2016 Postmortem

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Fri Jan 11, 2013, 02:21 PM Jan 2013

A déjà vu Congress targets reproductive rights, again

Whether fulminating on rape or trying to defund Planned Parenthood, the GOP returns to its pre-election playbook

BY IRIN CARMON

Last year, Republicans spouted off on women lying about rape and our bodies shutting down pregnancy. Republican state legislators contemplated draconian abortion restrictions, and the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives kicked off the legislative session by trying to defund Planned Parenthood.

This year, only a few days into 2013, a Republican has spouted off about women lying about rape and our bodies shutting down pregnancy. States are at it again, and the House has kicked off the legislative session by trying to defund Planned Parenthood.

Happy new year, everyone: The GOP soul-searching is over, and Republicans are back to square one on reproductive rights.

Today’s congressman seeing to add his name to the illustrious rape-explaining pantheon is Georgia Republican Phil Gingrey, one of several anti-abortion gynecologists serving in the House. “Part of the reason the Dems still control the Senate is because of comments made in Missouri by Todd Akin and Indiana by Mourdock were considered a little bit over the top,” Gingrey explained at a recent breakfast.

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http://www.salon.com/2013/01/11/a_deja_vu_congress_targets_reproductive_rights_again/

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A déjà vu Congress targets reproductive rights, again (Original Post) DonViejo Jan 2013 OP

Good to see they haven't learned a damn thing. octoberlib Jan 2013 #1

Statutory rape is rape. DreamGypsy Jan 2013 #2

octoberlib

(14,971 posts)

1. Good to see they haven't learned a damn thing.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Fri Jan 11, 2013, 02:37 PM

Jan 2013

Good for the Democratic Party , I mean. What is it with these guys and rape??

DreamGypsy

(2,252 posts)

2. Statutory rape is rape.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Fri Jan 11, 2013, 02:45 PM

Jan 2013

From the article, Gingrey is quoted as saying:

But, he said, Akin had simply been misunderstood: “What he meant by legitimate rape was just look, someone can say I was raped: a scared-to-death 15-year-old that becomes impregnated by her boyfriend and then has to tell her parents, that’s pretty tough and might on some occasion say, ‘Hey, I was raped.’ That’s what he meant when he said legitimate rape versus non-legitimate rape. I don’t find anything so horrible about that.

Age of Consent in the United States (according to Wikipedia) ranges from 16 to 18. Statutory rape laws vary by state if both participants are below age of consent. However, in general, a 15 old young woman who is pregnant is a victim of statutory rape. People who do not understand this statement should not be elected to office.

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