I don't profess to be a OB/GYN by any stretch, but I know of no mechanism that prevents a sperm from getting to the egg by some innate rejection mechanism that is triggered by rape or other violent sexual/criminal act.

 

It may rank up there with some of the dumbest things I've heard.

 

This sounds bad, but I almost feel bad for the guy. If he was trying to say what I said and what you just posted, then fine. It would not make headlines. It is making headlines because it is being played out like this guy finds some form(s) of rape as acceptable. And I sincerely doubt he subscribes to that line of thinking.

I don't even know where to start. What is the definition of "legal rape"? And there is no way a woman's body knows the difference of "legal" vs. "Illegal" rape and turns off the reproductive system.

Trying to play devil's advocate here. What I think he was attempting to say was that in cases where women are raped via penetration, women's bodies often have a way to reject the getting pregnant process.

 

I don't think there is any debate that this is what he said. The controversy is that 1.) someone actually believes this fantasy (which takes quite a bit of willful ignorance and delusion) and 2.) "legitimate rape" implies that he dismisses most of what we call rape as "illegitimate," i.e. consensual (this is not a new thing, but it is brazenly put here). This is a person who has an actual say in policymaking and votes on women's issues.

In the original link, there was a place at the bottom that showed where he had responded to change his statement. I can't get the original link to open this morning for some reason. Can anyone post the "retraction" if there is one.

I don't even know where to start. What is the definition of "legal rape"? And there is no way a woman's body knows the difference of "legal" vs. "Illegal" rape and turns off the reproductive system.

 

I believe he called it "legitimate rape" not legal rape.

I guess that I always like to be the fly in the ointment, but I've listened to the clip several times and the inflection in his voice to me merely seems to imply that "if it REALLY IS a rape," that yada, yada, yada. In other words, if its a rape and not a woman claiming rape after having had consensual sex. I don't think he was using the words "legitimate" and "rape" conjunctively. Now, as to "doctors" saying that the body can shut that down, that seems pretty far-fetched to me, but I don't think he was in any way suggesting there is such a thing as "legitimate rape."

 

The real question posed is trying to ask a politician who is opposed to abortion if there are circumstances or exceptions by which he would concede abortion should be allowed. I wish a politician would have the cahones simple to answer "no," and then on this tough issue simply say that we are going to value the life of a child over even the horrific circumstances in which the child was created, and leave it at that.

I guess that I always like to be the fly in the ointment, but I've listened to the clip several times and the inflection in his voice to me merely seems to imply that "if it REALLY IS a rape," that yada, yada, yada. In other words, if its a rape and not a woman claiming rape after having had consensual sex. I don't think he was using the words "legitimate" and "rape" conjunctively. Now, as to "doctors" saying that the body can shut that down, that seems pretty far-fetched to me, but I don't think he was in any way suggesting there is such a thing as "legitimate rape."

 

The real question posed is trying to ask a politician who is opposed to abortion if there are circumstances or exceptions by which he would concede abortion should be allowed. I wish a politician would have the cahones simple to answer "no," and then on this tough issue simply say that we are going to value the life of a child over even the horrific circumstances in which the child was created, and leave it at that.

As usual, I totally agree.

I don't think there is any debate that this is what he said. The controversy is that 1.) someone actually believes this fantasy (which takes quite a bit of willful ignorance and delusion) and 2.) "legitimate rape" implies that he dismisses most of what we call rape as "illegitimate," i.e. consensual (this is not a new thing, but it is brazenly put here). This is a person who has an actual say in policymaking and votes on women's issues.

 

In my legal experience, I would say that about half of the women claiming rape have either later retracted their claim or evidence later suggested that the rape claim was improvised. If it is not half it is certainly a significant percentage, and the issue is epidemic among the current 14-25 female age group. I know that opens up a whole new can of worms, but statistics will tell us that there are not only 5-10 women on this very board who have been raped, but 5-10 men on this board whom at one time or another have been falsely accused.

I'm amazed most of the fuss of this issue is the over the words 'legitimate rape' and not the words that 'the woman's body shuts down during rape and doesn't allow a pregnancy to occur.'

 

Like Spin said, that may be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Especially from an elected official.

In my legal experience, I would say that about half of the women claiming rape have either later retracted their claim or evidence later suggested that the rape claim was improvised. If it is not half it is certainly a significant percentage, and the issue is epidemic among the current 14-25 female age group. I know that opens up a whole new can of worms, but statistics will tell us that there are not only 5-10 women on this very board who have been raped, but 5-10 men on this board whom at one time or another have been falsely accused.

 

Those are chilling statistics.

I'm amazed most of the fuss of this issue is the over the words 'legitimate rape' and not the words that 'the woman's body shuts down during rape and doesn't allow a pregnancy to occur.'

 

Like Spin said, that may be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Especially from an elected official.

 

I guess I've been around longer than you.

 

If there's a demographic that I do expect to hear dumb things from, elected officials are pretty high on my list.

I'm amazed most of the fuss of this issue is the over the words 'legitimate rape' and not the words that 'the woman's body shuts down during rape and doesn't allow a pregnancy to occur.'

 

Like Spin said, that may be the dumbest thing I have ever heard. Especially from an elected official.

 

Given some of the things that have been posted on here over the years that's a blold claim. Politicians and ignorant statements go together.

Ok...I agree with Hearsay regarding the use of "legitimate" here. I also agree with his experiential conclusions of legitimate claims of rape vs. False claims.

 

So, my focus now is on the speakers assumptions of the functionality of the female reproductive system.

Ok...I agree with Hearsay regarding the use of "legitimate" here. I also agree with his experiential conclusions of legitimate claims of rape vs. False claims.

 

So, my focus now is on the speakers assumptions of the functionality of the female reproductive system.

You mean the "drawbridge" mechanism? It's common knowledge that when a woman is violated against her will that within her is the drawbridge that retracts the fallopian tubes and ovaries and shuts them down for business.

A good friend of mine is an anti-abortion speaker. Here is a picture of her son, whom she conceived through rape.