rand.

Mr. Ryan is a right-wing catholic who does not believe in abortion for any reason, oral contraceptives or the IUD. Ayn Rand might have been a fruit case with respect to her political philosophy but she was definitely pro-choice and would have rejected Ryan's stance on abortion and his catholic beliefs.

You obviously are not well versed on Ayn Rand and want to denigrate the atheists of this country by stating that Paul Ryan is an atheist when it is clear that he is not.

[genxlib]

33. Cherry picker

In other words, Ryan cherry picks his Rand philosophy the same way he cherry picks his Christian philosophy. It makes for a pretty toxic stew.

[femrap]

23. L

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:32 PM - Edit history (1)

[Zalatix]

35. Ayn Rand? Appealing to the Progressive side?!!! *facepalm*

Surest thou jest.

Her motivations are anything but Progressive. It is all based on a fanatical devotion to selfishness.

If you read Atlas Shrugged you saw the selfishness in that book. And the utter madness of his 70+ page manifesto, which again glorified absolute selfishness and utterly rejected any concept of altruism.

Edit: and I forgot to add that time-honored Progressive tradition... the part in which the protagonist engaged in an act of RAPE...

[femrap]

36. h

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)

[Zalatix]

37. Ayn Rand was atheist and pro-choice because of raw selfishness.

If you really read those stories you know quite well that this is one person you do not want in your camp.

Feel free not to read me again - you'll get absolutely no purchase among progressives by trying to sell her "atheist" and "pro-choice" views. We're smart enough to know she's little more than an albatross around the necks of anyone who ties her to their wagon.

[femrap]

39. ch

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:58 PM - Edit history (1)

[Zalatix]

41. No, just Ayn Rand. Have a nice day!

[MNBrewer]

44. He claims to be a Catholic and has repudiated Rand

Who are you to say he doesn't "believe" in god?

[Taverner]

22. And what's so bad about Atheists?

[cr8tvlde]

28. Uh, nothing. Where did you get "bad"? Projecting much?

That's what she considered herself...duh.

[ecstatic]

8. Nice. Why is she still a registered republican?

at the very least, she should become independent. I hope this incident is opening the eyes of right leaning women in this country!

[OneGrassRoot]

9. Me, too. I'm spreading it far and wide. :) n/t

[femrap]

25. The

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:26 PM - Edit history (1)

.....

[cr8tvlde]

29. I was one of those Republican women who left the party when Nixon came to power.

Welcome, younger sisters.

And Ayn Rand apologists ... yes, I read her way back when ... she's a nutcase, and that's putting it mildly.

[femrap]

31. ou

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:51 PM - Edit history (1)

[cr8tvlde]

38. I didn't realize this was a discussion in comparative atheism/ethics.

I don't get your point, sorry.

Lord of the Flies was entertaining and required reading, as well, and perhaps more to the point of today's Republican Party. I wonder which character is played out by Romney/Ryan/Akin?

[femrap]

42. j

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)

[PossumSqueezins]

10. Elective Rape

Todd Akin is just trying to reduce the incidence of rape in this country by informing women that when they electively decide to get raped, there will be consequences, like childbirth. Causes of elective rape include, but are not limited to: wearing provocative clothing, wearing make-up, being coquettish, having pheromones, wearing perfume, being in a room with a man other than her husband, wearing clothing, not wearing clothing, talking, walking, being out-of-doors without an escort, and being indoors without an escort.

Todd Akin has studied rape extensively(he holds a Doctorate in Rapology from University of Phoenix) and knows from his own experience at scout camp that it is usually the victim's fault. He never wore that lavender Speedo again.

And again, for clarification, where rare instances of forcible rape do occur, the chances of pregnancy is near zero. This is due to many hormonal changes in the physiology of the rapee. In forcible rape, the victim immediately secretes a special hormone in the brain which travels to the woman's naughty area/parts and prevents pregnancy. In elective rape, the woman's guilt prevents release of this hormone and pregnancy may result. In the case of children who become pregnant from molestation, the brain is not fully developed and can not manufacture the hormone. Mr. Akins strongly recommends that young girls abstain from molestation until they are at least 18 years of age.

We owe Representative Akin our debt of gratitude for attempting to educate the American public about rape and personal responsibility.

[classof56]

13. Well said and welcome to DU. nt

[OneGrassRoot]

32. Welcome to DU! Good post...

[samsingh]

11. wtf is forceable rape? rape is rape.

[femrap]

26. b

Last edited Tue Aug 21, 2012, 07:01 PM - Edit history (1)

[magical thyme]

12. in his mind there is another kind of rape

The "she was asking for it" kind; the "she really wanted it" kind; the "she said no but really meant yes" kind; the "she's my wife/daughter/cousin, therefore I can do what I want" kind; the "well look at how she dressed" kind; and so on.

Apparently, if rape results in pregnancy, it wasn't "legitimate" rape. It was the "she was asking for it" kind. See how easy that is?

[cr8tvlde]

18. This ^^^ Well said. n/t

[mnhtnbb]

15. Nice. Posted to my fb page.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. And that is what pissed looks like!

[Wednesdays]

21. K&R

nt

[ibegurpard]

24. Good letter but I don't believe she's a Republican

If she really is she's been asleep for a long time.

[cr8tvlde]

30. Most Republicans are talking in their proverbial sleep...for decades

centuries, even. I lived amongst them...now and for decades. Most are still elucidating on the significance of tennis shoe tracks near the dinosaur digs. True story. It's painful to watch.