The GOP on Rape, Abortion, and the American Taxpayer

           Well Folks, this is about as bad as it gets. Just about everything mentioned in this piece of propaganda is factually false, but in a feeble attempt to keep my composure, I'll try to explain every element of this poster piece-by-piece so that we can better understand the reality of this issue.

         What this poster is basically trying to say to the sheeple masses is this: "If you vote for the Republican Party, bad BAD things will happen... especially if you're a raped woman who's pregnant!" It uses poor imagery, scare tactics, and completely falsified statements to support this message. Notice how they drew fangs protruding from Paul Ryan's mouth. Really? As if suggesting the presence of a mythical monster isn't evident enough of Liberal fantasies; the artists (if you could call them that) of this meme somehow believed the white triangles plastered on Ryan's upper lip would somehow invoke a sense of terror or animosity from its Liberal viewers. Talk about paternalization. If the GOP really wanted to take part in this kind of propaganda, they would have only needed to display an honest, non-photoshopped image of Nancy Pelosi; white triangles not included. Or maybe I'm completely wrong in my line of thinking. Perhaps it's just a big joke that's supposed to be funny somehow; only no one is laughing. Not even Liberals. Either way, if the Liberals really represented a noble cause, they wouldn't feel the need to post this kind of crap all over the place. So, let's get to work on breaking this down, shall we?

          First we see three photographs of Paul Ryan and Todd Akin. The whole idea behind this poster is a result of comments made by Todd Akin, who is currently under intense scrutiny by both the Conservative and Liberal masses. The comments Akin made were regarding cases of rape and abortion services for rape victims. The primary elements to Akin's comments boil down to 3 simple statements: 1) It is rare for pregnancy to occur as a result of rape. 2) Women have some sort of biological mechanism to prevent pregnancy after a "legitimate rape" occurs and 3) The focus of punishment should be placed on the rapist and not on the child conceived through the rapist's actions. We really can't argue the fact that Todd Akin communicated his stance in a way that is just... atrocious; resulting in a political blight on the Republican Party...as expected. But anyway, let's take a closer look at these comments...

Akin Comment #1 - It is rare for pregnancy to occur as a result of rape. In an effort to be as politically fair as I can, I'll use a source that is usually not in favor of Conservatives; The New York Times. The NY Times published a story about this matter and even went on to find data to support this claim made by Akin. What The NY Times found (per findings of The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology) was that approximately 5% of reported rapes result in pregnancy. Here's another statement using the same data: Approximately 95% of all reported rapes do not result in pregnancy. I'd say that pregnancy as a result of rape is a pretty rare occurrence, assuming one were to take this information into consideration. If someone contracted a deadly illness and the doctor told them they had a 5% chance of survival, I'd say their chances aren't too promising. What Akin said here was indeed, true and he deserves no criticism for it. With that said...moving on.

Akin Comment #2 - Women have some sort of biological mechanism to prevent pregnancy after a "legitimate rape." I never thought it was possible for a simple remark to send my Cheerios through my sinus passages and out my nostrils, but it did indeed happen upon hearing Akin make this remark. It was this statement that forced the previous comment out of everyone's consciousness as people frantically started to check their own vital signs (including me). To say that women can biologically shut their reproductive organs down, at will, is about the most ludicrous statement anyone has ever heard and that applies to both Conservatives and Liberals. It is this remark that, I believe, is most responsible for the smear attacks against Akin and the Republican Party's "war on women." Yes, that's what Liberals are saying about the GOP now, in case anyone is actually surprised. The other half of this comment: "legitimate rape." There are all kinds of debates surrounding the use of these words and most of it is angry mumbo-jumbo from both sides of the political spectrum. There is no official definition for "legitimate rape," but there is a legal definition for the term "forcible rape," which is probably what Akin meant to say during his interview. There's no way of knowing that for sure, however. I'll touch more upon the definition of forcible rape later.

Akin Comment #3 - The focus of punishment should be placed on the rapist and not on the child conceived through the rapist's actions. I think most people missed this part of the interview as they were still reeling, heaving, and defibrillating from the previous comment, but I happen to agree with Akin here. My agreement is purely out of subjectivity, however. What I take from this message is that Akin feels an unborn child should not be aborted on the basis of being a product of rape. It is perfectly okay for one to feel this way. It's his opinion; his personal belief. There's nothing wrong with having either. On the other hand, it does seem unconstitutional to force anyone in either direction based solely off one's personal beliefs. Despite the political firestorm that has engulfed everything that is Todd Akin, he later did apologize for his remarks. To me, that demonstrates a strong sense of humility and character. The American people should willingly accept his apology and move on.

