IU Southeast made national headlines when Richard Mourdock, Republican candidate for the Indiana Senate, made a statement saying despite the “horrible situation” from which they occur, pregnancy from rape was “something God intended.”
I am a Hoosier, born, raised and, most importantly, proud. When someone who is proposing to be a representative of this great state, says something so incredibly demeaning, it just makes me sad to see how far behind this state is in terms of moving forward politically.
Nearly immediately, network news stations and social media began buzzing about the Senate-hopeful’s statement. Mourdock fell in line with other Republican candidates we have been subject to this election season that are trying to negotiate the severity of rape.
In August, Todd Akin, Missouri Senate candidate, said rape is not legitimate if the victim gets pregnant. He said that “legitimate” rape victims rarely get pregnant because, the “female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down.” Obviously, this man has no idea of how the female reproductive system works, and we cannot just terminate a pregnancy from will power.
On a larger scale, there should never have been a discussion on whether rape is legitimate or illegitimate because rape is rape. There is no rape that is somehow more justifiable by the means of the government. I guarantee if you ask any victim of rape, whether his or her rape was legitimate or illegitimate, there would only be one answer.
President Barrack Obama addressed the issue on Oct. 24 when he appeared on “The Tonight Show.”
“Rape is rape,” Obama said. “It is a crime. This is exactly why you don’t want a bunch of politicians, mostly male, making decisions about women’s healthcare decisions.”
Thank you, Mr. President. Finally, someone who sees women are capable of making our own decisions regarding our health and our body. Women’s healthcare has no place in a political discussion, and I am sick of politicians using our bodies as pedestals for their political gain.
It is 2012, and we have men tyring control what a woman can and cannot do with her body. When politicians start justifying rape and controlling our means of healthcare, I think it is time we step back and look at what this kind of political discourse is doing him our nation.
To justify something as terrible as rape by using God is just sickening.
I think this election year has made me realize — more than anything — there is no place in politics for religion-based justification. When politicians use religious-based discourse to form legislature around they are marginalizing a great portion of Americans who do not relate to “your God.” I think even the most religious people in our nation are shaking their head at these comments.
Whether you stand on the right or the left, I hope that you make a wise decision next Tuesday when you step in to that voting booth, in terms of moving this state forward with the rest of the country.
So fellow Hoosiers, think about how you want this state to be represented. Personally, I would rather our state not be the center of controversy or the punch-line on a late-night talk show, for the next six years.
By HANNA WOODS
Sports Editor
hrwoods@umail.iu.edu
