In the current storm swirling about Missouri Republican senatorial nominee Todd Akin, pundits from all sides have been focusing on his outrageous and offensive use of the term "legitimate rape." Even in his retractions, the man has been unable to hide his misogyny, re-phrasing, "I meant forcible rape." As opposed to what? Welcome rape? Accidental rape? Rape is rape. It's a violent sexual crime. I hope the controversy catapults incumbent Senator McCaskill to victory in November.
As the controversy builds momentum, what I feel to be the most concerning part of Akin's comments seems to have slid off the radar. Akin full statement was, "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
Let's deconstruct the temple of ignorance represented by this second phrase:
"...the female body has ways..."
You know, that grand mystery of biology called the female body. It has secret ways that started back when Eve ate the apple.
"...shut that whole thing down..."
For a man who believes that life begins at conception, he's a bit casual with his language isn't he? "That whole thing" would be a fertilized ovum implanting itself in a uterus, or in Akin's world, a citizen with unalienable rights.
And just how how does this secret process of "shutting it down" work? Does he think women secrete RU-486 (the morning-after pill) naturally at-will? If they did, I am sure people like Akin would have figured out how to outlaw it.
The bottom line here is that anti-choice, anti-women politicians like Akin operate from absolute ignorance. Akin is not just ignorant about the what language to use when describing sexual assault. He is ignorant about the basics of human biology.
I hope the voters of Missouri make sure he is never in the position to legislate his ignorance.
This is exactly what I keep losing my mind about! Even in his "retraction" he's apologizing for the comment about rape without even acknowledging the fact that he knows absolutely nothing about human biology!!
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