Kansas lawmaker compares rape to auto theft

Kansas lawmakers are currently considering a law that would bar insurance providers from covering elective abortions — unless a woman pays extra for a special plan. The problem with such coverage, however, is that it forces women to "plan for a completely unexpected event." The bill "wouldn’t apply to abortions performed to save the life of a woman, or to pregnancies resulting from rape or incest." However, in the latter case, women would first be forced to file a police report:



"Rape is a deeply traumatic event," Sandy Barnett, director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, explained. "Often (victims) are afraid of law enforcement and the criminal justice system itself." Requiring women to purchase a special abortion "rider" is discriminatory, since there is no comparable extra coverage that men need to purchase. As Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) has asked, would men who support an abortion rider also support a rider for Viagra?

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/02/18/kansas-rape-auto/

:grr:

Do some people actually sit there, nod their heads and thoughtfully consider the words of these morons?

..preferably, with a car.

"Nah, no biggie, I'll just report it stolen."

Men can be raped too, you know.

like this insurance ploy, which seemed begin or gain strength in the healthcare reform debate, undercut whatever claims to a genuine moral or ethical position the anti-abortion movement claims to have. Every new tactic like this points to a far uglier motivation -- blaming and shaming and terrorizing women -- that I've long felt is the underlying impetus for a lot of the anti-abortion vehemence out there. It's as old as burning "witches" at the stake, and just as grotesque.

everytime a person doesn't report their rape, is an opening for the person to rape someone else. It is quite normal and accepted in this country that a crime that isn't reported isn't considered crime-enough, I don't see a problem with that aspect of this.

I do see a problem with only incest, life of mother, and rape being the only things covered. Elective abortions should not be considered differently than any other medical procedure.

say "report it"--but when you have police who demean, belittle, even threaten a victim, treat her as if SHE had done something wrong, it is understandable that many victims would be reluctant--and that is BEFORE the treatment they get in court, from the defense.