Todd Akin is Not Alone

I don't like discussing abortion. I am pro-choice and believe that a woman should have control over her body. While I don't see abortion in the same black and white terms as I view gay marriage rights, I certainly think that a woman's body and her health are realms over which the women in question and their doctors should have absolute authority.

So as startled - though not unsurprised - as I was to hear that Todd Akin refer to "legitimate rape," my anger and frustration is focused less on him than it is on his party.

Let me start by dismissing Todd Akin. His name isn't worth mentioning. What is far more worrisome is that Todd Akin's position, if not his words, is the centerpiece of the Republican party's view on abortion and women's rights.

When Akin starts talking about "legitimate rape" and how a woman's body can prevent an unwanted pregnancy he displays his own ignorance and bigotry. He is easily dismissed. When one of America's two major political parties makes it official party platform to Constitutionally ban abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest it is hard to ignore. This is what has happened.

Republican politicians and leaders have decried Akin's remarks and called for him to drop out of the race, but simultaneously were making strict anti-abortion measures part of party doctrine. While they dismissed his words, none of them took a stand against his position. This is mainstream Republican dogma.

Todd Akin is not alone, and he and his party's fanatical commitment to take over women's health issues and rights is a scary crusade.