          It's no surprise other major GOP figures would somehow make their way into this debate, even though it was Todd Akin (and Todd Akin alone) who made these highly controversial comments. The only way Paul Ryan is somehow involved in this matter revolves around H.R. 3 - No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act; a bill in which Paul Ryan and Todd Akin are co-sponsors (along with 11 House Democrat Representatives, if I may add). The bill passed through the House in May, 2011. 235 House Republican Reps and 16 Democrat Reps voted in favor of this bill and 175 Democrat Reps did not. The Liberals decided it was better to invest their time spatting on about the GOP's "war on women" and constructing mindless, political memes like the one shown above. Perhaps they could have invested just a few minutes into actually reading the contents of the bill. It's only 14 pages, after all. So, in an effort to arm myself with knowledge, I decided to read the bill and see exactly what it has to say. The bill basically states in Sections 301 - 304 that if a woman wants to have an abortion, it should not be the responsibility of the taxpayers to pay for it. No surprises there. The title of the bill alone could have told anyone that. Section 309 is where things started to get interesting, however. Section 309, parts (1) and (2) of the bill states the following:

 ‘SEC. 309. TREATMENT OF ABORTIONS RELATED TO RAPE, INCEST, OR PRESERVING THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.

‘The limitations established in sections 301, 302, 303, and 304 shall not apply to an abortion--

(1) if the pregnancy occurred because the pregnant female was the subject of an act of  forcible rape or, if a minor, an act of incest; or

(2) in the case where the pregnant female suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the pregnant female in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself. 

          So, there you have it. Abortion operations, as a result of pregnancy incurred from forcible rape, incest, or life-endangering physical conditions as a direct result of pregnancy, WILL be provided and paid for at taxpayer's expense for any woman under said circumstances. Allow me to add there is absolutely nothing in this bill that is, in any way, making abortions illegal. It's simply stating that abortions will not be paid for by the U.S. Government UNLESS the pregnancy falls under one of the two categories listed above. I'd say that's about as much of a compromise between the two parties as one could get. Now, let's talk more about the big buzzword here: forcible rape. Upon reading the legal definition, it seems pretty clear as it covers just about every rape-related circumstances one could think of. Here's a list of all the different rape circumstances that I am aware of.

• Date Rape - No lawful consent; definition applies. 
• Date Rape with Roofies? - You can't consent to sex if you're not conscious; definition applies. 
• Gang Rape - No lawful consent; definition applies.
• Marital Rape - Still no lawful consent; definition applies.
• Incest Rape - Still no lawful consent; definition applies. 
• Child Sexual Abuse - Below age of consent = Child cannot legally consent to sex; definition applies.
• Prison Rape - It certainly is possible for a female CO to be raped by an inmate(s); definition applies.
• Acquaintance Rape - No lawful consent; definition applies. 
• War Rape - It certainly is possible for female military personnel to get captured and raped by enemy combatants; definition applies.
• Statutory Rape - Below age of consent = Minor cannot legally consent to sex; definition applies.

       I can't think of any others right now, but I'll add more if, and when I do. The only fuzzy part about this bill is it didn't mention whether or not a police report and medical examination is required if one claims pregnancy as a result of rape. It would be awfully easy to get abortions courtesy of the tax payers if one did not have to provide any evidence that a rape actually took place. Perhaps this is what Akin meant by "legitimate rape" after all.

So let's go back to this poster again and see exactly what truths we determined (Snopes style!) with the given information.

• 2011 - Paul Ryan and Todd Akin co-sponsored an "anti-abortion" bill that included the term "forcible rape." - False.
• For accuracy, here's how this message should be worded: "Paul Ryan and Todd Akin co-sponsored an abortion-related bill that included the term "forcible rape." It's not anti-abortion, it's anti-tax-payers-being-required-to-pay-for-abortions; minus a few exceptions. There's a considerable difference.
• Today, Akin used the term "legitimate rape." - True.
• Akin did use the term "legitimate rape" during his interview regarding rape and abortion. So what? 
• Ryan opposes abortion even in cases of rape. - False.
• Sec. 309 Parts (1) & (2) of H.R. 3 - No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act clearly states otherwise.
• Romney knowingly chose a running-mate who would use the government to enforce laws that would force a woman to give birth to a rapist's child against her will. - False.
• H.R. 3 does not, in any way, make abortion illegal, it simply states the tax payers should not be required to cover abortion costs under normal circumstances.
• Fact: Ryan opposes abortion in cases of rape. - False and a flat-out LIE.
• Just because a statement starts with the word "FACT" in all caps does not mean it is one. Sec. 309 Parts (1) & (2) of H.R. 3 - No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act clearly falsifies this statement. Do I really need to repeat that again?

In conclusion...Liberal idiocy.

Thank you for reading...and God Bless

- JSR