So if someone is drugged and raped, its not a rape. In case of incest, it will be considered rape only when the victim is younger than 18 years. If a 13 year old girl with limited sex education is raped by a pedophile, its not a rape.
No, you got it wrong, I am not talking about a new Taliban regime or a middle-eastern country. This is a new bill being discussed in US! And that’s not all. All this is done in the name of, wait for it, religion. But for once, the religion in question is not Islam but Christianity. How you ask?
In US, there is a big debate between pro-choice and pro-life. The center issue being right of women for abortion. Pro-choicers say that it’s a woman’s body and hence, her choice while pro-lifers say that we must protect the sanctity of life (to hell with woman’s right or whether she is capable of raising a child).
Okay, I agree that not all pro-lifers are necessarily religious fanatics but all the religious fanatics are pro-lifers and hence, my point about pro-life being more a religious thing. Coming from India, I always found this debate ridiculous. With female feticide on rampage in the home country, I never thought I will ever be for an abortion. But listening to all these religious fanatics go on and on about the sanctity of life (never mind the current world population explosion), I am turning into a pro-choicer. But I digress.
So one of those extreme right house representative (they are in majority now) in US has come up with this new bill, in order to impose the pro-life. It’s called “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion”.
At the moment the insurance companies can reimburse for the abortion only if the woman was raped or if she is in physical danger due to delivery or pregnancy. However, the pro-lifers are now pushing for this new bill in which they can only pay if the woman was “forcibly” raped.
Basically, she should be able to prove that she was raped and it was the violent kind. If not, then may be she consented to being raped, right? According to Wikipedia:
In criminal law, rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse against another person without that person's consent.
One of the conservatives is quoted by Time magazine saying:
"And while we're at it, you know what really burns me up? All of those women getting abortions paid for by Medicaid and saying they were raped. I bet they weren't even really raped."
Rape is one of the most under-reported crime, even in US. And this moron wants the one who do report it, should be put on the stand and prove that they were “forcibly” raped. And all this just because they think woman’s body is only an instrument used to bear babies and she should not have choice in it?
P.S.: 1. Its been a long time since I have been outraged so much. Well, seems like conservatives have the majority again.
The pro-life fanatics really get my goat. In case you couldn't tell, I'm pro-choice. I guess because it seems to go both ways...if a woman believes the foetus is a person they can choose to not abort and vice versa. But pro-life doesn't give that choice. It's very black and white. I heard about the recent rallies in the US but had absolutely no idea about this bit re 'forcible rape'. How messed up is that?? Since Bush's reign I've been thinking the US is regressing. I think I will proven right if this bill is passed.
ReplyDelete@ PB: I knew that you would be pro-choice. I agree it does go both way, except when women are pressurized to have an abortion if they have female fetus, like in dear old India. I don't think I am very pro-choice in those conditions. Anything we can do stop female foeticide, I am for it.
ReplyDeleteThe bill was introduced only yesterday. I have been fuming ever since I read about it.
US always had conservatives and some of them were as absurd as these but their numbers were smaller and hence, they didn't do as much damage. Now their numbers as well as the number of likes of Sarah Palin has increased significantly. Hence, increase in tea parties and such non-sensical bills..
Any argument which gives the reason of 'religion' or anything related to it, makes me mad. Because maximum crime in the world is committed in the name of some religion or the other..directly or indirectly. I am pro-choice (except in situations where the woman is being brainwashed into aborting just because its a girl child). But whether pro-choice or pro-life, it is high time we come out of the religious curtain and start questioning things logically.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Richa...agree with you on the female foeticide aspect and don't condone an abortion based on the child's gender. But technically, in India, it's illegal to find out the gender of the baby via an ultrasound. So if everyone followed the law (haha!) then only women that can't afford to have a child or are pregnant as a result of rape etc would be having abortions.
ReplyDeleteAnd can you imagine if Palin is elected as President??? I shudder to think what would happen to the world as America is supposed to be a super power. I read somewhere on twitter recently about someone saying Palin being elected in 2012 is what the Mayans meant by the world would end in 2012...
ReplyDeleteYou'd love this: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/50016/jon-stewart-debates-rape-vs-rape-rape/ :D
ReplyDeleteI shared this post on Buzz.
ReplyDeleteInstead of calling them pro-life, they should be called Anti-Choice and Force Birthers, because that is what they are. If they were really Pro-Life they would also consider the life of the mother.
I saw another post on this here, http://yesmeansyesblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/forced-birthers-try-to-narrow-definition-of-rape/
@ Neha: Agreed. Wish they keep their religion to themselves and don't try to impose it on us...
ReplyDelete@ PB: The day Sarah Palin gets elected, I will seriously start thinking about moving back to India, and if possible, move immediately.
@ Sudipta: Saw that one too. At times i wish I had some kind of magic wand which I can use to turn them into woman for a year and then let them be raped (not rape-rape). But then I realize that I won't be able to do that. EVER. Because unlike them, I have a heart.
@ IHM: Thanks IHM! There are a lot of post on this topic. I just can't resist myself from writing one as well. I was just very angry.