FourFreedomsBlog - Rape is NOT a Form of Conception.

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Rape is NOT a Form of Conception.
Author: Raine Date: 08/27/2012 16:24:03

Last week, I wrote a heartfelt piece about rape and women. It was difficult and somewhat liberating, surprisingly.

The thing is, you know people who have been raped. They may not be telling you for whatever reason they choose. The least of these reasons should be shame. I don't want people to be told that what happened to them really didn't happen. That is cruel. It also can be deadly.

I resent the Republican party for trying to erase my history and the history of every woman that has ever been raped. How we choose to go forward should be our choice, not defined by a radical ideology that I would call rape deniers. Don't let them do that to us.

Since Thursday, women have unfortunately seen an even uglier side to the views held by people in the Republican party. I cannot in good conscience let this go. I didn't want to write about rape for a second time in a week, but I have to.

VP Candidate Paul Ryan said of Todd Akin's comments:

REPORTER: ...Specifically where you stand when it comes to rape, and when it comes to the issue of should it be legal for a woman to be able to get an abortion if she's raped.

RYAN: I'm very proud of my pro-life record, and I've always adopted the idea that, the position that the method of conception doesn't change the definition of life. But let's remember, I'm joining the Romney-Ryan ticket. And the president makes policy. And the president, in this case the future President Mitt Romney, has exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother, which is a vast improvement of where we are right now.

Steven Benen writes:

In this case, when Ryan says "the method of conception" is irrelevant, he's talking about rape. In other words, the Republicans' vice presidential nominee clearly believes the government should force women to take their pregnancy to term if they are impregnated by a rapist. Republicans can only distance themselves so much from Todd Akin before we realize they share his views.

There is no parsing this when it comes to Paul Ryan's position on abortion: rape is just a form of conception.

Let me make this clear as I can: Rape is not a form of conception. Rape is an act of violence. Rape is a crime. Rape is not about sex. Rape is an abusive act of power to belittle, dehumanize and humiliate the victim. It is always ALWAYS wrong. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Conception is a devastating AFTER-effect of rape. Here are some other after-effects:

The Acute Stage
This stage occurs immediately after the assault. It may last a few days to several weeks. During this stage the victim may:
• seem agitated or hysterical or s/he may appear totally calm (a sign that s/he could be in shock)
• have crying spells and anxiety attacks
• have difficulty concentrating, making decisions, and doing simple, everyday tasks
• show little emotion, act as though numb or stunned
• have poor recall of the rape or other memories

In the second stage, it seems that survivors begin to resolve their issues. This stage is also called the "flight to health." But denial frequently masks the under lying problems as survivors make an effort to re-establish the routines of their life and bring back some semblance of control. Sometimes, in an effort to feel back in control, rape victims make dramatic changes in lifestyle or environment. They may quit a long-standing job or move to a new location to get a fresh start. They may dramatically change their appearance; cut their hair or perhaps change the colour. None of the changes brings about the security they search for as nightmares and phobias emerge. They work hard to suppress the feelings because dealing with them is so very painful.

The Outward Adjustment Stage
During this stage the victim resumes what appears to from the outside her/his "normal" life. Inside, however, there is considerable turmoil which can manifest itself by any of the following behaviours:
• continuing anxiety, sense of helplessness
• persistent fear and/or depression
• severe mood swings (e.g. happy to angry, etc.)
• vivid dreams, recurrent nightmares, insomnia surface at that time.

The stages are not linear and can vary as the victim works their way through. Survivors find themselves taking one step forward and two back as they vacillate between stages and labour to find their way.

The Resolution Stage
• physical ailments
• appetite disturbances (e.g. nausea, vomiting, compulsive eating)
• efforts to deny the assault ever took place and/or to minimise its impact
• withdrawal from friends and/or relatives
• preoccupation with personal safety
• reluctance to leave the house and/or to go places which remind the victim of the rape
• hesitation about forming new relationships with men and/or distrustful or existing relationship
• sexual problems
• disruption of normal everyday routines (e.g. high absenteeism at work suddenly or, conversely, working longer than usual hours; dropping out of school; travelling different routes; going out only at certain times)

Sex is a form of conception. Here are other forms of conception. You'll note, rape isn't on the list.

