Hello Recovery Writers,
Rarely am I so angry about an issue that I feel I need to take it on in this manner, but when I read about this…well, you know how I am. This is not one I was just going to let go. I tried to stay dignified in my response, and I’m sending this letter onto his office. I encourage you all to write your own congressmen, as well as Rep. Akin himself if you feel as strongly about this as I do. I’ll include his contact information at the end of this article. As always, thanks for reading. <3
Update: In my zeal to get this letter written and out there, I originally called Todd Akin a senator; this is incorrect. He is a state representative who is running for senator in Missouri. My apologies for any confusion.
Also: There are now several petitions going around demanding sanctions for Rep. Akin. Here is a link to one of them if you’d like to sign (I already have, of course!):
CREDO Action: Tell Rep. Todd Akin: Stop lying about rape
Missouri Republican claims ‘legitimate rape’ rarely results in pregnancy
Dear Representative Akin,
This is an open letter addressing your unbelievably idiotic and insensitive statements in the article above. How dare you attempt to qualify whether or not rape is “legitimate”. Until you have personally experienced rape, personally experienced unfathomable shock and trauma and shattering of your life and bodily integrity, you don’t get to say word one about the legitimacy of rape. And as far as the rate of pregnancy goes, if you’re going to have the nerve to try and use that as a factor to illegitimize rape, then at least have the decency to have actual science on your side. Despite what some pro-life witch doctor with a medical degree from Sally Struthers may have told you, pregnancy can actually happen without a woman’s consent. It happened to a friend of mine. For the majority of the time I was being repeatedly raped, I was “lucky” enough to have been a child, incapable of conceiving. The last time I was raped, I was severely anorexic and not menstruating, also making it highly unlikely. I didn’t get pregnant from any of the times I was raped, but I think about it sometimes: what would I have done if I had? I honestly don’t know. Back then, the morning after pill wasn’t available. Now, I would certainly do that first. And, by the way, the morning-after pill IS NOT a form of abortion! It PREVENTS pregnancy from ever happening, actually making abortions less likely to occur. If you’re really all about protecting life, supporting birth control is really the way to go. Keeping those pregnancies from occurring in the first place will stop abortions from happening. And if your interest is truly in stopping abortions- as opposed to simply controlling women’s lives and bodies- then really, you might want to jump aboard. Men like you who think that they have any right to legislate the choices available to women who have been raped truly terrify me. Like I said, you have not experienced this. You can’t IMAGINE what it is to be raped, much less to experience a pregnancy from rape. How dare you try to limit a woman’s options in that situation. As if it isn’t hard enough. The rapist should be punished. But the victim shouldn’t be. And that is exactly what you’re doing when you limit her ability to make decisions about what’s right for her body and her life.
Sincerely,
Sarah Henderson
August 21st, 2012 at 2:04 am
I signed the petition with a note that he should not only cease his campaign for Senate, but resign from his current position. He obviously has no knowledge of “legitimate” science. And the last thing we need in Congress is another misogynistic asshole.
August 22nd, 2012 at 5:42 am
Powerful writing, Ms. Henderson. I’ve shared the link to your site on my Facebook page. These asshats believe everything can be explained away using religious ideology, and all horrid events must happen for a reason. The real story is, of course, that they want all abortions banned, so they use the “lying rape victim” as an excuse to keep *any* women from obtaining abortions. I have to clean up the floor from being sick so much more these past few weeks, as these idiots continue to spew idiocy every day. Thank you for sharing your own experiences and using them as a way to help others. Many more thanks just for being who you are.
August 22nd, 2012 at 10:10 am
What a wonderful compliment! Thank you.