Todd Akin and Extreme Right Threaten the Gains Women Made over the Past 100 Years

By now, everyone has surely heard the controversy of the extremist Missouri Congressmen, Todd Akin, who is running for Senate.

In a recent television interview, he espoused his beliefs of what he termed "legitimate rape." According to Congressman Akin, who frighteningly sits on the House Science Committee, pregnancies do not result from "legitimate rape" since the magic of a woman’s uterus actually prevents the sperm from fertilizing an egg in a “legitimate rape.” 

This justifies the GOP’s denial for abortion funding in cases of rape. The real frightening thing about this revelation is that it isn’t extreme at all, not in today’s national Republican Party that has been hijacked by Mr. Atkin and his ilk.

They continually reject science, free choice and compromise of any sort to their positions. They have all but driven any reasonable Republicans out of Congress.

Mr. Akin’s ideas have been codified in law and co-sponsored by our new Vice Presidential Candidate for the United States, Paul Ryan, with overwhelming Republican support. 

Additionally, the two co-sponsored a more extreme bill proposed by the Republican-led Congress known as the “Personhood Amendment,” which grants full rights to fertilized human eggs and would outlaw not only abortion, but also the most popular forms of contraception and even in-vitro fertilization. 

American women, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and those ladies who are just not paying attention — WAKE UP!  Your way of life is threatened. 

For years, this extremist, but politically-adept, group has been conspiring to take away the freedoms our great-grandmothers fought so hard for us to gain. These ideas are in the Republican platform and have been for years. They are just getting ever so closer to realization and this election could be the tipping point. 

During President Obama’s administration, the Republicans have opposed the Liddy Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (the first law the President signed). They voted against renewing the Violence Against Women Act. 

They have voted many times to appeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA,) which guarantees free contraception and female wellness-care services including mammography and pap smears. The ACA also prohibits insurance companies from denying insurance for pre-existing conditions, terminating insurance for illness and charging higher premiums to female policy holders. 

Monmouth County Women For Obama supports the president’s reelection for many reasons, but nothing is closer to our hearts than safe-guarding the progress women have made in society over the past 100 years. 

Women’s success is vital for the success of our families and our nation. Very few households can depend on only one-income earner and many families are supported by women alone. 

Monmouth County Women for Obama plans five forums in the county to discuss issues that women care about. Come join us and open your eyes to what is at
stake: 

WHAT WOMEN CARE ABOUT Forums: 

• Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Hazlet Library from 6:30 to 9 p.m.