When I wrote my post last week, I spoke of how the Republican party is trying to take away my history. Ryan's comment makes this point even more clear, they are still trying to redefine rape. I love men, but you guys have a pretty bad history with this....

What is being messaged here is that rape is wrong, unless a woman is impregnated -- at that point, according to the Republican platform, abortion is even more wrong then rape. For myself, this isn't about getting or becoming pregnant as it is about impregnation. There is a difference. Couple that with the GOP history of trying to defund Planned Parenthood, attempting get rid of access to contraception -- and you may see where I am going. The view taken here is that men should decide what and how women should treat their health. For them, abortion is more horrible than rape. One commenter at the Benen piece makes a very astute observation. Ankhtraveler writes:

I'm trying to understand the day to day consequences of Ryan's position. A woman is raped - she reports it to the police, not an insignificant decision by any means. She becomes pregnant realizing that she can't get an abortion. Authorities know she was raped and someone who knew she was pregnant tells the police she is no longer pregnant, for whatever reason. The police are now compelled to investigate the chance that an illegal abortion may have taken place so the woman who was the original victim, is now the suspect in a crime and could be charged with murder?

Other consequences? Women stop reporting rapes and so more and more rapes occur because rapists realize that the crime wont be reported. Is this where Ryan and his ilk want this country to go?

Hypothetically, these positions, if implemented, would make a rape victim a criminal. This isn't nonsense here, this is a very real reality should the GOP be allowed to put their platform into law. It's already begun in Kansas. This platform and what they are doing is deadly to women.

I am deeply concerned. I am angry. I am a woman. So how has the GOP responded to me and other women who have been raped? It's just a detail. You read that right. The governor of Virginia and the Republican Party Platform chair said the following this weekend:

McDonnell: We’re affirming that we’re a pro-life party.The details certainly are left to Congress and, ultimately, to the states and the people on how they ratify such an amendment. More importantly, what they do at the state level.

Stephanapoulous: So is the party for a rape exception or not?

McDonnell: The party didn’t make any judgment on that. It’s a general proposition to say we support human life. The rest of the details are up to the states and the people respectively, George. That’s simply not covered.

So, there you have it. Rape is a State's right. That's the Tenth Amendment and it seems like they are using it as an excuse for the party platform they voted on and embraced in advance of their national convention, happening this week. According to the GOP, how a woman handles a rape that has the aftereffect of impregnation, you'd better hope you are living in the right state in order to be able to choose what to do.

I am a woman first, a citizen of the United States of America next -- What the GOP is doing sounds very UN-United to me. This is an aftereffect of the Republican view of women and the people who love us. It's almost impossible to imagine such a conception, but it's true.

and

Raine

73 comments (Latest Comment: 08/28/2012 02:11:57 by wickedpam)
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Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 13:02:57

I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

Comment by

wickedpam on 08/27/2012 13:09:44

Morning

Comment by

TriSec on 08/27/2012 13:15:16

Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 13:21:08

Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

I don't know the exit number. If you google I-95 and Old St Augustine Rd.

Comment by

BobR on 08/27/2012 13:26:03

Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

The I-85/I-285 interchange on the NE of Atlanta used to be a standard cloverleaf that was named "malfunction junction" because of the nightmare merging where the cloverleafs transition onto and off of the highway.

They redid the entire thing, eliminating all of the two-way merges. Now it's called "Spaghetti Junction"

http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2zXJB3y33gA/TCwWmbVzXdI/AAAAAAAAGt0/ITnoavcfrg4/DSC_2021.jpg

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 13:28:15

Good morning! I really did oversleep.... the air was perfect sleeping temp last night.

off to write a blog!

Comment by

TriSec on 08/27/2012 13:32:00

Well, here's a good one.

The satellite really doesn't do it justice; it's common for there to be at least a mile in either direction at rush hour. Before I-95 was re-routed about a decade ago, this was the only traffic light on an interstate in the entire USA.

