You know that I generally try to avoid politics, religion, and talk of money on my blog: I want this to be a place where people feel comfortable reading about cats, running, music, and whatnot. But I just wanted to vent for a few minutes, and if you have an issue with that, well, then, I leave you HERE with this picture, and I honestly don’t really care if you have an issue with that, because I feel like this is a very important subject.
Yes, I’m talking about Todd Akin’s remarks about "legitimate rape." I was under the impression that there was just one kind of rape: the sort where a woman is forced to have sex against her will. But evidently I was wrong. There are all kinds—legitimate rape (the worst, I guess)…and then what? He didn’t really clarify. I mean, honestly, the whole thing is so awful to contemplate—to think that women are being told IF they get pregnant after a rape that obviously they wanted it to happen…
I just can’t wrap my head around it the idea that these men who are running our country think they can differentiate between forms of rape. I’m pretty sure that if the basic definition of rape is there, it’s JUST AS AWFUL no matter what. I’d like to think we can all agree that nobody should have to participate in a sex act that they don’t want to, but evidently we as a society cannot do that.
This is why so many women don’t report rapes—they are afraid no one will believe them, or that it was their fault, or they are ashamed or scared, or many other reasons…we should be making it easier for women to report rapes and sexual assaults, not harder!
And that’s what is just so upsetting about this. That not everybody agrees that rape is wrong in all forms. Then again, marital rape wasn’t a crime at all in the United States until the 1970’s, and that even today it carries a lower sentence than other forms of rape.
What’s most frightening about all of this is that this "man", Akin, is running for Senator in my home state of Missouri. And that he was projected to win until he "misspoke."
This will likely be one of the few political blog entries I’ll write. Let me just encourage you all to vote. Are you registered to vote? This election in November is very important. Let us move forward as a society, not backwards. Let’s continue to work towards equality for all people, including equality between men and women.
I’m so glad you wrote this! I’ve been so disgusted and outraged about this since he “misspoke” because I live in Missouri, am a female and can’t stand to listen to middle aged, rich, white men continue to talk about what is best for the rest of this country.
Thank you for speaking out!
And I look forward to many more posts about food, running and kitty cats… 🙂
Yeah, he’s a Jackass, with a capital J. He probably got started talking and just didn’t know when to shut up. He isn’t female so he just doesn’t “get” how horrifying rape is. Just like domestic violence, which is also usually against women. Just try proving that someone put a fist up against your face threatening you when no one else saw it, or the under-his-breath-so-the-kids-don’t-hear-him-calling-you-a-whore times. I lived it, so I kinow.