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Loading...Dispatches From The War On Women: Fact Checking Rape Culture
Welcome to Dispatches, a look at the latest news and issues from the trenches in the War on Women. Have a story from your state or an idea on how to push back? Share them here and fight back against the War on Women.
House Republicans spent a lot of time and taxpayer dollars pushing the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” a bill that sought to redefine “rape” to “forcible rape” as one of three limited circumstances when abortion was acceptable. It’s a bill that Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan was especially fond of because it’s a fundraising double whammy: cutting federal spending and restricting abortion access.
And in the Protect Life Act, a bill that would have amended the Affordable Care Act to prevent federal payment to health plans that include abortion coverage, Republicans again tried to narrow the categories of acceptable abortion procedures from one in cases of rape to ones in cases of “forced rape.”
It’s a truth U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin spoke on the floor of the Democratic National Convention. Moore, a rape survivor, is a tireless advocate for women’s rights. She said: “No victim of domestic violence or bullying — man or woman — should feel unprotected in America. Yet when Democrats acted to strengthen the Violence Against Women Act, Republicans in the House moved to weaken it. In other legislation, they have even tried to change the definition of rape.”
But, according to Politifact, these things didn’t really happen, and Rep. Moore’s statements are “mostly false” because she didn’t explain why Republicans were trying to change the legal definition of rape in these statutes.
Moore said House Republicans “tried to change the definition of rape.”
Her statement contains an element of truth, in that GOP members sought to change when federal money for abortions could be used in cases of rape, by using the term “forcible rape.”
But the claim ignores critical facts that would give a different impression — the House Republicans’ effort was not to change the definition of rape, per se, but rather to restrict the use of federal funds in abortions.
Precision of language is important, but Moore’s statements were not misleading because they failed to connect every dot for her listener–the underline sentiment and motivation was accurately articulated. Republicans wanted to change the definition of rape in the context of when a woman can access a full range of medical care in connection with that rape.
And doesn’t this just seem to be the perfect expression of rape culture? Rep. Moore, a woman of color and victim of sexual violence dismissed for speaking the truth on the conservative assault on women. PolitiFact’s take on Moore’s statement and the quibble with the circumstances under which anyone would want to exclude care for victims of statutory rape, date rape, and cases when a woman couldn’t provide sufficient evidence she fought back convincingly enough is just the kind of reinforcement conservative ideologues were looking for and just the kind of perpetuation of misogyny women don’t.
Read more: dispatches, Dispatches from the War on Women, war on women
Photo from tacit requiem via flickr.
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Recent Comments from Causes
It sounds like there are some suggestions that may help alleviate, to which I'd like to ask, can't they…
Mr. Harper seems to be a bit fishy.
How far behind is America if Republicans have there way?
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130 comments
+ add your ownGuess they won't be happy until women are forced to be stay at home moms, barefoot and pregnant, and chained to the kitchen! Caveman mentality! Why are these idiots so scared of women? Makes me sick.
For the GOP scum rape is the will of god, and pregnancies from rape is god's wish. Jail the neo-con right wing pseudo christian repugliscum bigots. these twisted bigots should be waterboarded, this is god's will.
Women + unite + planned parenthood + equal pay = OBAMA
GET REGISTERED AND VOTE......This is the WOMENS Election!!!
thanks
Yeah Boner is 0 for 591. On day one 591 days ago he promised to work on Jobs.
Since then
Nothing says Jobs more, than transvaginal probes.
This issue has not 'reared its ugly head', for some time, now. It's quite compelling that it is coming up, at this time.
The answer, I believe, is about the lack of control, men feel over women, in 2012. The insecure ones had to find some issue, since female pesons are entering politics and every other area of business, around the world.
Thank heavens, we have men on this site, who have self-respect, like themselves, and have respect for women. It's such a pleasant situation.
The problem is....women have always been a target...even more so...now..our country is trying to put us into containers and isolate us from life...in other words...don't go anywhere you are liable to be raped...don't party, don't hang out in bars, go home and then get raped by the psychic dicktatorship of your country.....either way...its rape.....
If we defend ourselves and get rid of our rapists we get rid of ourselves into the same prisons they should have been in in the first place.
It seems we cannot depend on those elected into the highest offices of our country.
Forcible rape - so a woman is going to have to show some signs of physical molestatio, her word is not going to be enough. What happened to the best advice in dangerous circumstances - do what is required to preserve your life i.e. do not endanger your life by fighting back? If this new thinking appears on the statute books how many women are not going to report a crime which is already not reported enough for fear of disbelieve or of being torn to pieces by a defence lawyer in court?
Republicans are against women, children, families and the middle class. Vote the out of office in every state at every opportunity. Romney and Ryan are definitely the wrong choice for America now and in the future.
Michael,
You said, "Albert, you know exactly what I am talking about as you have more than a rudimentary ability to put two and two together."
Well, yes I can, and that is why I agreed with what you were saying.
Again, you said, "Denial isn't a geographic location."
Acceptance isn't a park bench.
My statement makes as much sense as yours does; they are both category errors.
So instead of reading my mind incorrectly it would probably advance the conversation more if you explain what your point is, don't you think?
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