And google "Braintree Split" sometime.

Comment by

wickedpam on 08/27/2012 13:35:38

Quote by BobR:
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

The I-85/I-285 interchange on the NE of Atlanta used to be a standard cloverleaf that was named "malfunction junction" because of the nightmare merging where the cloverleafs transition onto and off of the highway.

They redid the entire thing, eliminating all of the two-way merges. Now it's called "Spaghetti Junction"

Don't forget about the lovely Mixing Bowl - really who designs these things, cause they kinda suck at it

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/03nov/images/mayes2.jpg

Comment by

wickedpam on 08/27/2012 13:37:09

and the bus goes immediately into the ditch with Interstate Highway porn

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 13:39:51

Quote by BobR:
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

The I-85/I-285 interchange on the NE of Atlanta used to be a standard cloverleaf that was named "malfunction junction" because of the nightmare merging where the cloverleafs transition onto and off of the highway.

They redid the entire thing, eliminating all of the two-way merges. Now it's called "Spaghetti Junction"

Not a clover leaf.

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 13:41:59

Guess what? Our Brew clubs petition has gone international! From the Toronto Star:

The motives of a petition by John Lutz of the D.C. Homebrewers Club are not at all political. As a group of 750 microbrew fanatics, the club just really wants the recipe.

Lutzâ€™s petition, on the White House website We The People, was one-fifth of the way to the necessary 25,000 signatures with a month to go.

â€œWe're just curious. It's our nature to tinker and experiment,â€ said club president Joshua Hubner, a D.C. lawyer.

â€œWe want to know more about the system they brew the beer on. Maybe they could come to our next meeting.â€

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 13:49:11

The classic clover leaf

Comment by

TriSec on 08/27/2012 13:52:44

Evidently, nobody takes pictures of any of our highway interchanges. They must be that embarassing, I guess.

But then again, we have rotaries!

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 14:00:45

Quote by TriSec:
Evidently, nobody takes pictures of any of our highway interchanges. They must be that embarassing, I guess.

But then again, we have rotaries!

those! Once you figure out how to use rotaries, they work really well.

Comment by

BobR on 08/27/2012 14:00:58

Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by BobR:
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

The I-85/I-285 interchange on the NE of Atlanta used to be a standard cloverleaf that was named "malfunction junction" because of the nightmare merging where the cloverleafs transition onto and off of the highway.

They redid the entire thing, eliminating all of the two-way merges. Now it's called "Spaghetti Junction"

Not a clover leaf.

Maybe if you had read what I wrote, you would have understood that this is what REPLACED the cloverleaf.

Comment by

Scoopster on 08/27/2012 14:01:40

Mornin' all & Happy back-to-work Mondee!

Quote by TriSec:
Evidently, nobody takes pictures of any of our highway interchanges. They must be that embarassing, I guess.

But then again, we have rotaries!

I suppose you can jump on Google Maps and use the satellite view. Unfortunately the most convoluted part of the interchange in Boston is now underground!

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 14:02:51

Quote by BobR:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by BobR:
Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
I really dislike the half-assed, traffic-jam creating half clover leaf interchange where I get off of I-95 to get to work. Who builds anything this stupid any more? FDOT, that's who!

I've probably got that beat. What exit? (I'll check the satellite.) Of course, except for the Big Dig, all of our highways around here are 1950s vintage with "classic' cloverleaf architecture. (Which generally sucks balls these days.)

The I-85/I-285 interchange on the NE of Atlanta used to be a standard cloverleaf that was named "malfunction junction" because of the nightmare merging where the cloverleafs transition onto and off of the highway.

They redid the entire thing, eliminating all of the two-way merges. Now it's called "Spaghetti Junction"

Not a clover leaf.

Maybe if you had read what I wrote, you would have understood that this is what REPLACED the cloverleaf.

My bad, Bobber

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 14:16:02

The interchange of hellishness.

Notice how both ramps are on the south side of the roadway. This means if there is any kind of backup going north on 95 causes the traffic to back up on the southbound side for those who are exiting onto Old St Augustine Rd. Stupid design built on the cheap.

