Rape is about power and control. It's violation extends far beyond the duration of the act.
Before Roe versus Wade, a rapist's power clutched his victim for weeks while she endured the pregnancy scare along with the image of a back alley and coat hanger looming over her head. When abortion became safe and legal, the rapist's power got a little smaller. The advent of emergency contraception reduced it even further.
The GOP may be running from Akin now, but it has been re-empowering rapists for the last decade by enacting legislation that erodes access to abortion and emergency contraception.
Yes, rape victims are being denied access to the morning after pill. It happened to a woman in Oklahoma and another in Florida. In both cases, the violation of rape was extended by "professionals" emboldened by the red tide of the GOP.
A rapist loves the "she asked for it" mentality that bubbles just beneath terms like "forcible" and "legitimate" rape.
Men like Todd Akin and Paul Ryan are a rapist's best friend.
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