2012 Republican Platform To Advocate Abortion Ban Without Rape Exception

[SunsetDreams]

Republican politicians have been falling over themselves to condemn from Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican Senate candidate in Missouri, who said Sunday that women who have experienced “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” The Romney-Ryan campaign called Akin’s comments “insulting, inexcusable and frankly wrong,” in spite of Ryan’s close working relationship with Akin on a number of radical anti-abortion and contraception bills. A Romney spokesperson added that the “Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”

But embracing a rape exception for abortion rights would put the campaign at odds with the Republican Party’s longstanding platform, the newest iteration of which will be officially unveiled at the Republican National Convention in Tampa. In spite of the massive public outcry from the right over Akin’s comments, the official GOP platform committee drafted a provision Monday supporting a “human life amendment” that would outlaw abortion without specifying exemptions for rape or incest. The platform reads:

Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.

Heading the committee is Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA), best known for his “mandatory ultrasound” law requiring any woman getting an abortion to undergo an unnecessary ultrasound. McDonnell also revealed his regressive position on women’s rights in his college thesis, which slandered working women, contraception, and “fornicators.” It’s no surprise, then, that under his guidance, the Republican Party will reaffirm its support for a constitutional amendment that would outlaw abortion and likely many forms of contraception.

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/21/718461/2012-republican-platform-to-advocate-abortion-ban-without-rape-exception/

I can't say as I'm surprised, but all these Republican idiots feigning faux outrage of Akin comments, we know it was just that. See you in November fools!

Women for Obama 2012!

[procon]

1. Would that be listed under the "Jobs" section?

[John Frum]

2. Dig deeper into that pit, Republicans.

What the Republicans are saying is that when an egg is fertilized, however this is accomplished, the woman (or child) who bears that fetus then loses all rights to decide what happens inside her own body. So it seems logical that if the state is going to assume the right to dictate that a fetus has an inalienable right to life from the moment of conception, then the state must find the means to support the well being of that fetus without infringing on the mother's right to control the function of her own body.

And this, of course, leads to a considerable dilemma: how does the state intend to uphold the rights of both the mother and the fetus? One or the other must lose their rights. One might argue that the loss of the life of a living fetus is a great deal more significant than the temporary loss of rights imposed on a female who bears that fetus, but this is disingenuous - in reality, women who are forced to have a child sacrifice a great deal more than 9 months - having a child is a life-changing experience, as every mother knows.

The solution, of course, is to do all we can to eliminate unwanted pregnancies, thereby virtually eliminating the need for abortions. So what is the official Republican stance on programs that have been shown to be effective in reducing unwanted pregnancies?

[John Frum]

3. Another thought

Say A 12-year-old girl, who just had her first period, is incestuously raped by her HIV-infected father.

The 12-year-old girl becomes pregant and HIV-positive.

According to the GOP, it is the *12-year-old GIRL'S* duty to GOD to bare her father's child.

However, neither the child-mother nor the child is entitled to health care or health insurance.

What's wrong with this picture?

According to the GOP, there is NOTHING wrong with this picture.

Akin is not the exception in the GOP, Akin is the RULE.