Comment by

trojanrabbit on 08/27/2012 14:25:01

Bleh. No sooner do I arrive at work then I take sick and have to go back home.

Seems that one of Issac's scenarios has my brother-in-law taking a direct hit again. On the anniversary of Katrina.

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 14:26:24

Quote by trojanrabbit:
Bleh. No sooner do I arrive at work then I take sick and have to go back home.

Seems that one of Issac's scenarios has my brother-in-law taking a direct hit again. On the anniversary of Katrina.

That anniverary of Katrina has been on my mind as well, Rabbit.

Comment by

Scoopster on 08/27/2012 14:28:39

Obama should thank Romney for being late to the reality party? Ya know what Karl, FUCK YOU.

Comment by

TriSec on 08/27/2012 14:36:44

Quote by Mondobubba:
The interchange of hellishness.

Notice how both ramps are on the south side of the roadway. This means if there is any kind of backup going north on 95 causes the traffic to back up on the southbound side for those who are exiting onto Old St Augustine Rd. Stupid design built on the cheap.

Ah, now I see it. All that green space on the north side of the road - a proper interchange could have been built.

Comment by

trojanrabbit on 08/27/2012 14:38:57

Quote by Scoopster:
Obama should thank Romney for being late to the reality party? Ya know what Karl, FUCK YOU.

Still don't know why that traitor isn't in prison. Maybe in Obama's second term......

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 15:00:20

I am still writing!!!!

I'm writing!

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 15:01:41

Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Bleh. No sooner do I arrive at work then I take sick and have to go back home.

Seems that one of Issac's scenarios has my brother-in-law taking a direct hit again. On the anniversary of Katrina.

That anniverary of Katrina has been on my mind as well, Rabbit.

I have a friend in Gulfport. She's preparing for the worst -- again.

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 15:03:54

Quote by TriSec:
Quote by Mondobubba:
The interchange of hellishness.

Notice how both ramps are on the south side of the roadway. This means if there is any kind of backup going north on 95 causes the traffic to back up on the southbound side for those who are exiting onto Old St Augustine Rd. Stupid design built on the cheap.

Ah, now I see it. All that green space on the north side of the road - a proper interchange could have been built.

The build the interchange in anticpation of the Superbowl when it was held here. The two retention ponds have lights, and big fountains. The south side of the overpass has "Jacksonville" in nice, big Times-Roman letters. It is the first exit on the interstate going north that is in Duval County so they wanted something spiffy. So this is what we have. A half-assed, annoy traffic jam generating pain. I need to be at work at 9. To avoid traffic pain, I leave my house at about 745 and get here about 815. This morning I hit the snooze bar twice, big mistake.

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 15:04:35

Quote by Raine:
I am still writing!!!! I'm writing!

Yeah, but you are not in Storage Room B like some of our copywriters.

Comment by

Scoopster on 08/27/2012 15:05:20

Quote by trojanrabbit:
Quote by Scoopster:
Obama should thank Romney for being late to the reality party? Ya know what Karl, FUCK YOU.

Still don't know why that traitor isn't in prison. Maybe in Obama's second term......

Does it seem to anyone else that Rove is essentially saying in a veiled way that Obama isn't being a 'proper house n''''er' ?

Comment by

BobR on 08/27/2012 15:09:51

Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Quote by Scoopster:
Obama should thank Romney for being late to the reality party? Ya know what Karl, FUCK YOU.

Still don't know why that traitor isn't in prison. Maybe in Obama's second term......

Does it seem to anyone else that Rove is essentially saying in a veiled way that Obama isn't being a 'proper house n''''er' ?

Uppitty!

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 15:15:46

Quote by BobR:
Quote by Scoopster:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Quote by Scoopster:
Obama should thank Romney for being late to the reality party? Ya know what Karl, FUCK YOU.

Still don't know why that traitor isn't in prison. Maybe in Obama's second term......

Does it seem to anyone else that Rove is essentially saying in a veiled way that Obama isn't being a 'proper house n''''er' ?

Uppitty!

mmmhmm.

Comment by

wickedpam on 08/27/2012 15:43:43

if you paid into something its not an entitlement

Comment by

velveeta jones on 08/27/2012 15:50:29

Morning! Wish I had overslept...

zzzzzzzzz

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 15:53:38

Quote by velveeta jones:
Morning! Wish I had overslept...

zzzzzzzzz

Happy Birthday Vel! I love you!

(still writing my blog, I will appropriately emoticon you in a little while.

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 15:54:13

Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
I am still writing!!!! I'm writing!

Yeah, but you are not in Storage Room B like some of our copywriters.

I'm actually in the basement...

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 15:57:22

Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
I am still writing!!!! I'm writing!

Yeah, but you are not in Storage Room B like some of our copywriters.
I'm actually in the basement...

Comment by

livingonli on 08/27/2012 16:22:05

Good day, everyone.

I guess after seeing the highway ditch no one should complain about the highways on Long Island except for the eternal road rebuild project going on right now on Route 107 which in some places has now narrowed it to a side street and the way people drive on it, I am surprised there are not more accidents.

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 16:36:12

Monday Blog has been posted.

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 16:51:21

Quote by livingonli:
Good day, everyone.

I guess after seeing the highway ditch no one should complain about the highways on Long Island except for the eternal road rebuild project going on right now on Route 107 which in some places has now narrowed it to a side street and the way people drive on it, I am surprised there are not more accidents.

HAve they ever finished the work on the Belt parkway on the Nassau/queens border?

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 16:51:51

Quote by Raine:
Monday Blog has been posted.

Blog kilt the blog?

Comment by

wickedpam on 08/27/2012 17:03:00

not kilt

good blog, as always

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 17:11:43

Quote by wickedpam:
not kilt

good blog, as always

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 17:12:22

I changed the title to be a little less provocative and a little more direct.

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 17:27:13

These assholes don't know when to shut up do they? Keep talkin' fellas, keep talkin'...

Comment by

livingonli on 08/27/2012 17:30:53

Quote by Raine:
Quote by livingonli:
Good day, everyone.

I guess after seeing the highway ditch no one should complain about the highways on Long Island except for the eternal road rebuild project going on right now on Route 107 which in some places has now narrowed it to a side street and the way people drive on it, I am surprised there are not more accidents.
HAve they ever finished the work on the Belt parkway on the Nassau/queens border?

I haven't been on it in a while although it does seem to be kind of chugging along.

Comment by

livingonli on 08/27/2012 17:35:05

DirecTV has the Hurricane Irene information channel which is now simulcasting the newscasts from the New Orleans channels as they prepare since it does seem like the storm is tracking towards there.

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 17:43:14

Quote by livingonli:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by livingonli:
Good day, everyone.

I guess after seeing the highway ditch no one should complain about the highways on Long Island except for the eternal road rebuild project going on right now on Route 107 which in some places has now narrowed it to a side street and the way people drive on it, I am surprised there are not more accidents.
HAve they ever finished the work on the Belt parkway on the Nassau/queens border?

I haven't been on it in a while although it does seem to be kind of chugging along.

That parkway has been under construction since at least the early 80's.

I have an Opa story about that....

Comment by

Mondobubba on 08/27/2012 18:25:17

This needs to be repeated:

America,

This is an email address; [email protected]
This is a website address:http://www.clowncollege.com/fuckwittedgmoke

Please stop confusing them. It will make your life easier. This is really simple stuff too, stop make this so epic.

Comment by

Raine on 08/27/2012 18:31:45

Quote by Mondobubba:
These assholes don't know when to shut up do they? Keep talkin' fellas, keep talkin'...

Sadly, they don't. I really believe they live in a bubble of extremity these days.

Comment by

BobR on 08/27/2012 18:43:29

Quote by wickedpam:
if you paid into something its not an entitlement

Comment by

BobR on 08/27/2012 18:44:30

Quote by Raine:
Quote by velveeta jones:
Morning! Wish I had overslept...

zzzzzzzzz
Happy Birthday Vel! I love you! (still writing my blog, I will appropriately emoticon you in a little while.